Stone Circle And I end the story that we didn’t even get to start

I’m not scared was the claim she made but he didn’t believe her—he couldn’t. Something wouldn’t let him, some part of him knew it was a lie; perhaps he truly was his father’s son, truly able to read others—or perhaps there was more to it, something deep down, something—

She continued to speak, to shout at him; her anger plain as day, teeth bared. But what she said, he couldn’t deny—he hadn’t been there. He was never where he needed to be, never around to protect those he cared for. He was always a day late and a dollar short, as much as it pained him to be time and time again. “I’m sorry—” he tried to say but the words were quiet, uncertain… an apology wasn’t what he needed to give, an apology was the least valuable thing right now.

“I wasn’t there and… and I’m sorry for that but—” a blink, a glance away, a forced look into her eyes. “—I want to be here for you now. I want you to know you can rely on me… I want to do everything I can for you but I can’t if you won’t let me.” Maybe she was right, maybe it wasn’t fair for him to ask this of her. But it was all Xan could do.