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CHAPTER ONE

Jessie

Walking out ofat the stove cooking breakfast Based on the a a snowstorm in the kitchen The oversized police sweatshirt and beanie are typical of h Even his cop unifore

Funny, ere kids growing up in the Philly suburbs, I don’t reain, a lot about hilasses His voice has dropped approxied about Ryan, though? He’s safe Dependable

And he doesn’t try and get too close

Sure, we’re roommates and all, but our bedrooms are on opposite sides of the apartment I pay half the rent, he pays the other, so neither one of us owes the other anything When I co at the hair salon, he seeh day, he hands lass of wine and listens patiently while I vent about lousy tips or dra runt or two

He’s , safe teddy bear of a best friend and I don’t knohat I’d do without him

Do I feel guilty for keeping so many secrets from him?

Against my will, yes

See, though? That guilt is why it’s best to keep everyone on the other side of the glass When a wo all of her problems onto a man—and then he eventually leaves—those problems fall back on her like a mountain of bricks Ryan knows more about me than anyone else in the world, but he still knows very little And that’s the way it has to be If I keep the most important parts about me to myself, he can’t shake them if he leaves

I prop a hand on the dining rooh heels, co pancakes, his broad back turned to me

Ryan has given ht vanish from my life any time soon, so maybe this need to stay withdrawn froiven me reason to think he’ll stick by me forever Unfortunately, the round becomes under my feet If he were to leave…

“Morning,” he says without turning around, his voice still raspy from sleep “One pancake or two?”

“Two, please” I take e juice, trying to subdue the tre day”