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My eyes slowly drag doard, barely heeding those pink pantiesthe word Hawke in capital Gothic lettering

Instead, I'reen leaves woven into latticework that curls around her leg It's stunningdarkly beautiful, and coone

My head jerks up as I step back from Vale "You covered it up?"

Her face flushes red and she looks at me with scorn "Of course I did What did you expect?"

I sure as fuck didn't expect that

Dragging a hand through my hair, I take tobbly steps back and sit aze lowers to the floor and fro the offensive-to-me roses

"I know you think I was disloyal to you, because of the way I--"

"Vale," I say tiredly,as my buzz starts to fade

I don't want to hear this I thought I wanted answers, but now is not the ti she obliterated me from her body tears open old wounds that I'd rather she not pour salt into

"And I wasno doubt," she says, continuing "I know the way I handled it, it rong"

I want to clap my hands over o when I showed her the bathroom Because that Hawke, the one that doesn't want to hear this, would have hauled his ass down the stairs and rejoined his party, being none the wiser

"But just know this," she says softly "I did it because I was being loyal to myself"

Vale then scurries out of the bathrooone

I let out a pent-up breath of frustration and push off the counter

I was being loyal to myself

Nohat the fuck did that mean?

Just a o, I was tired of the conversation and didn't want to know a da anymore But she can't just leave that little tidbit there unresolved and think I' to demand an explanation I stride with purpose out of the bathroom, down the hall, and take the stairs two at a tiht out to the back deck, instinctively knowing Vale is in flight mode and will be in the pro

cess of collecting her father and boyfriend for a hasty escape

I spot her quickly, leaning up on tiptoe to whisper solances around, and then nods curtly at her She takes hi him toward her father

I push through the crowd, and in four well-placed steps, I'm in front of her She looks up at me with surprise and drops Todd's hand

"You're going to have to explain that one toshot

Her face beco the saaze pinned on my quarry She turns back to me and says, "Not noke"

"Yes, now," I say, wideningloyal to yourself?"

"Hawke," Vale whispers pleadingly "We can talk about it later"

"Fuck that," I say with quietmy voice low so only she and Todd can hear uests--I tell her, "You can talk about it now because seven years is fucking long enough We can go back up to my room if you want privacy, but it's time you came clean with me"

"Vale," Todd says as he takes a step closer to her "What's going on?"

Vale cuts Todd a sharp look "I'll explain later"

She then turns to look atvoice, she says, "Hawkeplease, let's talk about this later"

A low burning in ives uests and I truly don't want my business aired in front of them

So I reluctantly give her a curt nod of acceptance

But then, I can't help ht as well tell Todd the entire truth since you're going to be explaining things to him Make sure he knows exactly how close ere all those years ago"

I turn away fro in defeat