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“I regret this.”

My head shot up. No. Anything but this. “What do you regret?”

“Everything!” she snapped. “Making that stupid bet twelve years ago—the one I lost, by the way. Forgiving you this time. Telling myself that I would be okay with you leaving.” She let out a harsh sob. “I’ll never be okay with it.”

“You regret us?”

“I do. We should end this before it gets any worse.” She wiped away tears but faced me head-on. “Let’s have the same ending as before.”

“D-don’t say that. Please don’t say that.”

“I am. I have to.” Another tear fell and she looked at her feet. “Otherwise, we’re just living in denial.”

It felt like I was falling apart all over again. I was eighteen, about to leave for the first time, and she was pulling away from me.

“Jade, no.” I reached out a hand, but she took a step back.

“I wish you the best, Gabe.” I’d wanted to hear the nickname for years. But not like this. Never like this.

She walked around me and went back into the forest. She was practically running. Away from me. Away from what I’d done.

My own tears fell when I was alone.

55

JADE

Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch

Kerry Winsor: I feel that shift in the air again . . .

Comments:

Marjorie Brown: Kerry, are you doing drugs again?

Kerry Winsor: It’s just a feeling I have . . . and I don’t do drugs.

Marjorie Brown: Are you sure . . .

SherriffMike Finch: Marjorie, leave her alone.

Marjorie Brown: Shit, the cops are here! We gotta run!

SherriffMike Finch: I’m not gonna arrest you!

Marjorie Brown: That’s what they all say!

SherriffMike Finch: I hate this town.

Mollie

Hey, I heard that you were at the spring last night. I hate that they got those trucks on there. Do you need to talk?

Wren

Hey, your shop is closed. Is everything okay?

Piper