"Luke," Greg began, "I need you. I need you here and in the circle. You know me well enough to know I don't say that lightly. It hurts me to know I made you think you were replaceable or not enough, even for a moment."

Greg sighed. "I've always hated what happened during our childhood, so I wanted to take care of you. I didn't want you to ever feel alone again. But I pushed too hard." He slumped forward, clasping onto the desk with his palms to support his torso. "I wanted you to ...