Chapter 10. Reason

River didn’t flinch, but at the same time, he decided to let it go, the same thing he did to my hand as he sat properly, not even minding the deadly glare my parents were giving him now.

“I apologize,” he said calmly, his voice lower than before, and I can’t even decipher whether he’s serious or not. “I just find it interesting how love and duty are often confused in this house.”

I felt something shift inside me then.

Another crack. Because the first one was when he approached me at the bar, asking me about the things I didn’t even bother thinking about before—my entire life.

Or maybe I did, but because I can’t fight, I thought it would be useless even if I thought about it.

But River is right. Love doesn’t feel like this.

Love shouldn’t feel like this.

I lowered my head before anyone else could see me, afraid my expression would betray me.

My parents didn’t bother answering River to those words. Instead, they continued eating as they