I’d gone back and forth through a range of emotions in the first few moments of Valen’s departure.

Sadness. As much as I hadn’t wanted to, I had harbored some hope that against all odds, Valen would have believed me even if no one else had, but it had been clear by his parting words how he felt about the matter. It wasn’t as if it had been the first time his actions had hurt my feelings, but this one had surprisingly cut deeper than the rest.

Guilt. Maybe if I hadn't been ...