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store yesterday as I was closing. He said that if I felt anything

for you at all, I’d let you go.”

Emily blinked. “That’s it? He’s a fine one to talk.”

“No, there was more.” Dani sniffled and tears started tracing

down her cheeks. Emily’s heart ached. She wanted to brush

them away, but she also didn’t want to pull her hands free. Her

own cheeks felt tight, and she realized she’d been crying when

she came back in without even noticing. “He really does love

you. I could tell. He tried to bribe me by saying he’d reveal my

past, but I don’t care if the world knows about that. It’s

nothing I’m ashamed of. I grew up in foster care, Emily. It was

hell. When I aged out, I lived on the streets. The store is the

one thing I’ve had in my life, since I was ten years old and my

mom died, that was truly mine. I didn’t know where I’d go if I

didn’t have it. I—”

“It’s okay,” Emily tried to reassure her, even though her

heart broke further for the little girl that Dani was once. She’d

spent eight years of her life growing up in that system. Emily

knew nothing about it, but she’d heard things that weren’t

kind. And Dani saying it was hell…if someone as tough as

Dani said something like that, it wasn’t without basis. “It’s

okay, Dani. I don’t care that you don’t come from money or an

old name. Things my parents obviously care about, but I don’t.

So, we were raised differently. It doesn’t matter now because

we’re here. I’m not going to stop wanting you because of

where you came from.”

“I-I know,” Dani whispered. The tears kept sliding down her

cheeks until they dribbled off her chin like raindrops.

“What, then?” Emily couldn’t imagine what her dad had

done. How he’d gone further. How he’d hurt Dani.