“I understand what’s happening here, and I'm on your side." "You don’t know shit about what’s happening here," Joey warned, backing up another step when I reached up and touched the darkening bruise on his cheek. "Don't touch me." "Why not?" I closed the space between us once more, pinning him to the garden wall. I reached up and let my fingers graze over the cut on his brow. "Are you afraid I'm going to hurt you?" "No," he strangled out, shaking from head to toe, as he physically strained his body away from me. "I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.” His words threw us both.
