Ellie’s question stunned John, so much so that his anger drained away and a mix of fear and anticipation replaced it. In that moment, John felt like he had gotten a slight glimpse of what it meant to be loved, and the feeling terrified him. Up until this point, John knew that Ellie liked him, and their mutual attraction had clearly been growing, but the look in her eyes was something else entirely. Noticing his reaction, Ellie’s slight smile grew and she grabbed his shirt, pulling him close. “Rebya, will doing this increase my lifespan?” In the silence that followed Ellie’s question, John’s
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