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Colbie was undoubtedly high as a kite because that actually made some sense "I’d think he’d be proud to be like the "

"You’re very sweet," Eddie said softly "But I didn’t tell you what ain Me and Mati had six great months before I lost her"

"Oh no," Colbie breathed "She passed away?"

"No, she left I’d finally met someone more screwed up than me" He so I could’ve gone with her but"

"But what?"

"It was time for me to be here, with my family" His eyes were fierce with love and o Just as o It’s what you do for those you love But for the first tireatest months of my life For once, asn’t the focus of my world Love was And I promised "

"But someti this from personal experience Because she’d walked away from her family Same as her dad, same as Eddie

But she nohat Eddie also knew, that faot stupid and walked, you went back No matter what And that’s what she would do too Go back Even if she didn’t want to Suddenly sad, and just as suddenly ravenous, she put her hands to her stoo"

"Where to?"

"To eat I’ot ya covered"

Chapter 18

FudgeADuck

When Colbie didn’t show up at Spence’s like she’d said she would, he figured she’d gotten caught up in her pages and lost track of ti he understood all too well

He waited another half hour before losing patience He wasn’t a good waiter He took the stairs down to her place and knocked on her door, but she didn’t answer that either

He stood there for a fewstood up

Tenstood up

Which sucked They’d ether in spite of the fact that they were both working a lot--which he often gave thought to deep in the night while holding her in his ar else he’d spent a fair a with hi harder and harder to walk away He’d been telling hiood thing

But he no longer believed it The truth was that he wasn’t ready for her to leave and was pretty sure he’d never be ready for her to leave

He made his way to the courtyard and poked his head into the alley to ask Eddie if he’d seen her

And there she was, sitting with the old man, junk food wrappers scattered all around therandpa "Tell irlfriend in tow"

Colbie gasped at the sight of Spence and ju to read it "It’s seven forty-five? How did that happen?"

"Well," Eddie said "The earth revolves around the sun, see, and--"

"I was supposed to pick Spence up at seven!" she whispered furiously to Eddie "I’rinned "Or you could just turn around and talk to him"

"Wait--he can see us?" she asked, horrified, eyes nearly bugging out of her head "We’re not invisible?"