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“Do you want to tellup a handful of rocks fro

“So happened this weekend” She wished she could melt into the sand beneath their feet and disappear forever a to make this confession to Garret, but she knew it needed to be said “Joseph and I were trying to get you to ask me to the Harvest Ball To notice ured you’d go after me, too”

His eyebrows raised and he chuckled “You faked liking each other just so I would ask you to the dance?”

Her chest felt splotchy and itchy “YesI’m so embarrassed I’m sorry we manipulated you that way”

“Well, I guess it worked And I guess I’, a frown for a little too closely in his footsteps, but I always denied it I guess he was right The last thing I ever wanted to be in this life was predictable”

“But that’s not all you are” She turned to hi her hands pal, you’re adventurous I wish I had half of your courage”

His lips twitched with a s with me that you can’t kiss me back?”

She licked her lips and took a deep breath “You’re just not Joseph”

He breathed in through his nose, his nostrils flaring, and looked down at the ground She wished she could knohat he was thinking Never in a million years had she expected this outco Garret’s attention, but now that she had it, it wasn’t what she’d expected

Joseph had been a different case Froed into his dad’s study, they’d clicked Not only did he kno to h, but he also helped her feel confident in a way that Garret never had And now, it was the only way she wanted to feel She didn’t want to give that up

“I hope you don’t hateat the hes”

“At the very least, I can say that I bounce back quickly,” he replied, shooting her a s my brother all of this”

She gulped and shook her head violently “No way The last time we spoke, he asked me to choose him and I pretty much ran away as fast as I could You should’ve seen the look on his face”

Her e of Joseph as he held her hand and asked her to go to the ball with hi his heart on the line and she’d just stos She’d lost that right theto her what she really wanted

“Well, you should’ve seen the look on his face when he told me to take care of you” Garret arched an eyebrow and tossed a rock into the pond, breaking the smooth surface “I’ve never seen him like that, but it all makes sense now He’s totally into you He has been since ere little”