Page 111 of How To Tackle A Crush

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“In case you get bored.”

“I’m working.”

“You still get bored.”

Fair point.

“Maybe a smaller book,” Ava suggests.

Alfie disappears and comes back with something else.

“A picture,” he says.

It’s one from his room. Him and me at the park last summer. Ice cream on his face. My arm around him.

My chest tightens a little.

“That’s a good one,” I say.

“You can take it so you don’t forget me.”

I crouch down slightly so we’re eye level.

“I could never forget you.”

“You might.”

“I won’t.”

I tap my phone. “Also, I already have a photo of us here.”

I show him my lock screen.

He studies it very seriously.

“Oh.”

Then after a second his face lights up.

“We should take a new one.”

“A new one?”

“With Ava.”

The room goes very still for half a second.

Ava freezes slightly on the bed. I see it. That flicker of uncertainty she still has sometimes, like she’s not sure she’s allowed this.

“You think so?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says. “Because she is here now.”

Simple as that.

I look at Ava.

She looks back like she’s trying not to hope too much.

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