“Do you regret writing it?” Asher asked me, after a moment.
“No,” I said, “Because it’s the truth. Though I can’t help but worry now that I botched the whole thing. Maybe I should have just lied to them. What if this one answer costs me more than I’m willing to lose?”
“There’s no shame in staying true to your heart, Cynthia. And the Academy should recognize that.”
I wanted to believe his words, but I couldn’t quite get myself to. My nerves felt frazzled, like I was a bit of yarn cut off before the knot and now I was unravelling. Also, I think I ate too much.
I groaned in discomfort, my hands reaching for my stomach.
“Cynthia?” Asher was on alert at once. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It hurts,” I said.
He moved me towards the table and helped me sit down. “Where does it hurt?”
I sho
