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Abby spun on her heel “I don’t knohat you want me to say I need to move past all of this I need to put it behind me now”

Only, she knew there was no getting past this

She wanted to push hiate so she wouldn’t have to face him

She glanced at the ground by his sneakers instead of his face, unable to look hiht, he made her simultaneously want to keep her secret, so he’d never know the ugly truth while wanting to spill everything She needed a safe place to land, a soft place to fall as her world ca down, and she wanted it so badly to be him that it hurt

“I never should’ve involved you Bringing you into all of this was athe way her eyes filled so easily with tears It was like the dam on her emotions would never be repaired

“Abby” Kaden stepped forward and reached for her ar in the air

He shoved his hands in his pocket, and she tried to ignore the way his Adam’s apple bobbed with emotion, the way his voice sounded strained on his lips “So that’s it? Did you and Iwas this nothing? Are you going to say now this was only aboutyou?”

Abby brought her hands up to her face, kneading her te holes in her brain She could barely think, let alone ret

“Of course not,” she said, trying to regain some sense of self, of what she really wanted “But I need to do this alone I won’t get you in any more trouble, and I won’t take you doithelse I’ve already gotten you into trouble twice now, and I’ you into this”

His mouth twisted “Won’t takeabout?”

When she said nothing, hescore? I wasn’t aere keeping track of who’s helping who, but if you wanna know the truth, Abby” He stepped toward her, slow and deliberate ht spook her “you helped me more than you can ever know And if you don’t realize how ht ree with ht me that we need to take risks and make our own choices And even if we screw up, that’s okay, too You taught me to live for myself instead of everyone else around me You showed me what it’s like to put myself out there, even if it’s scary, to openfor And otten to know each other these last couple weeks, but it’s how I feel It’s my truth”

When she said nothing, could barely even look at hi back, and when it became clear she wouldn’t reciprocate, he stepped away fro And as Abby watched, she felt the loss of him like a hole in her heart

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Abby sat in the constricting confines of the Beetle, her heart leaden in her chest She knehat she needed to do

Her eyes flickered to the pool house, where the Belladonna bush hid a wheel, her knuckles turned white with her inner struggle Her heart and head wouldn’t align, and she didn’t have time to wait until they did