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“I believe you.”

She steps closer. The anger in her face disappears. “You really don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“You think loving someone means protecting them from you.”

My chest tightens. I didn’t say anything about love but she did.

“You think you’re the dangerous thing in the room, so the noble thing is to make the decision for me and disappear.”

“Not disappearing.”

“Divorcing me and sending me home with a hundred thousand dollars feels pretty damn close.”

“Hundred plus financing.”

She shoves my chest. “Not helping.”

I catch her wrist. “Lila.”

“No. You’re going to listen to me.”

I release her.

She steps right into my space. “I don’t care what Devil’s Peak calls you.”

“You should.”

“I don’t.”

“You saw what I did to Brody. You saw me lose control.”

“And I saw you stop.”

My jaw tightens. “Because you asked me to.”

She touches my face. “I know who sleeps beside me.” Her thumb brushes my beard. “I know who gets up at three in the morning because the furnace makes one weird noise.”

“It was cycling wrong.”

“I know.”

“Could’ve cracked the heat exchanger.”

“Dane.”

“Fine.”

She fights a smile. “I know who clears snow off my car before I wake up.”

“Don’t like you driving with ice on the windshield.”

“I know who remembers exactly how I take my coffee.”

“One sugar.”

Her eyes hold mine. “And I know who stopped beating the man who destroyed his life because I asked him to.”