That caught her attention.
“I’m not pushing him the way I normally would,” I continued. “Because I know his situation is… different.”
Roman didn’t know what he was supposed to feel. Didn’t recognize the internal cues most of us grew up understanding. He second-guessed everything because he had no foundation to stand on.
But that didn’t mean I could coddle him.
“He overthinks every movement,” I said. “He trusts his logic more than his body. That delay will get him killed.”
Her jaw tightened faintly at that.
“I’m not breaking him,” I added. “I’m stripping away what’s unnecessary.”
“And what if you strip away too much?” she asked softly.
“I won’t.”
She searched my face again, weighing my words.
“He needs pressure,” I continued. “Controlled pressure. Enough to force him to confront w
