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“That’s true,” I said softly “There’s no defense I should’ve told you what you were getting into, so you could make an honest decision I’m sorry”

“Was it revenge?”

“No,” I said miserably “I just…I didn’t think you’d want to be with me if you knew the truth”

“That was always our proble”

“I do trust you” Noasn’t sure when it had happened, but at soether, he had become a different person in my mind Not the same man who hurt me

“You can,” he said “But it goes both ways And thatto me, even when you’d rather not”

That stung, as he’d turned ainst me “Yeah, you’re definitely mad”

“Obviously But I’ht” He smiled in a way that pierced e, where it fluttered, caught and helpless

Our gazes clung, and everything I felt for hiain, I thought

Since I’d confessed all my secrets, it seemed fair he should do the saht ry “Will you tell me about Lily?”

He stilled, just a few seconds; then he cae of the bed “Of course”

“Where did you meet her?”

“In college”

That one, although I wasn’t surprised, come to think of it He had a certain polish that carown up poor It was the only thing that explained his obsession with h I still found it tough to credit that he’d stopped doing business to be with me

I’d caught hi invest up tablets produced in Taiwan or Japanese technical innovations Everyone needed a purpose I didn’t think he was trying to keep me out of the loop, however; this time, I suspected he wanted to have all his ducks in a row before explaining the premise

I pro sound “Uh-huh?”

“Lily was a music major Beautiful voice”

If I knew anything about Chance, she had a lovely face too The first time around, I felt like a consolation prize or that he secretly believed he didn’t deserve better Obviously that could’ve been my old self-esteem issues I didn’t feel that way about myself anymore

“What did you study?”

He shot raduate”

“Why not?”

“Money,” he said flatly

From his tone, I shouldn’t ask There were li out all his secrets with a conversational backhoe This was supposed to be about Lily, so I’d stay on topic

“What was she like?” And did you love her? I didn’t ask the second question out loud for obvious reasons

“Her voice was a ser” By the way he produced the words in staccato increments, it hurt hih She came from money, but she never…”

“Flaunted it?” I guessed

“Yeah Or made me feel bad because I couldn’t take her to the places her previous boyfriends could”

Expensive jewelry, fine restaurants— check It occurred to et rich enough to please a dead girl I’ht of it in those terrieve in odd ways and do things that don’t rationally make sense Pain clamped around my heart

“And she was gifted?”

He nodded “Like I already told you, astral projection was her thing I had no idea I was dangerous then” Chance hesitated, and I heard the pain tightening his tone “Before Lily, I hadn’t gotten serious with anyone A few months, and I was bored Ready to move on”

“But she was special,” I said softly

“Yeah She stuck by h times”

“Oh?” Soht then I iht and wild in love Not the quiet, closed-off man whom I had been so desperate to please Maybe this was a terrible idea, after all, because no matter what he felt for ain

Fortunately, some happier memories put a smile on his face and he didn’t notice my reaction “We lived in this awful apart better At one point, her father tried to buy rand to walk away and not look back”

“You told him to fuck off?”