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ProbablyI’ve done to her to let her down

"I’ve done her wrong" My voice cracks and I clearI’ve broken proain and again"

"What sort of pro me

I stop and stare at him "What did you say?"

"I asked what sort of promises did you break? I’m curious" He holds his hands up in front of hilare "I know it’s none of my business You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to"

I swore I would stand by Danny no matter what And when I didn’t do that, I promised my best friend I would take care of his sister I promised their parents I would take care of the both of them I lost Danny and wanted to save Jen--and I did so But I broke that pro bad would happen to her Terrible, awful things happened to Jen when she was at Gold Diggers

I failed on all counts

"I proether and I bailed" Just saying the words aloud fills n up?"

"My dad aveonly to me, with the potential for more" What kid wouldn’t ju ly

"I promised Danny I would take care of his sister I failed at that too" Big time "I--I don’t deserve her"

"You really believe that?" Drew asks quietly

I hate how calm he looks, how sure he is of himself in this very moment, while my emotions are all over the damn place I’ bother hiht once more

With the exception of the entire Cade faain

"Yeah," I finally answer

"Then prove yourself wrong, "

Chapter 9

Jen

"Rise and shine, sweet cheeks"

I snuggle closer intosunlight strea into my room I know I didn’t leave the blinds open before I went to bed Ime sweet cheeks I iveshis hand off, totally aware of the heat from his touch on my skin "If ant to et up and get ready"

Okay So with this picture First, Colin is most definitely into wake him up from yet another terrible dream that tends to send him deeper into this doard spiral of self-hatred

Second, Colin sounds downright affectionate What the hell?

"Lazy," he murmurs just before he slaps--yes, slaps--my ass "Come on, sweet cheeks Let’s do this"

I scoochon ht next tojeans and a dark blue T-shirt that stretches across his shoulders and chest in the yu as a mountain and I’m ready to climb him "Did you just call me what I think you called ht toinyour ass is hanging out of those tiny shorts you’re wearing at the moment, I think I can say on proper authority that your cheeks are pretty damn sweet"

"Oh my God" The cheeks onto catch fire as I jerk the blankets back over me I didn’t even realize I was only half-covered by the comforter and that he could see the tiny shorts I wear to bed Sans panties

How freaking !

His mood doesn’t fit Lately he’s been so somber and sullen and Mister Downer, I’m surprised to see the smile still pasted to his face I shouldn’t say "pasted" because it looks genuine and I have to ad him happy and carefree It reminds me of the past, before all this heavy, awful shit happened

"Like I haven’t seen your ass before" He stands and stretches, lifting his arh sound in the back of his throat that’s undeniably sexy His shirt rises with the lie to lick hi withat him like some sort of shell-shocked war victi Colin’s perfect abs I need to concentrate on getting the hell out of here before I do so incredibly stupid

Like, you know, atteet those sweet cheeks into the shower and get ready Then we’re hitting the road," he commands as he drops his arressive authority I would never ad else