Blood From a Stone (227 page)

C
ho
i
ces.
H
e
r
e
w
as
ano
t
her
one.
S
he
w
as
ac
t
ua
ll
y
w
illi
ng
t
o
see
t
h
i
s
a
l
l
t
he
w
ay
t
h
r
ou
g
h
and
o
ff
e
r
ed
t
o
be
t
he
r
e
w
it
h
h
i
m
,
no
m
a
tt
er
how
ho
rrif
y
i
ng
t
o
w
a
t
ch,
w
hen
a
nd
i
f
he chan
g
ed
a
g
a
i
n.
T
he
l
o
v
e
he
f
e
l
t
f
or
her
i
n
t
hat
m
o
m
ent
w
as b
e
y
ond any
he
’
d
t
hou
g
ht
he
f
e
l
t
be
f
o
r
e.

B
u
t
,
w
ou
l
d  he  be  ab
l
e 
t
o 
li
v
e 
w
it
h  h
i
m
se
l
f
i
f
he s
t
a
y
ed,
k
no
w
i
ng
how
m
uch
ha
r
der
i
t
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
be
t
o
say
g
oodb
y
e
w
hen
t
he
ti
m
e ca
m
e?
T
o
w
a
t
ch her
t
ea
r
s
f
a
l
l
w
h
il
e he sat
t
he
r
e
he
l
p
l
ess
l
y
w
it
h
no
w
ay
t
o
co
m
f
o
r
t
her
as
he
t
u
r
ned
t
o s
t
one be
f
o
r
e her
e
y
es?

A
nd
con
v
e
r
se
l
y
i
f
he
sa
i
d
g
oodb
y
e
no
w
,
w
ou
l
d
he be ab
l
e
t
o
li
v
e
w
it
h
h
i
m
se
lf
,
k
no
w
i
ng he
’
d
w
a
l
k
ed
out
and ne
v
er spent
e
v
e
r
y
m
o
m
ent
he
cou
l
d
l
o
v
i
ng her
un
ti
l
t
he
C
h
an
g
e
t
ook h
i
m
by
f
o
r
ce?

G
od
f
org
i
ve
m
e, he
t
hough
t
.

“
Y
ou
w
ou
l
d
be
w
illi
ng
t
o be
t
he
r
e…
w
he
n
…
i
f
i
t happens
a
g
a
i
n?”

S
he
nodded.
“
I
f
y
ou
w
a
l
k
out
on
m
e
no
w
,
I s
w
ear
t
o
G
od
I
w
il
l
spend
e
v
e
r
y
m
i
nu
t
e
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
fi
nd
y
ou
so
t
hat
I can be
w
it
h
y
ou
w
hen
i
t
happens.”

H
e
d
r
a
gg
ed
i
n
a
deep
b
r
ea
t
h.
“We
l
l
I
suppose
I
’
m
j
ust
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
y
ou
a
l
w
a
y
s
k
now
w
he
r
e
I
am
t
hen.”

S
he s
m
il
ed. “
R
ea
ll
y
?”

“
Y
eah,” he sa
i
d so
ftl
y
, as he pu
ll
ed
h
er
c
l
ose and cap
t
u
r
ed her
li
ps
i
n h
i
s
o
w
n.

H
er
a
r
m
s
w
ound
a
r
ound
h
i
s
neck as
he
deepened
t
he
k
i
ss, h
i
s
t
on
g
ue p
l
a
y
i
ng
a
g
a
i
nst
he
r
s
w
it
h
t
ende
r
n
e
ss.

H
e
k
i
ssed
h
i
s
w
ay
do
w
n
t
he
s
i
de
of
her
neck and
back up
a
g
a
i
n,
b
r
ush
i
ng
her
ha
i
r
back
fr
om her
f
ace
as
h
e
nu
zz
l
ed her
cheek
w
it
h h
i
s
li
ps.

“
Y
ou
sa
i
d
y
ou
w
ou
l
d
t
a
k
e
m
e
t
o
E
u
r
ope
and
I
t
o
l
d
y
ou  I
w
ou
l
d 
k
eep 
y
ou 
i
n
f
o
r
m
ed  of
m
y
v
aca
ti
on
ti
m
e.
S
o,
w
e
ll
….
I
’
m
i
n
f
o
r
m
i
ng
y
ou,
             
no
w
,” she
l
au
g
hed. “I
ha
v
e so
m
e
m
oney
sa
v
ed up
t
oo.”