“How do you do it?” I whisper at Xaden as we turn the corner into the crowded main corridor of the first-year dorms. “Do what?” His arms hang loose at his sides as he continuously scans the people around us, and he puts his hand on my lower back like he’s worried we might get separated. We’re in the thick of the rush, and for every person too busy to notice us, there’s another who does a double take when we cross paths. Every marked one we see gives Xaden a subtle nod, signaling that they’ve been warned by the others. “Lie to the people you care about?” Our gazes collide. We pass one of the
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