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“As long as you’re looking over your shoulder, it does. And you’ll always be looking over your shoulder. I still do.”

“But you decided I wasn’t a threat.” I lowered my gun, trying to decide if I was offended by that or not.

He grinned at me. “You’re definitely a threat. Just not to me.”

“Fair enough,” I answered, putting my weapon fully away now. If Keem wanted to kill me, he’d had ample opportunity over these months I’d been right next door. “So… You’ve been out for a decade?”

“Presumed dead. I’m a ghost, basically. I built myself a new life, but there wasn’t any real peace until theGardenwas eliminated. Thanks to thePelletiersisters.”

My eyebrows went up. “So… You knew more than you let on, about Dacia.”

“Something like that. Something neither of you needed to know.”

“But you’re outing yourself now. Why?”

“To keep you from being a murderer.”

I frowned. “I wasn’t going tokillher. I was about to kick her ass. And anyway, you say that as if she would’ve been the first.”

“She would’ve, right? Since you’re not that person anymore. Not aroseanymore. That life is gone, behind you. Unless I’ve mistaken this process of you revamping a candle shop, getting a boyfriend, integrating yourself into the neighborhood…”

“No,” I shook my head. “You’re right, this is what I wanted, I just—”

“Just nothing,” Keem interrupted. “If you don’t want to be that girl, don’t be. It doesn’t mean you have to take any shit, but slicing people on the street and pistol whipping them in alleys doesn’t exactly screamnormal girl.”

“They started it.”

Keem laughed. “I’m sure they did. But if you’ve decided what you want to be now, be that. And don’t let these peons take you out of your new, permant character. Don’t let anyone jeopardize who you’re trying to be.”

I sucked my teeth. “I already have a mentor, thanks.”

“And I’m not trying to put myself in that role - just telling you what I’ve learned over the years. And the biggest lesson is that… It’s okay to let that shit go. I mean, be smart, pay attention, all that. But… live.Love.Fully. If somebody is gonna come for you, they will, but in the meantime you may as well enjoy this shit. I sure as hell am.”

Without anything more to say, Keem went inside, leaving me standing in dark, mind reeling.

The ultimate conclusion I came to, was that he was right - I wouldn’t be able to straddle the fence forever. Not without sacrificing my sanity.

And that was too valuable to put on the line.

I wasn’t as far removed as he was, so it would take me some time, but his advice wasn’t so different - wasn’tanydifferent, really, from Alicia’s.

To enjoy this life I’d carved out for myself, and not let anything fuck it up.

So… I’d try.

If Nya fucked with me again her ass was mine though.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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