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"What?" the Adhter, Adh as she co

And then she notices her twin

"Nick!" Her feet fly down the steps now, and then she runs across the polished wooden floor so fast I’oes past

But I cos herself at hihs and all the ani and swings her around so her dress flares at the bottoirl is

She peppers her brother with kisses and they talk excitedly for several minutes "Where have you been? Why did you leave? What were you doing?"

And it hitsin some kind of code

She knohy he left She knohat he was doing

And his answers are just as interesting "All over" "I had business" "Nothing you need to worry about" Because they say nothing and everything at once

We all knohy he left The better question is, why did he come back?

But it’s not the tiuys were talking when I ca Nick still in her eyes "What were you saying?"

I look at the Admiral He nods at me

I take Harper’s hand and pull her close She’s too at ease, so I need to put her back on alert "Harper, you’ve been with ht you here, you said you would never love s have developed between us I think you’d agree that being ht"

"I do enjoy being with you, Vincent"

Jesus, we are playing for keeps right now It needs to go off perfect "And it’s no secret that ere to be wed So instead of having the cereht a nice quiet cereht would be in order"

She squints her eyes

"Marryyou to marry me"

She shakes her head and I alirl to irls, and I nod and drop to one knee The Ad box and I open it in front of her "It’s your , Harper" She looks up at her father and I see tears for