Chapter 0253

Jackson hesitates, glancing away from me and looking down the stairs.

“Jacks!” I gasp, pulling his face back to look at mine, aghast at the idea that he wouldn’t come. “You said you! You told my

mom!”

“Ariel,” he sighs, shaking his head and wrapping the arm around my waist tighter, pulling me closer so that my feet are barely on the stairs anymore, my weight all on him. “It’s just… it’s been a lot, okay? And I’m no good with this…people stuff, and there are going to be a lot of people there for winter break.”

Understatement of the year, but I don’t say anything that will encourage him on this ridiculous idea not to come.

“Maybe it’s better for me to not go?” Jackson says, soft, hesitant. “To just take the next two weeks to get my head together, and stay here where it’s quiet, and then I’ll see you when you get back?”

“Jackson,” I cry, my heart breaking at the idea. God, not seeing him, for two weeks? After everything we’ve been through in the past few days?

He groans, clenching his teeth at the sound I make. “Don’t ask me, Ari,” he whispers, shaking his head, his eyes exhausted and sad. “Don’t ask me for more today, because if you ask, you know I’ll give it – I can’t say no –”

cheek and running it through his

But Jackson closes his eyes at the sound of it, hardly

it. He likes it a

whisper, a promise in every word. “I promise it will be

up at me, and

know he has to

– fast, too short, not at all what I really want to

+15 BO

I nod, knowing that’s the best I’m going to get

has a tendency to

carefully putting me on my feet and letting me go. “Get back to your brother,” he growls, narrowing his eyes a

((

feet away,” I snap, rolling my eyes and turning to dart up the stairs. “The train, Jacks!” I call over

to the ends of me that he comes, but part of me knows…well, I know that if he was going to come, he would have told me so. He would have promised.

the top of the

back into the room, but Jesse and Ben are already at the door, backpacks

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