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Then I trashed my future with him to give him his chance to fly, without me. Was it a mistake to do so? Could we have made it work?

I lean into Dare. No, I made the right decision. If I had followed Taron, I wouldn’t be the girl I am today.

12

Syn

Once we’re inside Dare’s place, he slings me over his shoulder, marches us to the wet bar, and sets me on a barstool.

“Dare, we should bypass the alcohol.”

“Says you.” He pours himself a glass of whiskey. “Who’s the dude with the boner for you?”

“A guy from my past.”

“No shit. He knows about your rings. How serious?”

“I’ve known him since we were twelve. Became friends when we were fifteen. Dated junior and beginning of senior year before I moved away.”

I didn’t exactly move away. I was homeless for a week before going home with a guy. A few months later, Beau found me. He didn’t go into the details of how he was able to find me other than he did.

“Do I need to sock him in the face?”

I give Dare the rundown on the events of today. I don’t hold back. He has been nothing but honest with me. A great friend. Plus, he doesn’t think it’s shameful for a man to cry. He cries on my shoulder and I cry on his. He is my best guy friend, and Taron inmytown doesn’t change that.

“You’re my personal professional snuggler?” Shit-eating grin on his face. “Brilliant, B.”

I polish my nails on my shirt. “Why, thank you.” I tip my head at the grand piano. “Ready, big guy?”

He nods and helps me off the bar stool.

“I’m sorry the playlist didn’t work for you.” We’ve tried different kinds of music to test if that would help with his nightmares and the restlessness that burns through him.

Nothing is working except for him watching me play the piano. We even tried a video of me playing, but that didn’t help. Same with FaceTime. He prefers up close and personal.

I sit in front of the piano. Dare takes a spot on the winding staircase. I love his posh two-story house with the soaring ceilings, large picture windows, and hardwood floors in this rich mahogany.

“Preference?” I ask.

“Nothing Else Matters.”

Metallica. Nice.

Sitting tall, I close my eyes, move my fingers on the keys, and hum. I play his preferred track, then go on to the next one, another favorite of Dare’s.

“My Immortal” by Evanescence.

After that is “Someone Like You” by Adele.

As I fade out of the track, I open my eyes. Dare is watching me with his palm flat on the piano’s gleaming surface. See. Touch. Feel. That’s how it is with Dare when he needs to calm the guilt and restlessness swirling inside him.

We’ve done this for two years, and this year has been the worst. Is it because he finally realizes Gwen might not stick around Dumas after graduation? Gwen’s spoken often of getting away from the stigma of her older brothers’ legacy of being criminals.

“Better?”

He sighs. Nods. “You staying the night?”

“Do I have a choice?”