I wish I had his confidence, his absolute belief in me. I wish even more that I’d been better prepared for what she makes me feel. It doesn’t seem real that in the space of a few measly hours, she could’ve turned my well-laid plans on their head. Even now, she’s only been gone out of my sight for a few minutes, and already I was feeling that now-familiar itch between my shoulder blades.

It started last night when she slammed the door and locked it between ...