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"God, yes I feel like I can finally close the door on a question that kept haunting me But now I don’t know if Dalton was meant to be mine for always, or just for a little while Maybe weterain "What have I always told you?"

Raven laughed "Don’t leave anything to chance or fate She’s a real bitch"

"Exactly Why aren’t you listening? As I learned in rehab, everything is a choice You choose to love or walk away To forgive or keep resenting To stay or leave To be happy or miserable It’s time toin to make sure you met, but after that, it’s all on you Do you still love hi to be denied "Yes"

"Can you take the leap again? I gotta give the guy credit; notHe’s not a crazy stalker, is he?"

"No! He’s beautiful to look at, Izzy Golden hair and blue eyes, and his arentle and kind He’s really funny, and no rins and teases me back"

"Good, ’cause you can be a real bitch"

"And he respects ive me lip service, he really helped es uno on me and insist I should’ve waited for help He was proud and supportive"

"Dalton sounds like he’s a good fit for you Are you calling me to hear my opinion? To have oing to e burst and shimmered around her Her friend was so damn smart Izzy knew her well; it was only a matter of time before she’d come to the one conclusion that was possible, since the first day she’d met hiive up on hiht Gonna er? ’Cause if you need more time, make him work for it"

She took the phone and opened her door The night sky exploded with stars, and Raven slowly smiled "I think it’s time I let hi to visitDalton You’ll love him Tell Liam I said hello and that he has the smartest woman on earth in his are Take care of yourself, babe Peace out"

"Peace out"

She ended the call Watched the stars for a while A faint voice drifted to her ears, whispering through the darkness

But if it’s your road to follow, take it

She so see Dalton

Chapter thirty

Dalton heard the sound again, and frowned Sitting up in bed, he strained his ears, listening in the silence

Ping Ping

So the s

He padded naked over to the balcony doors, which he’d closed to keep in the heat Squinting, he peered through the glass Was a bird hitting it? He doubted a robber would use a ladder that high Escape wouldn’t be too easy

Ping Ping

He pushed open the doors and stepped outside

Everything slowed, stopped, then restarted again with a lurch Raven stood below the balcony, her hands full of rocks, andon a pair of shorts, then raced down the stairs and past the dogs, who gave hiiant heads back down in their beds to go to sleep

He tore down the path and stopped in front of her Dressed in jeans and a baby-blue T-shirt that emphasized the perfect swell of her breasts, she cocked a hip and studied hi stroll Across town

"Are you okay?" he huffed out, trying to calaze raked over his bare chest and legs His skin tingled where she lingered, as if she’d run her hands over hi It’s one a a revelation"

A ut Was she here to finally tell hi her around, trying to gain her forgiveness? Was she ready to h to hurt her? He tried to s, but there was no spit left in his ht Are you here to share it with , just kept looking at hileaht played in her hair, which ild and curly around her face He didn’t want to iine his life without her, and at that moment, Dalton didn’t knohat he’d do if she announced it was completely, irrevocably, definitely over