She laughed. “I told him to get lost. Just like I told you.”

She tried to walk toward the stairs, but she stumbled again. I caught her before she fell and broke something inside her.

“Why do you keep doing that?” she said angrily. “Let me just fall!”

“Because I’m not going to let you destroy yourself.”

“You can’t stop me!”

“Maybe not, but I’ll still try.”

She shoved me hard and walked past me. “Don’t act like you care.”

“I do care.” I nodded. ...