QUOTE : It was Am who held up his hand in a stopping motion and said, “Jackie, don’t freak out—”<br /><br />And that’s when she stopped walking, the smile she’d had on her face dropping like a damn fly as her gaze landed on the person sitting next to me.<br /><br />She fell over like a fucking tree.<br /><br />So hard it was a miracle her skull didn’t smack against the concrete foundation as she passed out.<br /><br />“Told you,” Am muttered as we all rushed over, crouching beside her just as her eyes shot open and she screeched.<br /><br />“I’m fine! I’m fine!”<br /><br />“Are you all right?” Yuki asked, kneeling beside her.<br /><br />Jackie’s eyes went wide again, and her face went just as pale as Amos’s had earlier when I’d told him that we were going to recruit Yuki into helping today. “Oh my God, it’s you!” she shouted with another gasp.<br /><br />“Hi.”<br /><br />Hi. I almost burst out laughing. “Jackie, are you okay?”<br /><br />Jackie’s eyes filled with tears, and I realized Amos and I were invisible now. “Oh my God, it’s you.”<br /><br />My friend didn’t even hesitate; she scooted forward on her knees. “Would you like a hug?”<br /><br />Jackie’s eyes were full of tears as she nodded frantically.<br /><br />“I didn’t look like that, did I?” Amos whispered at my side as the woman and the teenager hugged and even more tears spilled out of Jackie’s eyes.<br /><br />She was sobbing. Jackie was flat-out sobbing.<br /><br />“Almost.” I met his eyes and grinned.<br /><br />He gave me a flat look that reminded me way too much of his dad. I laughed.