His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.
"I would've done something."
"I know. That's why I didn't tell you."
His lips parted like he was going to argue—but nothing came out.
The silence returned, but this time it was heavier. Not sharp like before, just… sadder. And I hated it more than the coldness. Because not just because I felt sorry for him but because he reminded me of days I buried in my past. Days of torment...
"Kael," I said softly. "He's the reason you left, isn't he?"
The car kept moving through the sleeping beauty of Rome. But for a second, I wasn't sure if he was breathing.
Then—
"You think it was just him?" Kael said quietly. "Don't insult me."
I turned to him, but he wasn't looking at me.
"Every room in that house had his shadow in it," he said. "Even when he wasn't there. And when he was… the walls would breathe with him. That's what it felt like. Like you were only allowed to exist if he allowed it."
