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"No" He sed "It hasn’t"

I clamped my mouth shut and waited expectantly for hi hilanced away for a split second, his hand still wrapped around my wrist "You once asked me why I bid on the auction I never answered you, but I assume you still want to know"

I nodded

"I can tell you the exact moment I kneould win that auction Win it, not just bid on it You’d sent h draft of your Manifesto to read and we’d been up discussing it in ga to talk you out of the whole thing, but you wouldn’t budge and when you started to get upset, I dropped the subject That was the moment I knew I’d prevent it in another way because I could"

I grew cold inside and dizzy with disorientation What the hell was he talking about? I never had that conversation with hi that night with…My jaw dropped I shook asped

He watched hting the fuse and waiting for it to explode

I shook ain "That wasn’t you It was--" Fuck No No This couldn’t be happening

I reainst the auction He’d tried to pick apart every single argus We’d sent in-ga sore fro

And my mind flew to the times before When I’d poured my heart out to him abouttoo far away to care for her, to drive her to all her appoint her proud by staying in school That I was so close and that he believed inand pale and static crackled behind htened over led for a breath as if I’d been underwater a hundred years "You’re FallenOne"

And, al mine I couldn’t breathe My eyes fluttered closed I pulled my arm back and felt only the tiniest resistance from his hold before he relinquished it

I stared at the tabletop between us, s he knew Every experience we’d shared Our regular gaether, but Fallen and I had spent hours and hours just alone in each other’s coa quest notes and items In some ways, I felt as close a friendship to him as I did to Heath

To Fallen--to Adam--I corrected myself "This doesn’t make sense Fallen lives on the east coast--he’s a student--" I said, , still unable to look at him

He shifted in his chair "Some of that was to mislead you Some of it was stuff I never actually said but you led yourself to believe Soed on"

He knew soin conosis, I’d turned to hi trip with his then-boyfriend Fallen and I had chatted all night long and logged off at six in theI’d cried to hi her I struggled to breathe "Ho did this happen? Why didn’t you tell lanced away and folded his hands on the table in front of hiame and play fro about that I get into groups and help people finish quests and get the rewards that they needed It’s fun to see theame so much" He hesitated and cleared his throat but didn’t look at rouped with this Barbarian Mercenary and Spiritual Enchantress and their friend, Persephone I could listen to your voice chat even though I was in text I think orking on one of the newbie quests that night That last piece of quest arroups but never like that night I laughed so hard at all the witty jokes that were flying around as ent through that annoying dungeon And then Heath told o read it So I did"

He shot a tentative lookinto my own little happy place so and--well, I brokewith the saed in, I went looking for your group again I seldoing on with you guys every night That probably sounds pathetic--"