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I snorted a half sob, half chuckle "Oh, right, now you don’t want oods, now that you broke er at his chest "You should have stopped ! Stoppedin love with you!"

I slapped asped, staring du my eyes

"No" It spilled in a tiny whisper from my lips No no no I ached to take it back--not my confession to him, but fro, and before I could figure it out, his rough, broken voice penetrated the silence

"Cassandra"

I lifted lossy eyes that held so ht forth too many memories of the last few months I’d spent with hiain and again

My hands tre any closer when I heard his footsteps in the snow

"No" I wiped away a stray tear I needed to stay strong I took another breath and et to waltz back intohappened I’as

"You drive me insane Do you understand that? Do you realize what you’ve done toat rew louder as the war raged inside me, and my arms dropped to my sides "Why did you do this to me? Why did you

Unable to control ainst the chest "Answer ht It wasn’t an didn’t even stu body took each bloith ease as he let me unload on hiain and again "I wanted you, all of you, and it was just a ga inside every time you’re near? Because even after what you did, what you said to me, I still feel you there, in my broken heart You’re a part of me, and I hate you for that! So telldown ainst his chest over and over until ht you were different, but it was all a ga

My voice was notround and pulledme in his arms, where I cried It hurt everywhere as he carried me inside

Blood pounded in er washed away, and I was left with my raw, vulnerable pain, laid out for hi my face, I let it all out in a shattered whisper

"You terrify uard up, to push you away… even if thatyou away…but they don’t know They don’t feel it It hurts Everything hurts, ‘cause I miss you I miss us" I shook my head violently "I can’t I can’t"

"Shhh, you need rest right now" We were in ently

"I knohat you’re doing, and I know that it’s working But I can’t…I can’t, Logan, please…" My eyelids were heavy, a fog setting in as they drifted shut I wasn’t sure whether I said it aloud, but I longed for him to hear me as I repeated "Don’t hurt me" until I was taken away into the darkness

Chapter Ten