Sandy's POV
He had perfected this pattern by now. Charles would push me to my breaking point, watch me crumble completely, then appear with gentle words telling me not to cry.
It was the cruelest game imaginable.
I shut my eyes tight and drew in a shaky breath. Behind me, I heard his sharp intake of air too.
Whatever desperate plea had been forming on my lips vanished. In this moment, all I wanted was silence, to breathe in his familiar scent of cedar and smoke, and pretend the rest of the world didn't exist.
But his harsh words still echoed in my mind. You disgust me.
Those three words accomplished what nothing else could. They shattered me completely, sent me spiraling back into that pit of self-doubt where I questioned my worth, my existence, my foolish love for him.
Without a sound, he moved away from me. I felt him settle somewhere to my right.
I didn't speak. Instead, I shifted left and pressed my back against the cold glass wall.
