Chapter 10

It’s like a little flash behind her wall, a moment of fear and panic at me getting too close, and in an instant, I see it, and it wounds me deeply to see it. She’s definitely an abuse case. All the signs are there, making me instantly sick to my stomach for her. She’s poised and stiff, eyes wide and afraid as she holds her breath because I got in her safe zone. On red alert and like a scared rabbit in a trap as she tries not to look at me. My own body bristled with an inner rage on her behalf.

I move back slowly, trying not to react because I don’t want to embarrass or make her feel even more uneasy at my presence; it’s the last thing I want. I shouldn’t have gotten in her space. I should have read the signs and stayed back, showed her she could trust me. Without reading her first, I feel like such an asshole for such a punk move. She takes a long slow breath and attempts to get herself back to cool and guarded, and I see the slight tremble in that delicate mouth, sucker punch