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Anger blew off Dae around with this hu you’d eventually come to your damn senses, but obviously I should’ve stepped in a lot sooner”

“I’ around with her” Dawson sat back in his chair, lare “I love her And I’et over it”

“Dawson—”

“No You don’t get it My life isn’t yours—it doesn’t belong to the Luxen and it doesn’t belong to the DOD” Fury fueled his energy now “And giving her up is like giving up a piece of me Is that what you want?”

Daemon’s fists thumped on the table “Dawson, I—”

“She makes me happy And shouldn’t that make you happy? For ht”

Daemon looked away, lips thin “Of course I want to see you happy I want nothing irl”

“She knows the truth about us”

“I wish you’d stop saying that”

“Why?” Dawson ran his fingers through his hair “I can stop saying it, but it doesn’t change anything”

A dry, bitter laugh came from his brother And then what came next rhymed with suck and ended with duck “And what happens when you break up?”

“We aren’t breaking up”

“Oh, Jesus, Dawson, you’re both sixteen Coet it You knohat—it doesn’tEither you can support me like a brother should or you can stay the hell out of my face”

Daemon lifted his head, his eyes wide and pupils white Shock stole a lot of the color from his skin, and Dawson had never seen the look on his brother’s face As if Dawson had walked up and shoved a blade deep into his own brother’s back

“So, it’s going to be like that?” Daemon asked

Dawson hated his next words, but he had to say the, Daemon pushed back his chair and went over to theSeveral hly “God, I hope I never fall in love”

A little bit surprised by that statement, Daatched his twin “Do you really want that?”

“Hell yeah,” Daemon replied “Look at how stupid it’s“I know that’s probably an insult, but I’ to take it as a coainst the counter “I don’t like this I’ve never liked this, but…but you’re right You’ve been right”