the doorway w

iced imm

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she said quietly, glan

here," he re

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coughed again-long

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nd like a simple f

your concer

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nk I'm a

derstand what your pre

fell betw

the walls. The dim lighting. The f

was he

ma

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ea

least say he

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oftly, "she'll think you'

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arder than

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t know tha

" she r

e from inside-foll

heart

Mu

ushed

wed withou

lightly off the couch, on

e her, panic breaking th

already

ake medicati

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her

cabinet-

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er.

fficiently,

r upright as Leo han

nds, the only sound

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slig

er opened

saw

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.?" she

a fr

g, Mum. Just

dn't co

r studied

ok like... jus

d himself by

evening

tried to sit

from he

s, m

't bring pe

d," he rep

hot him

er smiled

d," she said. "Does

flickered

n see

ood up a

needs

s dism

under

back towar

e leaving,

doctor," he

ned sharp

ust a ch

I sa

you so aga

always comes wi

her gaze

from

on't kn

know that it doe

he small apartmen

she step

ease

hesi

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d the door, he sa

have to fi

t a bad

hen he

sed the d

ds were

from

pres

out of the b

s that?"

meone fro

ooked

d. "Go bac

his head. "

pau

..Y

the dang

by the sidewalk lo

the apartment

eeling

medic

e shielded

ok she

ver looked at

ith di

th resi

ed out h

ital her mother goes

Si

a full medi

ded th

n't accept he

find ano

t school, Vanes

Leo near the

d last night," s

was

th h

e confirmed

nails dug i

embarra

on exclusivity,"

widened. "

ew what

itterly. "And

dn't a

he didn

ria sat in cl

adn't

eathing had been

unpaid in

d n

seen ev

wea

rea

r w

hated

or the fir

't feel i

elt ex

felt

re meant vu

s, Vanessa ma

weren'

wanted to play qu

the entire university saw

this

dn't be