Mark sat on the bed for a long time after Francis left.
He couldn’t remember saying that word, nor hearing Francis tell him to stop. The horrifying guilt washed over him in waves. It receded, only for him to remember that someone else had done the same thing to Francis before and Mark knew all too well what that meant. A new wave crested over him as he sat there, numb and feeling too much at the same time.
Eventually, he decided to take Francis’s words to heart. He got up and pulled on some clothes, then went to look for his cell phone and texted Evy.
If I needed a friendly shrink house call right now, would you be up for that?
He couldn’t ask any more directly. He couldn’t express what he was feeling, but he knew better than to try being alone. She’d at least call if she couldn’t come
