Page 162 of Bitter’s Sweet

The sharpness in her voice makes me look at her.

Mercy reaches over and takes my wet face between both hands.

“No. We are not doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Turning his cowardice into your stupidity.”

My mouth trembles.

“He showed me exactly what he was.”

“He showed you more than one thing.”

I shake my head. “He fixed my lock.”

“Yes.”

“He made CSI ask.”

“Yes.”

“He asked before touching Mama.”

“Yes.”

“He listened.”

“Yes.”

“And then he cheated on me.”

“Yes.”

Every yes hurts.

Mercy doesn't soften them.

She doesn't lie.

“That does not mean the things before were fake,” she says. “It means Bitter had a choice between acting like the man he was becoming and running back to the bastard he already knew how to be.”

My chest tightens.

“He chose the bastard.”

“Yes.”

That one lands deepest.

I look down at my hands. “That almost makes it worse.”

“It should.”

“Because if the better part was real, then he knew better.”

Mercy’s eyes meet mine.