We were quiet on the drive back, Braden driving my car because I knew I couldn’t. When we pulled into the driveway, I looked at the door with a pit in my stomach. “Did I lose her?” I asked. Braden sighed, looking at the house and then at me. “She’s gone, man.” And all the strength I’d been using to hold it together left me. I didn’t care that Braden was still there, that Kyle and Blake were now coming out of the house, too. It didn’t matter if I did care. I was powerless against the emotional dam that split wide open inside me. I somehow managed to push the car door open and stand up. Then, I
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