There was a knock on my door, letting me know food was ready. Usually, she was gone by the time I opened the door, but this time she was leaning against the wall opposite my door, arms crossed, looking down.
"You expressed your honest feelings about how you felt, and I lashed out because I didn't want to hear it." She looked up, meeting my eyes with a struggle. "I'm sorry, Rick. I didn't know that's how you felt. I'm also really sorry if you feel like I'm looking for Jonah in you. That's so not fair to you, but I will admit that you are right, at least a little."
I clenched my jaw, tense as all hell, even as a little bit of the bitterness inside me died.
She had heard me. Ellie had actually heard me.
"It took me a long time to be able to understand how I felt," I said. "Jonah was... a
