“Lara.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him reach for her, then withdraw his hand as though he thought better of touching her. “I know that you didn’t choose to be here.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, his cheeks clenched as though he was struggling for words, and her heart began to pound anticipating what he would say. “I want you to know that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. That this…this is whatever you want it to be. Or don’t want it to be.”
