Page 180

emotions because they’re what make you weak, but I always

knew that was bullshit and that’s not my life anymore. I think

that sometimes we get caught up in thinking of things as black

and white when they’re not like that at all. It’s okay to fall into

the gray areas. And it’s okay to feel things, even if it’s messy

and painful some of the time.”

Adalynn groaned. “You’re being too kind.”

“Oh, no.” Cassia snorted. She looked distinctly amused at

that. “I thought some pretty unkind things last night. I kept

telling myself to keep hoping, that I’d keep fighting, but when

you said you were going to do what you had to do, I thought

that meant, uh, not this.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t make you any promises yesterday. I

didn’t even know what I was going to do. I truly feel bad for

causing you pain. That was a heartless thing to do. I should

have reassured you, but I didn’t even know how to do that for

myself.”

Cassia sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and plied it

with her teeth. She went silent and stayed that way for so long

that Adalynn nearly squirmed in her chair. She felt like she

often had as a child, when her mother’s bleary-eyed, red

rimmed, unfocused gaze would fall on her, full of undeserved

wrath and fury, scolding her for something she hadn’t even

done. Except she’d done this. She deserved every single bit of

Cassia’s annoyance and ire as she worked out her pain and

disappointment.

Adalynn expected to have to grovel. To earn back Cassia’s

trust and start to rebuild that connection between them that

she’d shattered by being so callous the night before. To her

great surprise, though, Cassia didn’t say one thing about that.