Page 6 of Absolution

“Definitely. Pretty boy-vain.”

“And you haven’t been ‘pretty girl-vain’, then?”

That was a long time ago,” she says quietly and looks away.

Her last words wrap us in an uncomfortable silence. I clear my throat to say I can take it from here, wanting to get her out of the room. It’s as much for her sake as for mine. But what comes out sounds a lot harsher than intended.

“Leave. Go the fuck back to sleep, Ker.”

She lets go of my shoulder and takes a step back.

“You’re such a dick, Christian. You know that, right?” Her lips tighten and her nostrils flare, then she turns on her heel and leaves. I have no words. No words of comfort. No clever replies.

Fucking. Nothing.

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