When Augustus and I arrived home, neither of us spoke. As the car parked in front of the house, he helped me get out, and the way he held me was so careful, as if he was afraid that if he let go, I would be hurt again. With each step we took, with every time he guided me, I could feel his caution and his fear that I might get hurt again.
"Are you sure you're okay? If anything hurts, you can always tell me," he assured, each word clear with concern.
"Augustus, you don't need to worry so much. I'm fine now," I replied.
I saw his expression darken, as if he didn’t like what I said, even though I didn’t say anything wrong. Once we entered the house, I heard him take a deep breath and turn to face me.
"Look, Rachel, I know things haven’t been good between us. I know that, somehow, it’s part
