“You’ve given up on yourself before anyone else has a chance to.”
Silence greeted me.
I could feel Rider’s stare on me. Several moments passed. “That’s bullshit, and kind of priceless coming from you. You gave up on me yesterday.”
I started to defend myself, but I couldn’t. I swallowed hard. “I know. You’re right about that, but I’m also right.”
“And how’s that?” Challenge hardened his tone.
“Because I give up on myself on a daily basis,” I admitted. My cheeks heated but I continued. “I know.”
He sucked in an audible breath. “Mallory...”
I shook my head as I thought about all the conflicting emotions and needs and wants. “It’s true. It’s what I do. I don’t mean to. Or maybe I do. It’s...it’s easier being scared of everything.”
“How...how can that be?” His voice softened. “How can that be easier?”
My smile was faint. Suddenly, I really wished I was at home, with my head under the blankets. “You can’t fail when you don’t really try, right? You’d know that.”