Chapter 16. Medicine

The sound echoed across the rooftop.

I froze. My heart thumped more rapidly than before as I realized what I had done. My fingers trembled, stinging from the impact.

I didn’t know where those intense emotions came from. I managed to control my emotions for a long time, thanks to my parents, who kept training me to do it.

But with River… What exactly triggered me?

“I-I’m sorry,” I muttered, having a hard time looking him in the eye. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I know,” he said softly as he held my trembling hands. “Trust me, Serenity. I know.”

His head turned slightly with the force earlier, and his right cheek was red. I know that it stings, even though he could handle it.

But there was no anger in his eyes. Only understand. It even felt like he understood me more than I could understand myself.

I felt sick. My vision suddenly became blurry with tears, the humiliation and fear twisting together until I couldn’t tell them apart.

“Stop sa