I stared at her without responding.
It wasn't that I didn't want to answer. There was simply no point in dignifying those words with a response.
"You should be saying that to Avery and the others."
Her eyes immediately reddened, and she pressed her lips into such a tight line that they turned pale.
"I already did."
She looked up at me, bitterness and exhaustion filling her eyes.
The sharp, stubborn edge she'd once carried had been worn down almost completely. All that remained was sheer exhaustion.
"I swear I never meant to hurt them."
Her voice trembled, as if she'd kept those words buried inside for so long that she'd finally found a chance to let them out.
My tone remained perfectly even, neither harsh nor gentle, as casual as if I were commenting on the weather.
"Sophie, ther
