Page 92 of Shelter Me

“Oh? And what is my fault?”

“Not telling her. Screw the world, even screw the king, if you don’t want him to know.”

“Ew.”

“But she should know she is your sister.”

“She’ll hate me for keeping it a secret for so long.”

“Probably.”

“She’ll hit me.”

“Definitely.”

“She won’t want to speak to me ever again.”

“Unlikely. That’s not Livy. But it might happen.”

“…”

“…”

“So, are you ready to tell her?”

“No.”

“Be brave, come on.”

“Be brave? Seriously? As if I’m not well aware of how much of a coward I am.”

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean… You’re not a coward, ok? You’re not. I know what you’ve been through, I know it better than anyone, because you told me. But even I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you all these years… Living with this. And then…”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, Hector.”

“Hey, no, you don’t apologize to me. You don’t apologize to anyone. I guess…”

“What? Tell me. I need you, Hector.”

“I guess the right time will come. Something will happen, and it will make you feel brave enough, and unafraid enough, that you’ll do it.”

“Unafraid?”

“Don’t laugh. It does happen. It happened to me, when I walked into that barn to find my best friend almost dead and Livy crouched under his body.”

“Christ, Hector, you had to go and mention that. Makes me feel even more of a coward.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that. I just meant to say, if it’s the right moment, you’ll conquer your fear.”

“Or I might not ever fully conquer it. But it will feel less important than something else.”

“You’re right, as always. Less important than something else.”

“Although, I can’t imagine anything being that important, you know?”

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