Kestrel's pov
''You didn't do anything wrong," she says quickly, wiping at her own tears. "This isn't about you. It's about him and his past and things that happened before you came into his life."
"Then tell me," I beg. "Help me understand. I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken."
She stares at me for a long moment and I can see the internal battle playing out on her face. She wants to tell me, I can see it in her eyes. But she's also loyal to her brother, doesn't want to betray his confidence. Finally she takes a shaky breath.
"Fine," she says quietly. "Since you badly want to feel worse, since you won't let this go, I'll tell you. But you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid. You won't try to leave or confront him or make this harder than it already is."
"I promise
