He growls, rubbing his face. “That’s not what I . . . I didn’t mean that. It’s only that—damn it, Rose, why is it so difficult to speak around you? You’ve ruined everything: my plans, my expectations, my very idea of the world.” He raises the shawl, giving it a small shake. “You made me want to go beyond the borders that have measured out my existence, to experience things I never dared dream . . . Rose.”
