CI

d her run

quickly, but the tension she l

er exhal

d you have to do

dn't

me. "She just got b

neatly beside my pla

ited long

atching me the way he always did when

ve," she said. "But you could have waited

n responded, "That me

together, clearly un

table, my fa

o get her to agree?" he asked.

back in

ll be

a frowned

ed, cutting her off without rai

," My fath

. "She was always goin

, "you can't decide

e for a moment

deciding i

em looked u

calmly, "She is

sbelief, which I didn't understan

sn't know it y

ed longer than anyone realized. I watched her grow, protected her fr

y chair bac

ou going?" my

stai

d. "Lucien, don't

at the s

g," I said. "I'm

fore either of t

om was slightly ope

I pushed it open

the window, looking o

tely, but she spoke, "Yo

m, but I could hear th

sed to knock

turne

hen I was st

have ans

seeing her like this, alone, relaxed and unaware of how close

way that made you look

clear, flawless skin. Her full

her b

ped before I

e to her shape that the gown she wore didn

to her face before I l

at downstairs

, the anger a

lked

e the way her shoulders tensed a

hat I said,

ort laugh. "You c

I

like she was trying to find

's a business arrangement," she said. "

a step aw

lready d

mmediately. "You don't get

ing it for you,

ownstairs?" she shot back. "You announ

t i

e she couldn't believ

nsane," sh

dn't

eath, trying t

my brothe

No

easily, witho

you as my sister. I n

ed, shakin

ant too?" she asked. "Why you

away for

idn't even care when I left?" she w

then correc

left. When you told our

trying hard to focus o

" she said. "You think I d

calmly. "They

confused by

ntinued, "they'll be

ed at me,

nough that she could step back

g about the r

what?" s

d when y

head. "You didn

dn't aff

s pulled

s the only way to sta

of what?"

mys

adness." She gasped

. I waited for

widened

didn't cross boundaries. I didn't let

hest h

his is normal

I said

en w

were always mi

d immediately. "No

eated. "You just d

said, her voice was shak

her gaze

opening her mou

ut obsession doesn't mean I didn't wa

she didn't know whether

l free to say

ps part

u won't,

at like you know

o kno

d. "You don't know anyt

a moment, then said

ose and fell

e, but from her confusion, her anger, her inability to step a

see the faint flush on her skin and wa

twitched

her senseless and hold her still long enough to ma

ed me this far, I wo

ke time," I

looke

ars," I continued. "I ca

irst time since entering the room. But befo

ny it all yo

ed at me,

belonged to me, an

oom before sh