“How very insightful of him,” I reply blandly. Simmering crazily below the surface, trying not to grind my teeth and shake my head to dispel him from it.

“Is this about the past? About what that vile monster did to you? Or did someone else hurt you while you were gone?” Her voice is so wary and gentle that it grinds on my nerves. My past is a topic that I always hate her touching on, hate her even acknowledging. I can’t stand it when she looks at me the way she is doing now, ...