“Then why are you still here?” Duke demanded, his voice choked. “If all I do is fuck up with my messy caring? I ruined Octavia’s life, right? After daring to hope I hadn’t lost one of my best friends to that fucking psycho.” He was crying in earnest now, almost hoping his eyes were black. That maybe he could purge the awful feeling in his chest; could see the poison that infected him come pouring out.

He missed the numb fugue of the last several months.

“But I lost her anyway. And I still care. So if that’s a problem for you then fucking leave.”