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“So do you want to tellthe takeout bag and peeking inside

I shakemy arm over my forehead “Not really” I shut my eyes and relax

Do you feel that Maddie?

The peace

There’s a pause and then he lies down beside h that we’re not touching We’ve actually never touched and I could bla to myself if I did The real reason ishere will change somehoe touch “Are you sure? Because you seem sad,” he says

“I always seem sad,” I remind him “And so do you”

Another pause and I secretly hope that he’ll tell me why he’s sad, why he lives here in theabout hiether so he wouldn’t have to be so lonely, but he said he couldn’t So all I can do is crosshio

“It’s getting worse,” I eventually say, cracking the silence “Lily… it feels like she’s gaininghow easy it is to talk to hi it is, if only for a moment

“I don’t think you should worry about her so es, never see who you are and just be yourself”

“But I don’t even knoho I am,” I reply, desperate to reach over and hold his hand—finally touch hie between us if we touch Afraid he’ll disappear Or maybe I will “Maddie… Lily… they’re supposed to be two different people, but both of them feel like me… God, I sound so crazy”

“Crazy’s not always such a bad thing You can be two people, Maddie, if that’s how you feel—be whoever ht I feel the sunlight vanish and when I open“And I think everyone’s got a little crazy in the it exists”

“I can’t ad about what he said Be whoever ine ould happen if I did”

He acts like he’s going to reach out and touch me, but then withdraws his hand back to his side “You admit it to me”