Brandon's POV
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face — the way her lips trembled when I said those hurtful words, the disbelief that flickered before she turned away. God, what the hell was wrong with me?
The words I said weren't true. Not one of them.
But I needed her to stay away.
I told myself it was for her own good — that if she knew half the things I was beginning to uncover, she'd run far from me anyway. But that didn't make it hurt any less.
The air in my room felt too tight, too heavy. I sat by the window for what felt like hours, watching the faint ripples across the pool where she'd been moments ago. The moon was fading behind a slow drift of clouds. Somewhere below, I could hear Seth's voice — low, calm, maybe they were together.
I swallowed hard. I'd told him to take care of her, but the words that came out of my mouth before that…
