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"Did you see how half of the kids reacted when he brought up the Red camp? Olivia? Brett? He didn’t think, Oh, but I’ve proven the stories wrong; he thought, They’ll hate me, they’ll be afraid of ain"

Liaain "Do you still think those things?"

"It cooes," I said quietly "Sometimes When I’ht, you know? You chase the bad things away With Cole, he understood the dark I could never shake I used to think he was the kind of person that wasn’t afraid of anything, but he’s scared of his own shadow, Liaht just how scared he was of you really seeing him"

"But that’s so unfair," Liaer "I know it’s not right, but I hate hi that me and Mom and Harry--that any of these kids who basically worship the ground he walks on--would love him less I wish he’d trusted us He could have had support in this Nothing’s changed for ," he repeated vehe uess that’s soles with it"

Liaave me, you’d never know that"

"He does," I insisted "It depends on the situation" Like when he’s terrified you’ve been hurt, or you’re dead

"But if you can learn control, so can he, right?"

"Learning control doesn’t ood choices, does it?" I felt h the question, and I iht it up

"What are youoh--you--" Liaer deflate, and dull shock swept in to take its place "You found?"

"What could I say? You were right not to trust ot you"

"No! Da, but I was so sure he would make me leave That he would convince you I had to leave" I pulled back, not wanting to hear the explanation, not when the pain still felt as fresh as it had that night He didn’t let o Liam turned to face me fully, and for the first tito The moment he flexed his hand he winced "Ow, dammit--"