Stone Circle owning more than has been given

The truth hurt.

Day knew that there was a lot that he could've done differently, but at the time, it'd just seemed natural to run his mouth the way he had. It was an increasingly obvious problem.

"You're not a child," he said at once, his stomach crawling at the very idea. She wasn't a kid, and Day wasn't sure he'd ever thought of her that way. "I know you're not," he continued, voice softening slightly. "Hell, I think we both know who the childish one is between the two of us."

It was hard to swallow. His throat felt tight, especially when she bared her soul so easily. He'd known, of course, what must've been bothering her, but it was one thing to assume and another to hear her talk about her hurts. Day felt like shit - he never wanted her to hurt. Never wanted to be the one to hurt her, but he'd gone and done it.

"You won't ever lose me," he said, tone heated at the very idea. "Addie, I'd - I'll always come back to you. I love you."

Promises fell freely from his tongue, and he never stopped to think how it would be to keep them. If he even could. And it occured to him that he shouldn't be talking to her like this, because no matter what they said aloud, she was still Steady's little neice. Maybe she'd think nothing of his confession - Why would she? - but Day would know. He'd know and it'd burn him up inside.

"But I gotta get my eyes better to do that," he went on, heart feeling weighty and cold. "For you and for... for my kids. For a girl."

He had to fight his tongue to get the words out of his mouth, and then fight it again to keep from taking it back, assuring her that she was his favorite girl, the best. There was no place for that here, and he doubted she needed to be reassured of her place in his life. He was the one that needed the lesson.