a deadly storm, an unsolved disappearance, and a small town brimming with secrecy;
an outcast girl, a boy who only knows how to hide, and the world against them;
what could go wrong?
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Harry spends the day at Boo's house, curled up with her on the sofa while they binge watch reruns of romcoms. It's been weeks since Boo laughs as hard or as genuinely as she does with Harry; after such a taxing morning, she's grateful to let her mind unravel for a few hours with some mind-numbing television. He makes her dinner and she gets wine drunk while he cooks, accidentally blurting out several times how nice she thinks his butt is. Every time he merely flashes her that crooked grin that makes her melt.
Just before eleven at night, Harry makes his exit. Boo escorts him to the front door, keeping a knitted white blanket pulled tight around her shoulders while she watches him through half-lidded eyes.
He smiles at her, dimples poking into his smooth cheeks. "Are you going to be alright tonight?" he asks, his voice taking on a soft edge. Boo sniffles and nods sleepily.
"Yeah," she murmurs. "If the police won't help me, then I'll figure this out myself."
"Atta girl," Harry grins, gently nudging her chin with his fist as an encouraging gesture. She offers him a small smile in return.
"Call me in the morning, okay?" he says, sounding hopeful. She nods again, blinking rapidly to fight back the overwhelming urge to yawn.
He turns and begins to venture down the front steps when her small hand reaches out and lightly brushes his forearm.
"Thank you, Harry," she says solemnly. "You don't know what it means to have someone believe me."
"I loved her too, you know," he answers, to her surprise. "She was a good neighbor and a good friend, even when people decided to turn their back on me. She loved without judgement and if something really did happen to her, I want to know what it is."
Boo can't help the smile that stretches across her face. "Thank you," she blubbers again. "I wish she'd told me about you. I wish I'd known you when she was . . . well, you know."
"She respected my privacy, and I'll be eternally grateful for that," Harry replies. "But yes, I wish we'd met sooner."
He hesitates before leaning in and planting a kiss on her full cheek. Her heart races in glee as she watches him descend the porch steps and return to his car. She waits until he drives away, keeping the blanket wound tightly around her shoulders as she waves goodbye. Even in the moonlight, she knows her face must be bright red.
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