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d and came around to take me in his arms “None of this is new towhat’s mine So to do whatever I have to do Anything”

I gnawed my lower lip Then asked, “You knohen to draw the line, though, right?”

“I currently don’t have any lines Too much is at stake You 10,000 Lux Hell, even your dad’s reputation You really think I’d let her publicly rip a hole in hiain? He’s your father You love him And I respect him So I stood up for him—and you”

I realized that all of the shadowy parts of our life together were not strictly Dane’s doing or a result of his personal and professional dealings I’d brought baggage along to darken our doorstep, too I wanted an end to it all as much as Dane did

What kind of a person did that make me?

Regardless of good intentions or the need to protect the people and things we loved, the bottom line seemed to be that we’d both do whatever we had to do

The question was, could I live with that?

In the afternoon, Kyle joined me on the terrace outside my office

“You okay?” he asked as he rested an ar

“Sure You?”

He gave a sardonic laugh “I’ve lost a little sleep over you”

“Don’t,” I was quick to say “It’s not worth it, Kyle”

He stared at me for several suspended seconds, then said, “I happen to think it is”

With a sigh, I told him, “I care about you, too”

“Which is why you didn’t want to see h, for the record, I’d put money on the quarterback”