Chapter 66

• She can hear him sigh on the other end of the phone, and she imagines him running his hands through his hair in discomfort. His voice is hushed when he finally speaks. “Let’s just say my early childhood … those years were … more fucked up than not.” She can sense his apprehension and can feel his trepidation in his confession.
• “Before you were adopted?” She knows the answer, but it’s the only thing she can think to say without him thinking she feels pity for him. And silence from her would be even worse.
• “Yes, before I was adopted. As a result … I … how do I …?” he struggles finding the right words to express what he wants to say. She hears another exhaled breath before he continues. “I sabotage anything that resembles a relationship. If things are going too well … depending on which shrink you talk to, I purposely, unknowingly, or subconsciously ruin it. Screw it up. Hurt the other person.” It all comes out in a quick jumble of words. “Just ask my poor parents.” A self-deprecating laugh slips out.