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His brows draw together. “Max—”

I press a finger against his lips before he can protest. “Please. Just hear me out.” I wait until he gives me a reluctant nod before lowering my hand. “If this is going to happen, I can’t take any risks. No one can know about us. Not even your friends. No one. I can’t risk it getting back to Peyton. I just can’t.”

The disappointment etched across his features is impossible to miss, and knowing I’m the one responsible makes it that much harder to bear.

“I know it’s not fair to ask you to keep us a secret. And I know what I’m offering isn’t much. But right now, it’s all I can give you.”

I swallow, wishing I had something better to offer Milo than a relationship that will force him to go against his very nature. He has never been comfortable with lies or deceit of any kind, and I doubt there’s anyone in the world who would be happy to hear that the person they love wants to keep them a secret.

Not exactly the declaration of love anyone hopes for.

For a moment, he says nothing. He just looks at me, and I can practically see him wrestling with everything he wants to say.

Milo has never been particularly good at hiding how he feels, especially when it comes to me. Though I have to give him credit for how well he managed it earlier on the roof. Right now, however, there’s no mistaking how much he’s struggling with what I’m asking of him.

Then he lets out a long breath and brushes a strand of hair away from my face.

“As long as you’re mine, Max, I can deal with the rest.”

I want to believe him. God, how I want to believe him.

Because I don’t think either of us could survive losing each other a second time.

Chapter 31

Friday

“Ugh,” I groan before throwing an arm over my eyes, shielding them from the sunlight determined to burn straight through my skull.

Eventually, I force my eyelids to open and find myself lying on the small beach near our spot at the lake.

It takes me a minute to remember how the hell I got here.

After Milo stopped me from doing something unforgivable to Delaney, one thing led to another in the woods.

Apparently once wasn’t enough for either of us.

And now, for the second morning in a row, I’m waking up alone.

I look around and frown.

Yep. No Milo.

I’m really starting to hate this little game of hide-and-seek he’s playing with me. Next time I see him, he’s getting a piece of my mind before he gets anything else.

I push myself upright with a muttered complaint. Every muscle in my body screams in protest, and my scalp still aches from last night.

Bet Delaney is waking up pretty fucking sore herself.

I laugh, only to regret it when even the sound of my own laughter makes my migraine worse. But just as I pinch the bridge of my nose to ease the ache, images of last night come rushing back.

I really went off the rails.

Maybe it was the rum. Maybe it was years of anger finally boiling over. Probably both.

Whatever the reason, for those few terrifying minutes, I genuinely believed I could do it.

That I could hurt her. Maybe even kill her.