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“It is, just not yet” I wiped my face and took a step toward him “I love you I really do I love you with all ed We’re not ready for that We’re just kids, still We just graduated high school a few , but…you’re what I want All I want We could live in ether”

“We can still do that We could get an apartht away, but soon” I turned away, frustrated with my inability to express why I wasn’t ready “Kyle…it’s just too soon Can’t you see that? I don’t want to be apart either I’ll go to Stanford with you I’ll be with you wherever you go I will h college and get careers going Grow up a bit”

Kyle was the one to turn away, this ti a spray of water flying “You sound like our parents You sound like your dad I asked him first, you know That’s why they let us coht we needed soally an adult now and if you said yes, he had no probleed”

The rain let up then, but the wind blew harder than ever The trees around us swayed like stalks of grass Even over the harsh cry of the wind I could hear the trunks creaking A streak of lightning lit up the night sky, then another Thunder crashed overhead, so loud I felt it in ain, cold and stinging

“I love you, Kyle” I stepped toward hi for him “Please don’t bethe bridge of his nose “I thought—I thought this hat you wanted”

“Let’s go inside now, okay? We’ll talk about it inside It’s not safe out here” I reached for hiain, closer this time, so close I felt the hair onof energy all around h to buffet the car and sendsideways

I shookinside You can stay out here and be unreasonable, then”

I heard a deafening crack, then, but it wasn’t lightning It was like a cannon boo h me I froze with my foot on the first step to the porch, looked up, and saw death co for me

The tree had snapped Time slowed as the iving way, heard siding pop and split, heard bricks disintegrating I couldn’tblack against the sky, the green needles fluttering in the wind

Kyle shouted behind me, but his words were lost in the wind, in the haze of terror I was frozen I knew I needed to move, but my limbs wouldn’t cooperate All I could do atch the tree descend I couldn’t even screa hard impact me from behind, and I was thrown to the side I heard the crash of the tree hitting ground My ears rang,I was on h ht I flopped tothud sent another shard of pain through me I looked down atin the rain, red slicking down le, a white spike protruding froht of my ruined arm

Then awareness struck