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~Seven Years Ago~

She had come over to their apartment just to drop off some boxes of stuff for her sister, Eloise - Ellie Tatu to her own apartment in don Boston She had been in a dorm room for her first semester at Harvard, but her parents didn't “approve” of her roommate, so her father had rented an apartment off campus for her When Tate's father said juh?”, so, she was

Her sister Ellie was four years older, and they had never gotten along very well About two years ago, Ellie had started dating Jameson Kane – Kane, as just about everyone called hie to Tate; Ellie and Jameson seemed more like acquaintances than people who slept with each other, but as she to judge? She didn't even really like her own boyfriend

Tate didn't really knohat to al She worried if she looked at hiraduated early fro some time off to work on, and review, his job prospects He ca on Wall Street, and the talk was that Jameson would follow in his footsteps

In the two years he had been dating her sister, Janored her, treated her with indifference When he had to deal with her, it was alotten that she existed He was tall, and handsome, and experienced, and sirl, fresh out of high school, no real experience with the world or worldly people He intimidated her

It felt weird, showing up at Ellie's apart there Janored her Such a gentle lot to the building, and then down a long hall to their apartot to the last box, she dropped it by their bed, huffing and puffing

“Did you wantin the doorway Tate whirled around, startled

“No, that was the last box,” she replied, straightening out her cardigan He always made her feel nervous His eyes wandered over her face

“You look really red Want so to drink?” he asked She felt herself turn even redder than she apparently already was; she was never prepared for his blunt manners

“If you have any tea, that would be great,” she replied, and then followed hi to pour it for her, but he just gestured to the fridge

“I don't knohat Ellie has in there, lots of health food shit Dig around,” he offered She made a face at his back

“Water is fine,” she told hilass from the tap

“So New apart city You ready?” he asked She nodded and turned to face hi over her face and she resisted the urge to wipe at her skin Was she dribbling water down her chin?

“As I'll ever be, I guess I'm pretty self-reliant, so I think I' delicate sips of her water He chuckled

“C' it,” he told her, leading her to a table He even shocked her by pulling out a chair for her