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I didn’t want to release rip on his waist His skin felt so perfect The moment was perfect I wanted to press ainst me—but I couldn’t That would never happen That could never be Lorren’s warning pressed into the front ofmy mood rapidly I didn’t want Collin to feel what Lorren had said to me I didn’t want him to know I could feel the beat of Collin’s heart, as his body pressed into ed and warm

Pressing my eyes closed, I savored the sensation before I slidthe intense urge to run theh Collin’s hair and pull his lips down on top ofI couldn’t tell him what Lorren did to me I couldn’t tell him that the kiss would steal my soul—and his—but we had to stop Collin seemed to sense that the moment was over He pressed a kiss to my cheek before he moved away I sucked in a deep breath, as I felt hi acrosson the bed next to me He tucked his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling with a smile on his face

Turning to hihed, “Tease”

His gaze darted to the corner of his eyes, where he sawone hand from behind his head, he took my hand in his and we both laid there for ato al perfection The beauty of the slant of his nose and the angles of his cheeks were aht that washed across his face The entire bed was drenched in sunlight It strealasspanes, which were etched with vines of frost

Collin turned and looked at ht blue within their depths again I stared, unable to look away, afraid that the faht slip away again

Clearing my throat, I asked softly, “What happened to us?”

His gaze steeled The bond was fleeting, like a snowflake pressing against the war there with hiers intertwined with ates of the bond Everything would pour between us without a word But, the faintness of the bond made my brow crease and the pit of lass

Collin shrugged, looking away “You You did this” His fingers touched the thin white line that extended up one in a few hours, but right then, there was still a welt I stopped breathing as he traced the ith his pointer, gently feeling my skin move beneath his hand His bottom lip pushed into the top suddenly I sucked in a breath as Collin sat up and snaked his hands aroundme off the bed His palm pressed into me, as he pulled ersthe curve of ed scars that failed to heal I could barely breathe, barely hfor the memory of who did this to me But he didn’t find it There was no face No memory

I sat up, and his hands fell away Collin shifted on the bed next toI reached for the back of azed into the es and welts to count Many were still bright red Soh to cover the open My skin didn’t heal It should have been white like the scar at , but it wasn’t None of the every inch oftheir existence

His voice shattered the silence, “This This is what happened to us This is what destroyed the bond” He gestured toward my back His eyes pierced me and I wanted to weep, but there was no ether, and shifted his eyes to my back “Was it worth it? Did you want to be rid of me so badly?”

My eyes ide, “No! It wasn’t like that I didn’t know… ”

Collin wouldn’t let rief that I couldn’t stand it A ain He reached for a loose curl and tucked it behind razed my cheek as he withdrew his hand “You could have heard me before You would have heard how much you mean to me There was no question,” he shook his head, “But you didn’t believe me, and you did this I can’t fathom it I can’t understand why you would do this You’re so close to losing every feeling you have And it was all to push me away? It was to end your connection with me?”

“No, Collin It wasn’t like that I didn’tmy hands over my face, I pushed back my hair and looked down at the bed sheets Tiny creases formed folds in the s hard, I turnedDark stained wooden beath of the room

“Everything is optional,” he retorted He didn’t look at me while he spoke “You did this You chose this I told you ” He could no longer speak His throat released choked words, “I told you… How I felt I told you the blood wouldn’t harm you I never wanted to push you away”

“I never wanted you to leave Collin, I don’t want to lose you”