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“What?” Lucien gasped He marched toward Cort, his fists balled up at his sides, but the man didn’t back down He lared at Lucien in the darkness “Are you saying Gio’s rejection is my fault?”

“No, I’ ass and not listening to what Gio’s said Same way you didn’t listen to your heart when you were in pain with Calder You just opened your ry shit, and nearly ruined what you could have with that very wonderful man”

“What do youheard what he said He didn’t want to be in a poly”

“Again,” Cort added

“What?” Lucien snapped

“Again He said he didn’t want to be in a poly again” Cort held out his hands to Lucien, his eyebrows raised like the pieces should be fitting together Like Cort was handing hiift of all A second chance But Lucien didn’t see it

Cort sighed and rolled his eyes “I can’t think of too h to make a relationship ith only one person, but Gio’s clearly done this already He knows all the probleot burned Yeah, you got rejected today by hiine if he was involved in a relationship with two or more people and they rejected hiers?”

It felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach A queasy wave of unsteadiness washed over him How had he missed that? Lucien smoothed both hands over his bald head and left theain

“And on top of that, we’re trying to drag hierous shit,” Lucien murmured softly to himself

“Have you and Calder done anything to prove that you’re not going to be anything like the people who hurt him in the past?” Cort added

“What? No But…we didn’t know WhenGio before, it was just for sex and laughs We weren’t thinking about soul mates and forever”

Cort shrugged “But tonight, you tried to convince hihs and turn it into so that’s supposed to last forever”