him jus

the patrol unit would

ip as I yanked him into the da

gainst my neck. I slammed a hand over

ove," I

the pavement, voices barking into radios. My heart

o pull him closer and wrap

to control

a

hell are

until the noise faded. Onl

de, face pale un

ian, what

. "You almost

lder, chest heaving. "I-

straight into a double pat

t the ground, jaw clenched. I w

was different. Covered. Not just sw

Shadows under them like s

out here?" I asked,

dn't

d closer

hed at h

mn

morrow?" I said. "Full inspecti

snapped, ey

asked. "Why sneak out

pping into his hoodie po

st before he coul

s you want another set of b

jaw tight. "You don't

I said. "Be

another. Like space woul

the distance

I said. "You owe me

d. Then, "I

you're hiding

curled tight

d. "Val, what

on

re. You.

before I saw the way his eyes moved past me.

It hit me a

She had a full stark when she came here but not k

essing," I sa

ny it. My st

ong?"

ssi

ave you bee

dn't

oked at him again. "You know what

now. "I didn't

always

. "There's so much you don't know. So keep your

d. "But I don't hi

"Easy to say when you were bor

fear. The weight of whatever he was carrying. No

st hiding fro

could tell from the way his ey

ed just

e to do this a

up at me

hatever this is-whatever y

is head. "

y m

ssi

y m

of the dark, everything between

tell you is that I'm trying to

et me h

ice cracking. "Why

oat ti

t. Because every time you walk into

up, and I can't pretend I don't care anym

n't say a

, "Because

trembled for half a seco

't care," hh

o l

colder now. Softer. And for a second, it felt like w

im. Close enough t

t back to

ed, then n

rs and walls like ghosts. I kept him close, shoulder br

re, he said

him. "Don't

dorms. I opened the door for him, an

an to scare

dn't sc

half-smi

corrected. "Ther

. The kind of laugh tha

aded jus

ead to the bathroom, his h

turned, remembering what the

tly. "To the school council. To th

eath h

time you l

lips almost br

l kn