Chapter 39

I cringed. “Yes, I’m fully aware of how I’ve acted, and I’m sorry for being so obvious.”

“I’ll just assume you couldn’t help yourself. How’s that?”

“Agreed.”

Gregory cleared his throat and set down his glass. “I need to tell you a story. It’s not pretty, and I still have nightmares about it. I hope it will help you understand why I am like…this.”

That he had decided to gift me with something so intimate after such a short time floored me. “I appreciate your trust.”

He took a deep breath and declared, “I was raped the summer before my junior year in college.”

* * * *

Gregory’s quiet admission left me speechless. When I remained silent, he continued. “I’d been awarded an internship at a local museum that summer, and I was so excited. I was the youngest intern ever and I was proud of that accomplishment. I was also na?ve and very susceptible, turns out. I see that now, but a young adult of barely twenty years old…what do we know at that age?”