As we drove back, Arthur was kind enough to remove the ropes from my wrists. As he did, I wondered, was Arthur good for me or did he hurt me too much? Were his erratic spurts of interest worth the stinging agony when he turned his back on me over and over?

Never had anyone forced me to contend with so many competing emotions at once. Fear and pleasure, pain and...love. But would I have been better off if I'd never known it?

If I had never met him, ...