Chapter 41

• I work from the outside to the middle, blowing on the liquid as I go, the smell making my nostrils sting. Clover remains still and stoic while I apply it, making sure the whole wound is covered. “This will last for a day or so, and then you don’t have to worry about it bleeding on your clothes.” I move on to the other hand.
• She hums in acknowledgment. “You’re so different right now than you were when you were in my class.”
• I lift my gaze for another second, then refocus on her injuries. I want to address the elephant in the room, but I don’t want to invite more awkwardness. “I’ve probably been a dick in your class. It hasn’t been intentional. Mostly I didn’t know how to manage the dynamic, and sometimes I don’t think before I do and say things. It’s hereditary. I get it from my mom.”