“I thought it was painfully obvious,” I said, blowing out a breath. “I’m an idiot.” His head reared back. “What? No. You’re one of the smartest people I know. One of the smartest I’ve ever met.” I shook my head. “Not when it comes to you.” His eyes softened, his throat bobbing as if he’d swallowed whatever words he was about to speak. “You’re right about a lot of things. I run when things get hard. Sometimes, I lock my emotions down and everyone out. I think the absolute worst, so yes, you leaving made sense. When you sent me away, I thought you had finally realized how damaged and broken I
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