“But I’ve also been there when everything burns down and you’re standing all alone amid the devastating ruin, when all that’s left is soot and kindling and billowing smoke. I’ve breathed in that smoke. I’ve choked on it. And I’m not saying your situation is the same… I’m not saying you’re destined for tragedy.” A smile blooms on his mouth, a little trace of empathy through the agony. “I’m just saying, friend to friend, that there are worse things than loving the wrong person.” I stare at him, waiting, my stomach twisting into knots. “And that’s losing them.”
