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She sht Pride and Prejudice to me”

“Thought it ht help to pass the time”

“Very helpful Thank you”

He divested hiested, “Why don’t we sit?” Heinto the cushion next to her, which was on the thin side froe “It’s very quiet here,” he commented

“Yes, so and summer, I open the s and backdoors so I can hear the river running”

A nu pots of wildflowers on the patios to brighten the cottage, though she’d have tothe winter ht But she hated the idea of the it

“You weren’t afraid of being here alone when you were a little girl?”

She hedged, but had to admit the truth

“At first, it didn’t fully register because I was so upset about ht Then I started to worry if the shifters would come for me Ironically, that’s one of the reasons I stayed I didn’t want theother people in danger I couldn’t stand the thought of having what happened to my family happen to others”

He stretched an arrees so he faced her His presence e seem much smaller, yet in an enjoyable, intimate way

“That must have been an extremely difficult time,” he said

“Yes Every little noise frayed ot used to it Or at least, I’d resigned myself to it I didn’t want to leave, so I had to keep myself busy and ht or worry over every sound I heard co from outside”

“Is that how you learned to suppress your feelings?”

She nodded “That’s one of the things I did to occupy s down to the pit of my stomach I’d visualize a black hole deep inside me, and I forced all the sensations into it”

“But there’s no lid to cover the hole?”