Page 91 of Marks of Rebellion
Frustrated, I cry out, "I don't know. I'm messed up! And I don't know how to do any of this."
He swallows hard. "Do what?"
I motion between our bodies. "Us."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm trying so hard to be normal, but I'm failing. Epically failing."
"How? I see you as normal."
I snort. "I have zero control over my body. All I do is make you feel guilty, and I don't even know what you need from me."
"Ask me."
"What?"
He holds my face to his. "What I need from you."
My pulse increases. "What do you need from me?"
"Three things."
Part of me is scared to know. "Okay. What are they?"
He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. "I needyou."
"You have me."
"Good."
I sigh in relief. "What's the second thing?"
"I need you to tell me what I'm doing that's making you get panic attacks."
"I don't know."
"Then I need you to agree with me that we'll figure it out together. That you aren't going to keep sweeping it under the rug, because I can't. So promise me we'll work on figuring it out together."
"But I don't know how to do that."
"I don't, either. And that's why we'll figure it out together."
"How?"
"I'm not looking for the how right now, Flower. I only require your promise."
I sniffle. "Okay. I promise."
"Good." He kisses me, and I give him everything I have, almost forgetting he said three things.
"What's the last one?"
He pins his gaze on me. "I need you to tell me your secrets. All of them. The men who have hurt you and what they did. Whatever it is you aren't telling me about that has you so petrified. You have to tell me every detail, even the stuff you think might not be important."
Stunned, I lean away from him.
"Flower, I need it."
