"That's blackmail."
"Call it whatever you want," Louis said, "but we both know I don't give up easy."
"That's not completely true," Mauve replied but didn't elaborate; this was not the time to discuss another of Louis' major shortcomings. "Still, I don't want to let go of this so easily. Not after you just told me you intend to keep even more things from me to protect me."
"I already failed one person, and I can't exactly fix that. I am sure with this incident, whatever progress had been made has completely been ripped asunder. I don't want you to bear any burde—"
"I can handle it," Mauve interjected.
"I didn't say you couldn't. It's completely selfish of me, and I realize that is not a good thing. The results sometimes don't outweigh the process but I have no intention of changing. Let me shield you. Let me deal with all the troubles, and the two of you would think your lives were nothing but a field of daisies. That is all I can ask for."
