I laugh bitterly, the sound harsh even to my own ears. “Yourself? That’s what this is about? You think you’re some kind of monster I can’t handle? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Ric?”
His eyes darken, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You don’t understand, Natalie. I’ve done things… things that would make you look at me differently. Things that would make you run.”
“Then explain,” I challenge, my hands tightening on his face. “Stop assuming I can’t handle it.”
He hesitates, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard. When he finally speaks, his words are raw and jagged, like they’re being ripped from his soul. “I’ve killed people, Natalie.”
Suddenly I can’t breathe. All the air around us seems to have vanished. I blink, my hands slipping from his face as his confession
