Page 159 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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65

Havoc

Ishouldn’t have stayed.

That’s the first thought.

The second?

I shouldn’t have let her get that close.

But I did.

And now it’s stuck in my head.

The way her hand felt against my ribs.

Light.

Careful.

Like I was something worth protecting.

That’s the problem.

I push up off the couch.

Slow.

Careful.

Ignoring the protest from my body.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I freeze.

Aspen stands across the room.

Arms crossed.

Watching me like she already knows the answer.

“Outside,” I say.

“No.”

I almost laugh.

“Not a suggestion?”

“Not even a little.”

I take another step anyway.

Pain flares.

Sharp.

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