Austin held Cecily, his face buried in her hair, for a long time. When he finally pulled back, his eyes moved over her face, stopping at the silver scars on the right side of her face.
He lifted his hand and touched them gently, remembering the worst night of their lives.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for hiding you here. I'm sorry I never found the courage to come and see you."
"Austin…"
"I keep telling myself I was protecting you. But the truth is…I was afraid… that if I opened the door, I'd have to face what happened to you. And if I did that…I'd have to admit I failed you."
Cecily's grip tightened on his hands.
"Stop," she said softly. "You did not fail me. If I'm alive today, it's because you ran through a burning door for me. But hiding…it was my choice too."
She reached up and wiped the tears from his face.
"You didn't imprison me. We did this together. You, out of guilt… and me, out of fear."
"But still… I should have…"
