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I could move out of my aunt and uncle’s house

“Caninto the house?”

He frowned “That’s another reason why she appointedany control over this ain “You’ll be eighteen in less than a year Legally, there isn’t a lot they can do to co as you stay out of trouble and keep going to school, the police won’t get involved” He flipped to another page “With your uncle’s criminal record, I doubt he’ll initiate any contact with law enforcement”

Cri

“What about Roman?”

“He’s a different story As a ward of the state, they can cohteen”

I chewed on my thumbnail “Dammit”

“He’s turning eighteen in another ht? They’ll have to let hiet him released”

“Thank you”

He reviewed documents and deeds with me None of it al papers

Mr Porter didn’t wantthe bus so late in the afternoon and offered to drive me home

Home? I didn’t even knohere that was anymore “Will you take me to Mrs Shields’ house?”

“Of course” He hesitated and tapped his thus oing through the ho has been processed You can stay there tonight if you want to”

Stay in the house where Mrs Shields died? I hadn’t considered that part It didn’t frighten , it made me feel closer to her

Mr Porter walked hten up downstairs before shaking

I glanced at the clock My aunt and uncle wouldn’t be home yet

I dialed the house phone and left a ht

Chapter Forty

Roman

Our peaceful co-existence was disturbed again by the addition of another roommate

None of us knew the kid And to say he didn’t fit in with our group dynamic was the understatement of the year

Everyone called hi, wild black curls springing froled when he moved