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“You’re a fighter, Talia I’ll give you that” His handsover my collarbone and the base of my throat

It was an oddly tender gesture, andwildly inthe truth I would never say out loud

That he frightened me

That he affected in to articulate yet

“I don’t want to be,” I murmured thickly “I don’t want to have to be”

“No” His eyes shuttered for a moment, but not before I saw the flash of pain behind them “I don’t think any of us want to be But you are”

He stepped back, and my skin felt suddenly bereft, the places where his hands had touchedwith fire

I blinked at hi to understand as different about hi seismic had shifted between us, as if the very foundation of our relationship had changed so on this new plane of existence

His gaze bounced between ed in a deep breath and turned for the door

“Have a good break, Legs”

And he was gone

Chapter 15

After the end-of-seain

Every tiled unpleasantly as the entire awful night played on fast-forward through my head

I’d been prepared for the Princes’ wrath, but it never cah it ht Everyone cleared out quickly once the seli lot on Saturday