“I swore—” He chokes on the word. “Fuck. I swore I wouldn’t do this. I swore.” His voice splinters. He digs his forehead into the wall. His voice is quaking. “I’ve tried to keep my distance. I told myself it was better that way. For the team. For you. For me. It would be so much easier to keep you out, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. But I can’t.” “Why?” My voice sounds braver than I feel. He shoves off the wall and turns back to me. He’s a wreck. His eyes are too bright, his mouth a thin line of agony. “Because you’re already inside of me.” The words tear from him. “You got past every
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