“He dumped me five seconds after he’d gotten what he wanted. I got out of there as fast as I could. And on my way home, I was crying and couldn’t see properly. I tripped over on the sidewalk and bashed my right knee like the clumsy idiot I am. That night I sat in bed just staring at that bruise, wondering how a physical wound could look so bright and angry but emotional wounds stayed entirely invisible. I wanted my hurt branded on me, to remind me never to trust anyone again. So I dyed my hair the colour of that bruise. Black and blue. My own personal wound.” My heart twisted and knotted as tears collected in my eyes. I turned away, a flow of shame running through my blood. I'd never voiced that part of the story to my sister, let alone Max who was feeding on every word of if. But my tongue kept moving, giving him everything he wanted. “My deepest fear is being cast aside, my heart crushed by trusting blindly again. So I’ll never let anyone in again.”