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“This week is nothing compared to next week.”

“What’s next week?”

“Six a.m. lifts, followed by three-a-days.”

I can’t keep the disbelief from my voice when I ask, “That’s all for…cheer?”

Barely suppressing an eye roll, she says, “Yes, Khaos. That’s all for cheer. Except that’s just the physical stuff. There are other things I have to attend, too.”

“Like what?”

“A fitting, lots of meetings, a couple traditions, media day…”

“Goddamn.”

“Yeah.” She rubs her forehead, then scratches her hairline, the sound of her nails against her scalp echoing through the speaker.

“Silver.”

Thankfully, she lowers her hand before she can open another sore on her head. We’re still at eighteen, so it hasn’t gone up, but with a crazy schedule coming up, I suspect it will. I can’t be with her every minute but I can be diligent when I am.

“I won’t work next week.”

“Why? Because of me?”

My nod makes her head shake.

“No, you have to.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to be clingy.”

“I do.”

“You want to be clingy?”

Another nod, this one accompanied with a grin as I take in Kota’s beautiful face. “Yeah. I do.”

“You made fun of me for being clingy.”

“I was a jealous fuck.”

“You don’t want me to be clingy.”

“You can be anything you want, Silver, as long as you’re mine.”

Her laugh is so delicate, so feminine, it doesn’t belong anywhere near here.

“I have to be other things, too.”

You’re everything, I almost tell her but don’t for some reason. Probably because it’s pussyish.

Instead, I ask, “Do you want to close your eyes, see if you can fall asleep?”

“I should.” Even her sigh is tired. “I’ll let you go.”

“Don’t hang up. I’ll stay on.”