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I think he knew one day, he’d be drawn back to this life

“I love you,” he tells h voice, one that’s been silent for hours My sad shtly, and I lay h I don’t want to

I love him, but I hate this place

He says we’re co home

But this was never my home

I don’t say “I love you” back And Bastian doesn’t react when I don’t That’s what hurts the most He knehat this would do to us

And he did it anyway

1

Chloe

We’ve been driving for days now The snow’s barely slowed us down The prolonged silence, however, er than it is

The closer we get, the faster the snow falls though And we’re close now I knoe are I recognize these streets, even the backroads that have no names

The air has changed, and it makes my stomach churn harder every time I breathe in

“So you had a good ti at some barely perceptible fuzz on my sweater My heart ticks faintly in my chest, alhthe seconds until things are right again

Clearing his throat, he shrugs The hter around his shoulders as he turns the wheel and the car takes a left down a back alley

It takes real effort not to close my eyes as we pass the bar A bar I knoell and wish I didn’t

Everything is different, yet it’s all painfully familiar

The sign looks worn and old, but even when I was a child, it looked just the sah to really change it

“It was a good week,” he finally answers utters full of dirty snow to his steely blue eyes “I’ I h,” he adds with a warht to my veins