Page 296 of No Need to Run

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I shake my head. “That’s not?—”

“You’ve been hurt,” he continues, voice calm and steady. “Julia didn’t exactly set a great example of what a relationship should look like.”

I look away.

“That’s different.”

“It is,” he agrees. “Because Violet’s not her.”

I glance back at him.

“Julia wanted you easier to handle. Violet wants you exactly how you are. Terrible decisions and all.”

That lands harder than I expect.

I lean back, exhaling slowly.

“I tried to make a list,” I admit.

He raises an eyebrow. “A list?”

“Yeah. Pros. Cons. Reasons to stay. Reasons to run.”

“And?”

I huff out a breath. “It didn’t help.”

He nods. “Because feelings aren’t like equations, Drew.”

I look up.

“There are no spreadsheets for this.”

I swallow. "She made a binder about me."

Sebastian shrugs. "You made a list about her."

I open my mouth... then close it.

Damn it.

Something in my chest tightens again.

The realization slowly sinks in, becoming clear.

“I…” My voice catches slightly. "I miss her."

The words are out there.

Real.

Permanent.

And somehow saying them out loud makes everything else seem obvious.

“I think that’s your answer,” Sebastian says.

The weight in my chest shifts.

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