Rose’s POV

And finally, after a seemingly interminable silence, he did speak. But as I listened, I saw that his tone was stiff, tightly constrained, with words chosen with care, as though selecting each in order not to let me in.

“Rose, it is not as easy as it sounds,” I told him, his gaze not meeting mine as he shifted away, his jaw tightening. “This is not something I can just describe in a couple of words. It is more complex than you imagine.”

I sat up straight, not letting ...