It was the question I was hoping wouldn't come. I didn't want to lie. I didn't want to tell the truth either. I couldn't stand the thought of him looking at me differently if he knew the truth about me. I didn't want to risk what was forming here.
Partial truth was still the truth, right? I could give him some truth without all of the facts.
"My brother passed away a couple of months ago. That guy was just a friend of my brother, he's not handling his grief very well. Everyone mourns differently," I explained. I prayed that Hale wouldn't ask further details.
"Slapping a woman seems like more than just grief. Do you need an order of protection or something? Should we get the police involved?" Hale asked, concern and anger clouding his voice.
"No, there's no need. I think he probably won
