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"So because I agreed with you, suddenly you want to apologize and check onfrom his expression, he knew it didn’t make sense, either "Charlie, I just want to know if you’re okay"

My head shook subtly, but instead of responding, I asked, "Why are you doing this? This isn’t you and this isn’t us We aren’t friends, Deacon So why don’t you go back to being your unapologetic, arrogant self, and I’ll go back to not speaking to you, now that I’ve gotten out everything I’ve been thinking all week"

Deacon’s brow pinched in frustration and hurt, but just as he opened his mouth to respond, a deep voice ca okay out here?"

I whipped my head to the side, and stumbled back a step when Deacon suddenly released h my veins as I stared into my brother’s narrowed eyes, andI wasn’t supposed to

Deacon cleared his throat and shifted his weight "Jagger"

Jagger didn’t look at him He folded his arain, is everything okay?"

"We were just talking," I said quickly, and bit back a groan when Grey stepped up behind Jagger

"Uh, sohey, everyone," she said slowly, and looked quickly a to take Aly home Do you want theet him It’s late, I was about to leave"

"Looked like it," lanced over at Deacon, but his eyes were on the grass Without saying a word to any of the in the direction of the tent

I hadn’t taken more than three steps before Deacon called out, "Char--"

"Good night, Deacon," Jagger said roughly, and turned to follohen I passed hier’s constant questions about what Deacon and I had been doing, and Grey’s questions about what she had walked in on, I remained silent as I collected uy you should--"

I shut the back door of my car once I had Keith in his booster seat, and whirled on Jagger "We were talking, Jagger Literally talking Nothing more But even if for some insane reason there had been er shot his arm out behind him "Do you kno close you tere? Do you knohat it looked like I interrupted? And with Deacon, of all guys!"

"I don’t care!" I cried out "He was holdingto keepaway froized for what he’d said last week"

That stopped Jagger from whatever he’d been about to say His head jerked back as he took in er to er that there had been tension between Deacon and ht it up to er asked softly, darkly "For what?"

"It doesn’t er, you are my brother Just beup more than you will ever know, but I a me You don’t need to force your way into a situation and act like my father when you don’t even knohat the situation is Do you know that people think I hide behind you? Do you know that people think I pawned Keith off on you because you forced e alone? All I wanted was to be with my son, but because you think you knohat’s best for me, I er, I love you, but just stop!"