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“The voices?”

“The ones in your head that are lying to you They aren’t your own Don’t let them win”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath The an to realize that throughout hts were not hts from the people who once surrounded me

I wished I was around better people growing up Maybe it would’ve hts

I released a weighted breath as Dah”

More than enough

We headed to the gala, and even though I felt out of place around everyone else at the event, I felt right at ho to believe that whenever he was around, ine that just ine a world where Damian Blackstone didn’t exist

He ood at cal in with the body standard that surrounded us When soht in front of me, Damian’s arm would alrap around my waist, and he’d pull me in closer to him

At one point, he leaned in and whispered the word, “Mine,” against my ear

I leaned into hi back, “Mine”

We were two misfits that were surrounded by a world in which we didn’t belong Yet still, we felt comfortable because we had one another That was a new kind of comfort to me, and it felt effortless

“Can you geta little off”

“Of course,” Daht back”

I nodded as I sat at a table As he went to get me a water without question, I couldn’t help but think how Jeff would’ve called et it hts attached to it I didn’t know that men like hientle with my soh

As he walked away, I gri rih, irl who only wanted her approval

“Stella,” she coldly stated “I thought I told Da you”

“He’s not really one to follow the rules,” I said, pushing out a sht-headed, but shook it off the best I could “You look a, Catherine”

“Yes,” she nodded, “I do And you look…” She eyed ether “You look like so, I suppose”