- RORY -
Didn't Raya say Luciano had a great family? What parent—what father—could hurt his son like this?
A protective anger grows so large in my chest, I have to take a deep breath and shift away from him—making room between us for what I don't understand. Because as repulsive as I found the thought of hurting Luciano a moment ago, I'm now imagining a sharp blade pointed right at the father who left this scar.
How am I supposed to meet this man?
Luciano pulls me back, closer than I was before. It's a very intimate position. There is no room for misunderstandings. No room for hiding. Only truth delivered straight from his lips to mine.
"It was a long time ago," he says softly, like he's speaking to a child. And that's how a child should be treated—like a treasure. Not like how Luciano was apparently treated.
"But your father hurt you."
