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I take a sip of water and pull Jude's hoodie a little tighter around myself.

For once, I don't feel the need to apologize again.

Jude

The water is colder than I expected.

I come up and drag both hands over my face while Ethan is laughing his ass off on the other side of the pool.

“You fucking pushed me.”

“You were taking too long,” he says, like that explains anything.

Cas swims toward him. “He's got a point.”

“Of course you'd say that.”

I splash water at both of them before moving toward the edge of the pool. Asher is laughing from somewhere behind me, and I hear Ethan tell him he's next.

I look toward the fire.

Nora is sitting with the women, my hoodie swallowing her small frame. She's laughing at something Grace says, her head tipped back slightly, and I find myself smiling.

She was fucking terrified about coming here tonight.

I knew it the second I found her on that porch pretending to read the same page over and over again.

And now look at her.

“She's doing better.”

I turn my head and find Dex beside me, looking toward the fire too.

“Yeah.”

“I'm happy she's okay.”

“Me too.”

There's something in his voice that makes me look at him again.

“But, bro...” He pauses, rubbing a hand over his wet hair. “I don't want you to get hurt in all of this.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

He gives me a look.

I fucking hate that look.

We've been doing this shit since we were kids. Sometimes being a twin is great. Other times it means having someone walking around who knows every version of you and can tell something is going on before you fucking know it yourself.

“Just... be careful,” he says. “She sees you as a friend.”

“I know.”

“She's not ready for more.”

“I know that.” I shake my head. “And I don't want that. It's not like that.”