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"S-sarah"

She turned, and he actually saw the color in her green eyes pale "Brandon?"

"Can you get S-sofie for me? I need to talk to her"

She shook her head "She’s not here" Turning to the front door, she glanced back at Brandon, quickly lowering her voice "You shouldn’t be here, Brandon"

He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but he was deter was pissing hi a party Where else would she be? Can you? Can you just get her for me? I--" The sidewalk suddenly shifted underneath his feet, and he stumbled sideways but recovered quickly "I need to talk to her before I leave"

"I’asped, looking behind hie "He alo I’m serious They’re all here, and they do not want you around Sofia"

"I’ until I talk to her" Sarah’s eyes opened wide, and she shook her head "They can’t do this, Sarah When I leave, it’s forever There are sos I need to say to her first"

Her eyes looked even more anxious now, and she continued to speak in her lowered voice "This is so not the tiainst the wall as it was pushed open ot their attention As usual, Sofie’s hotheaded brother Alex looked incensed as he charged down the porch steps "Why the fk are you here, Billings?" he demanded, his hands already fisted at his sides

Brandon stood his ground He was sure it was the alcohol, but seeing her larger-than-life raging brother charge toward hi that he’d no doubt be in a world of pain soon didn’t stop hi up "I wanna to talk to S-Sofie"

"You’re out of your mind!" Alex sped up

Brandon shook his head "I won’t leave until--"

Alex’s fist hit him just under the eye, and he stumbled back "You won’t leave?" Alex roared as he landed another fist to Brandon’shim fall back onto the hood of the parked car just in front of Sofie’s house "You think I’ you anywhere near ain He’d always thought the expression "seeing stars" was just that, an expression But he was literally seeing stars or bright specs flashing as he continued to shake his head again, blinking as he tried to clear his sudden double vision Just as his vision was coht, he noticed the ael, and some of the other men ere out there now held Alex back, but he could see it was a struggle

"Get out of here, Brandon!" Sal yelled as Alex nearly came loose