Ryland
All I want to do is touch her.
She’s right there, just a few steps away, and still, completely out of reach. We nearly lost her—because I said she could go. I’m not entirely to blame, though that doesn’t ease the guilt. I said she could leave without us, disobeying Orion, defying Thaddeus. Evelyn’s supposed to stay with someone at all times until we change her or until she agrees to be changed.
Thaddeus is holding back. I can feel it, and I’m grateful. He wants to beat the hell out of me. He doesn’t because she’s here, because she’s watching. Because she’s fragile right now, and he doesn’t want her more afraid than she already is.
Truth is—I’d prefer the beating.
At least then I could be near her. Could hold her. Could touch her without this barrier of shame and silence.
Evely
