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“What have you not told me?” My voice breaks on that last bit, and I drop down hard onto e

“I was going to tell you,” Taylen insists “I just…well, I don’t know It was basically just between ranny gave us She gave one to each of us and told us they were cursed They’re supposed to lead us to our soul”

“Soul what?” I yelp

I’ quite quickly all of a sudden, and I can work out the basic details I know Taylen’s granny is a rannies Like five of the hottest peppers, not spice level one Tay’s granny drove to ht eet I was so, so touched I also felt kind of guilty about it because I kneasn’t going to go through with the wedding, but it was such a nice gesture that I couldn’t tell her no When Tay was talking to her on the phone, though, it sounded like she kneouldn’t go through with the wedding So why then did she give me the brooch? Did she mean for it to lead Taylen to me? To make him believe I’m his soulmate?

I gasp for breath, and Taylen’s shoulders rise and fall His chest heaves, and his pulse pounds at his neck His throat also works hard beneath the inky stain of stubble he hasn’t shaved away yet Is it wrong that I’d like to find out just how bristly that bit of beard is?

What the farge?

Focus Soulmates Which we most definitely aren’t

“But that’s…that’s ridiculous,” I cough “We’re best friends We’re already soulmates Best friend soulmates, but not love soulmates Why didn’t you tell me about what happened?”

“Because!” Taylen strips his shorts off, stands there in his boxers, and plunges his legs into his jeans I i up even though I’ve seen Tay in his gotch approximately six million times before “We all took a vow that it wouldn’t affect our lives We proive the curse any power I did want to tell you, I just…I didn’t want you to think my family was any weirder than it already was”

I can feel“No, that’s not it You’ve never worried about that before We both know our fareat friends We put up with it together No, that isn’t it Why then?”

Taylen shakes his head roughly, raking both hands through his hair The double rake is never a good thing because it itated

“Fine Whatever,” I huff, drawingusted chuff Part of me wants to stick Tay hard, like that brooch did, just to rub it in since he hurts of this nitude! “Well, I hope the curse isn’t blood activated The brooch stabbed me, it stabbed you, and we both bled Our blood is probably ht now”

Taylen scowls fiercely at me, but he can’t hide the fact that he just beca like that”

“I’ prophecy” It’s my turn to screw my face up into a fierce expression “And even if it were, I’m sure I’d make the worst soulmate Yeah, me Your best friend since ere like conceived”

Tay doesn’t have a corabs Jeffers’ leash, plugs it onto his collar, and both he anddisappear from the room

I sit in the silence of the roo to the hu around inin my chest

“Whatever,” I huff, telling myself it doesn’tit would be the worst thing in the world to have

I have a few et dressed and get my hair co to be a night it first It will probably knot up tightly, and I don’t want a cement hair helmet Thank you very much

I’m not worried about some rando, all five of them were cursed, it means three of them have already succuood odds in the curse’s favor It’s Taylen’s problem, not mine