"Yeah, sure, you were the only one whose heart was broken," Kate muttered half aloud, looking down at the floor and shaking her head. And that was the main reason she had no intention of looking back on anything. It hurt too much.

Then she looked up again, refusing to bring a hand to her eyes though they were stinging. "I haven't been mean." Well, she had the capacity to be much, much worse than she had been, at least. "I've stayed out of your way as much as I've been able to. And I am not making you feel anything on purpose. I also can't stop you from feeling anything you feel."