Ch. 20: Where We Begin

She had promised herself she would not come back to this place. She had promised a lot of things.

Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to. "I'm not asking you to forgive me," Nina said. "I'm asking you to listen." Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to.

There was a history between them that neither would name, written in the things they did not do. Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to.

There was a history between them that neither would name, written in the things they did not do. For a heartbeat the careful distance between them thinned to nothing at all. Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to.

"You shouldn't have come," she said, and the words landed softer than they were meant to. "You shouldn't have come," she said, and the words landed softer than they were meant to. Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to.

Nina crossed the room slowly, aware of every step, of the way she was watching without seeming to. "You shouldn't have come," she said, and the words landed softer than they were meant to. "I'm not asking you to forgive me," Nina said. "I'm asking you to listen."

The truth, when it finally came, was smaller and sharper than she had imagined.