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Prologue

Five weeks post-Logan

It had been five weeks since I’d seen hi And I think it’s for the best I think that maybe I needed a clean break; A way to completely erase him from my life I’d told Micky and Lucy, and they understood They knew that being around the about him And I couldn't do that to myself Not now Not yet I was back to where I hen I’d first got here; trying to do everything I could to avoid him

"I have so to tell you" Ethan turned the TV off, and I faced him He was home more often now, and I knehy He orried about irl from that summer But I wasn’t Not really I was nowhere near as broken as I was then Maybe it was because I was ian Matthews Maybe it was because I’d come to accept the fact that maybe—just maybe it was my fault That I never should have taken him back the first time Or the second time Or the third Whatever it was, I didn’t care I was over it

"Diain

"What? What do you have to tell me? If it’s about his rooo in there and clear out my stuff"

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t over it yet But I was close

"No" He shook his head "That’s not it But, uh, it’s about him"

I looked away "Then I don’t want to know"

"Dimmy, I think you need to know"

"I don’t think I need to know shit about him anymore, E I’m done with him"

"He’s gone"

My head whipped to face his "What do you one?"

"Like, gone Away Out of the country He’s traveling the world, or soed

"What? How? What about college? What aboutwhere?"

"Dim, I don’t know I buan experiencing the world indefinitely, or so"

"Indefinitely?"

"Seriously, I don’t know I know asyou so that you know it’s okay You don’t have to worry about bu out with your friends again He won’t be thereI just wanted you to know And honestly, Di deserve to know He should have at least told you that much"

He was right I at least deserved that

"Don’t cry," he said, standing up I didn’t knoas "He doesn’t deserve any more of your tears I won’t let it happen"

I couldn’t speak, and even if I could, I don’t think I’d have the words

He left the room just before there was a knock on the door

"Hey" It was Jake He reh his messy dark hair "Uh, howhow are you? Is that a stupid question? Stupid, right? Of course you’re not doing well IandshitI’m sorryUm, can I do any—"

"Jake," I cut in "What’s up? What are you doing here?" I told Micky and Lucy that I just needed soet over what had happened, and that I wanted to cut off all ties I had with Logan This included Jake—so I had no idea what the hell he was doing standing at my front door I raised my eyebrows

"Oh" His eyes widened in surprise Clearing his throat, he said, "Look, I know that you don’t want to see me or anyone that has—" A car pulled into the driveway interrupting his speech Ca them