The Rachel Incident

by Caroline O'Donoghue

I was desperate to be touched; I was terrified of being ruined.

He will never try to convince you to feel differently about someone. He will not be the delivery boy for baggage from one person’s relationship to another. However, when it comes down to fights between friends and lovers, he will put the friend first.

The fear of heartbreak was almost worse than the reality of it.

I had drawn a line with someone. I had never really done that before.