She studies my face for a long moment, then nods as if coming to a decision. “No more half-truths between us, Vince. No more compartmentalizing your life to protect me.”
“That’s what got us here in the first place,” she interrupts. “You keeping secrets, me in the dark.” Her voice grows firmer, more insistent. “Tell me everything, Vince. All of it. No more protecting me from the truth.”
I hesitate. My first impulse is to shield her, to carry this burden alone. It’s what I’ve always done—compartmentalized my life, kept the darkness away from her as much as possible.
But that strategy failed spectacularly. My father used my silence against me. Used my desire to protect Rowan as a weapon.
And in that horrible room, Rowan proved she’s stronger than I ever gave her credit for.
“You deserve
