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“We’ll keep our cool.”

“You have my number if something comes up. While you’re sorting things out, I’ll look into the exes to make sure we’re prepared for any outcome. Was there anything else?”

My head’s spinning so fast I’m honestly not sure. “No.”

“In that case, I’m going to bed. Lock up when you leave, Jace.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Winter flips him off as he heads out the door, shoulders slumping with exhaustion just before he’s out of sight.

“Do you feel better?” Jace asks long after the room goes silent.

“Yes and no.” Being able to protect my pack when I couldn’t last time helps but realizing that I’ve made a mistake with Daphne feels pretty awful. I mean, I knew I’d fucked up, but there are so many layers to it now.

Jace pulls me out of my chair and wraps me in a hug. “Start with the truth, Con. If she’s the one, she’ll understand.”

“I’m more worried she’ll decide I’m not worth the energy to try at all.”

He doesn’t say it would be my fault if so, but I know. I just need to see if I can fix things before it’s too late. Forge a new path with Daphne that will hopefully lead us in the direction my pack desires.

When I get home, Dez is in the living room. Drawings litter the page of the sketchbook balanced on his legs. An eye here, a curl there, a freckled shoulder I spent hours looking at.

Daphne.

He smudges around her hairline, then rips the sheet out and lays it on top of the small stack of pages littering the coffee table.

“What’re you doing?”

He doesn’t look up. “Drawing.”

“Why tear them out?” Dez is fastidious about his sketchbooks, always wanting them to stay whole.

“I slipped one under her door and she loved it.”

So, he’s going to keep doing it. Breathing stalled, I wonder if Daphne recognizes the sketches for what they are. Courting presents.

I must’ve been standing there too long because Dez looks up at me, brows twisted. “Where’ve you been?”

“Pack Cole’s.”

He glances at my shaking hands. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

That would be preferable to hurting someone else.

Sitting next to his sketches, I stare at my fingertips. “I spoke to Winter.”

There’s a long pause before Dez drops the sketchbook, giving me his full attention. “Why?”

“I needed perspective.”

“Did you find it?”

“You and Nate were right. Daphne shouldn’t have had to air out her life like that. It was unfair of me to ask her to. I just didn’t realize it would be this hard.”

Dez and I have always used each other as sounding boards, but there’s so much I’ve kept from him, so much he needs to understand, but I can’t do it. Maybe when we’re stable again, I’ll tell my brothers everything. For the first time in a while, Iwantto share the burden with them. Want to tell them everything that’s held me back, but I have to fix this first.

He sighs. “Life is hard, Connor. Moving on takes work and you never did it.”