"You're shaking." The quiet was broken by Rogan's voice, which was low and tinged by an unidentified substance.
I realized too late that he had noticed as I snatched my hand away. I said, shielding myself with my arms crossed, "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," he said, taking a step forward. I could never make sense of the paradox that his presence was both grounding and overwhelming. "Ava, you've been suppressing everything for a very long time. You don't need to act fake with me.
Something inside of me was broken by his remarks, but I wasn't prepared to express it. "How about you?" I shot back, defiantly looking into his eyes. "You bear the entire load on your shoulders, but you refuse to show anyone how much it is straining you."
His habitual stoicism swiftly covered up the flash
