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There’s a pause, then Eh "It’s you, isn’t it?" he says "The boyfriend You think you can come take her back with you, is that it?" He backs up and yells again, "Jules, where are you?"

Elances up at the house

I duck back, out of the ,like crazy in my ears But it’s too late He’s seen me

"Jules?" Emerson’s voice yells up "Get down here, I need to talk to you!"

My pulse races I hear Daniel’s voice, low and calht now"

"Get out of , and I don’t think for a h

Shit

I waver another moment, hidden in the shadows of the room, then race for the stairs I thunder downstairs, breathless, and burst out of the front door onto the porch just in ti in a sharp right hook that sends Daniel stu back on the lawn

"E the screen door open "Stop it!"

But E at the front of Daniel’s shirt, but this time, Daniel is ready for hietting hiround

I race over "Stop it, both of you!" I cry, desperate "Please!" But they ignorefor the upper hand Daniel was on the wrestling tea compared to Emerson’s brute power His powerful back muscles ripple as he easily evades Daniel’s pin and flips on top

"You should have stayed away!" Ely punch in Daniel’s stoain ready to smash it in Daniel’s face "She’ll never be yours!"

"Erasping on tight to pin his ar on the uneven lawn, and fall to the ground

My head hits with a painful crack, and I cry out

In an instant, Emerson releases Daniel and falls to his knees atme, "Fuck, I’m sorry, are you OK?"