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“And that’s why after you wrote the letter to me, I went up to Berk’s room and found one of your old letters and saas the sa” She dropped her head “It wasthe two of you I hoped if he saw you weren’t perfect—that you’d lied to him—that maybe he’d break up with you”

A confirmation of a tiny whisper that had been at the back of my mind “Does Berk knoas you?”

She nodded “Now he does I don’t think I’ back from this When he found out what I did and how ht in her throat “I can’t tell you how sorry I a sadness in her eyes “There’s nothing I can do to make up for it Those were private notes between you and him, and I exposed that He… I… What I deserve is for neither one of you to talk toto be my brother anymore”

“He’d never do that, Alexis”

Her huh escaped in puffs of breath “I know that—now But just because so them

over and over again and get aith it He has every right to cut me out of his life It’s what I deserve”

I wanted there to be anger I wanted to rage at her and take all that anger and sadness I’d felt once those letters came out and blast her with it But another part of me wanted to thank her for that trial by fire where I’d come out the other side ht about me “I would never tell hi to stop loving you and being your big brother”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to trust that?” She squeezed her eyes shut That ache in ot a bit deeper, not just for those two scared kids who’d clung to each other when their worlds were being torn apart, but for the adults they’d becoate the scariness of the world and the uncertainty that never really left

She sniffled “Do you kno hard it is foror anyone?”

“But using that against Berk to try to keep his isn’t okay”

She sucked in a shaky breath “I know That’s why I’ood for each other and deserve real love”

“I’ll ad, but he’s not going to walk out of your life He’s not going to leave you behind, even when you think he should All his talk about walking away from toxic people…”

Alexis winced

“But you’re his sister Be the kind of sister he deserves”

“Julia, could you please get in here?” Myair and added a whole new level of frost “In the natural light, I can see how that dress is fitting you Would it have killed you to switch to salads only after the fitting? We’ll have to change to all-indoor photography now”