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The guy looks over towards the area he walked out from, before he looks back at me. I want to say something, but I know he’s not going to respond.

We stand in a staring match for about a minute before he turns around and just leaves.

The hell?

“Wait!” I call out.

There goes my will to be quiet and be inconspicuous.

He stops but doesn’t turn back to me.

“Will you be here next year?” I ask.

His head moves a little to the side and all I could see was his profile.

He just stood there.

And walks away.

FIVE

For the next week I couldn’t stop thinking of the masked guy.

When I got home that night, I laid in bed and thought about everything. Over and over. My dad was furious when I got home, and surprisingly Marie was on my side.

She told him that I was almost eighteen, and that he needed to trust me if I was ever going to allow him back in my life and in my heart.

He cooled down, but said we would speak in the morning.

We didn’t.

Willow texted me the next day as well and came by to get her car. We went and grabbed coffee and didn’t really talk about the night prior.

I think it had to do with the waiver she had to sign.

What kind of carnival was it?

She sat in front of me, and I couldn’t help but notice the hickeys that were on her neck. She looked exhausted, but satisfied somehow.

I had so many questions.

But, we just drank our coffee and she had to head to work.

Now, I was laying down on my bed, counting the days to see my mom again. We only had a week left here, and I was going to make the most of the time for my brother.

I was scrolling through the movies, when I heard a knock on my door as it opened.

It was my father.

“Yes?” I ask.

“How about we go out for dinner tonight?” he asks, leaning on the doorframe.

“I’m good.”

“Raven.”

“Father.”