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He sainst the stonework of the fireplace

Tore the curtains

Meanwhile, I pressedto one for help But I didn’t think I could leave hiotten er out of his system, Clarkson remembered I was there He storer pointing at my face "If you ever tell anyone what you heard, or what I did, so helpry tears glistened in his eyes as he continued "You never let on, you understand?"

I raised ain, htly tinged with sweat

"There’s nothing forwas so fast

"Please, sit," I urged He hesitated "Just for a moment"

He nodded

I pulled him to a chair and settled on the floor beside him "Put your head between your knees and breathe"

He looked at ly but obeyed I put ers over his hair and down his neck

"I hate them," he whispered "I hate them"

"Shhh Try and calm down"

He looked up "Ithem away"

"Hopefully not to the sahed It was a deep, genuine laugh, the kind you can’t stop even if you want to So he could laugh It was buried, that was all, hidden behind all the other things he had to feel and think and e He made much ranted again Those must be so much work for him

"It’s a hed, finally calain, I dared a question "Has it always been like that?"

He nodded "Well, not so h I’ve never figured out where it ca affairs, they’re doing an excellent job of hiding therandma told me they used to be very much in love It makes no sense"

"It’s a hard position to be in Theirs Yours Maybe it just wore on the to be him, my ill be her, and we’ll eventually iain He didn’t flinch this tih his eyes were still marked orry, he did see you don’t want to be You like order? Then plan, prepare I, husband, and father you want to be, and do whatever it takes to get there"

He looked at me, almost with pity "It’s adorable that you think that’s all it takes"

CHAPTER 5

I’D NEVER HAD A PHYSICAL before I realized that if I did becoular part of my life, and that horrified me

Dr Mission was kind and patient, but I was still uncoer see me naked He took my blood, did nu that ht be amiss