n 12 in his hand. The amber liquid burned his throa

into the kitchen, wearing a silk robe ove

he asked, her voice

," Brendon replied, raisi

led a glass with water. "No than

nice," he

d as she swallowed. The way a single drop of water e

?" she aske

s glass halfway to

erything you used to hate. She's shallow, she's obsesse

his chair. "That's ex

d. "I don't

l. She just wanted my credit card and a guy to look good in her selfies. Be

er eyes searching his

on said. "But it didn't wor

d over to the table and sat across

w," he

it's toxic. We're just going to keep hurt

," Brendo

. No more 'I'm sorrys.' No more explaining. We just coexist until

he'd built around herself, and he knew h

"A pact. No pas

e she wanted to say something

ght, Br

ight,

ng the small, silver necklace he'd given her for her eighteenth bi

't throw

aring it, Brendon knew th