“Yes, I was planning to meddle. Would you prefer I not?” I ask, and when he doesn’t answer, I take that as permission to do exactly as I’d planned. “I’m still not entirely sure why, to be honest,” I confess. “It’s my good deed for the year, I suppose.” “What do you mean?” “Surely it’s been painfully obvious that I’ve…admired you for quite some time.” I know Barrett and Kiernan have noticed. At times I’ve assumed that was the root of Gannon’s standoffishness around me. “Admired me?” he repeats, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression that slowly morphs into irritation. “What do you mean
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