“You don’t have to stay,” I said to Jessa. “We’ll figure something else out.”
“I’m fine,” she said again.
“You’re not,” Cassidy said.
“I can work.”
“No,” I said. “You’re done for the day.”
Jessa hesitated, and I could see the conflict in it even before she said anything else. She didn’t want to leave, not because she was okay, but because leaving made it real. I understood that part, and it made it easier to stay firm without sounding like I was forcing her.
“I don’t want to cause problems,” she said.
“You didn’t,” I said. “He did.”
She nodded slowly, like she wasn’t fully convinced but wasn’t going to argue either. Harlow moved closer then, setting a glass of water in front of her without saying anything. Small things helped more than questions ever did.
I handed her a cloth and
