I look up at him then. His face is pale and strained but his eyes don't leave mine.
"I swear it," he adds.
I nod weakly. I don't trust myself to speak.
The weight of everything settles over me all at once. Exhaustion, grief, rage and shame all tangled together.
I press my forehead to my knees and cry until my chest hurts and my throat burns, until there's nothing left but empty sobs.
Zane doesn't touch me.
He stays right there anyway.
I stay on the stairs for a long time after the crying stops.
My eyes burn and my head throbs, when I finally lift my head, Zane is still there.
He hasn't moved. He's sitting one step below me now, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together like he's holding himself in place. He looks… wrecked.
I push myself up slowly. My legs feeling weak, but they hold. I wipe my face with my sleeve and take a breath that doesn't quite reach my lungs.
