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"Seth," she said quietly "You can’t blao down that road Actually, you’ve been going down that road for a long ti’ road"

I really had no response to that

Alex was quiet for a fewto do now?"

"About what?" The possibilities of what she could be referencing were li up and planted her foot on the bench "You love her You’ve been in love with her, but you left her, and you kind of ended stuff with her before, right? When Aiden and I caether So you’ve kind of left her twice already"

"It’s actually been three ti to punch ed how I feel about her If anything, what I feel has only gotten stronger"

"Well, that’s how love works, du to talk towhat I am?"

"Do I really look like I’od now? You’re still a dumbass Obviously You love her and you leave her Over and over It’s like the definition of insanity, you know? Doing the sa different results"

My eyes narrowed

"She’s here," Alex pointed out the obvious "And she really was planning to come to you, to prove how she felt about you--how ht for you She was ready" She paused, appearing to let that sink in "What are you going to do about that now?"

What was I going to do? Before I’d learned Hyperion had taken her, I’d planned on staying away, even once I learned what I hy I’d always been drawn to aether in the first place, and the fact it appeared that I could control the need for it But after I’d found out that Hyperion had her, I’d planned on bringing her here, but I hadn’t thought beyond that or acknowledged that her presence was siood for her," I bit the words out

She lifted her brows "Then try being good for her Have you ever thought about that? You know, fighting yourself to be with her?"

I openedto be there for each other even when it sucks Loveto have each other’s back and trust that the other person will be there for you What you’re doing isn’t love As soon as the shit hits the fan for you, you up and leave You shut down and push her away That’s not the Seth I know"

Everyto piss me off And secondly, do you really want me to be the Seth you used to know?"

"First off, I don’t care" Her head cocked to the side "And secondly, the Seth I used to know didn’t run fro that was difficult, even when he was super duper wrong You need to ht hand curled into a fist as I stared at her in disbelief "Did you seriously just tell ain Man Up"

"Gods," Ito do? Like go annoy Aiden?"

"Nope" She paused "Do you really think you can seriously let her go?"

My gaze fell back to Josie She hadn’tthe conversation and that scared the shit out of me Slowly, I leaned forward and placed my hand over hers A jolt traveled up my arotten her and she made her way here, I would’ve tried to resist her

And I would’ve failed

Because I did love her

And if Hyperion hadn’t taken her, and if I’d found her at the Covenant or on her way to find a deod or on her way here, I wouldn’t have been able to leave again Because I loved her

"No," I ad her limp hand to my ether, I wouldn’t be able to let her go"

"Then maybe you should be with her then," she said "Hell Maybe you’re too late You have pushed her away three tiut Theto be with ant as shit I lifted rinned "I had to point that out, but Josie loves you She’ll probably forgive you for leaving, but you can’t keep doing that You understand that, right? You can’t, because eventually it’s not going to be okay You can’t keep doing that to soh I’d told myself once that I would be the kind of man Josie deserved, even e didn’t have a future to speak of, but the first moment I felt out of control, I bailed on her I did so to protect her, but I’d ended up doing the opposite