"Why should I be the same as other people? I'm a pretty unique guy, you know?"
Her eyes widened slightly, the sheer audacity of his tone catching her off guard. But the moment passed as quickly as it came, and she gritted her teeth, realizing that he wasn't going to stop.
'He's going to keep coming forward,' she thought, her pulse quickening.
She hated what she was about to do. She hated the vulnerability it demanded, the raw exposure. But if it was the only way to stop him, to prove her point, then so be it.
Her trembling hands moved to the edge of her veil, her breath hitching as she hesitated. She could feel the marks beneath her fingertips, the cracks and discolored patches that marred her skin.
'If this doesn't drive him away,' she thought bitterly, her chest tightening, 'nothing will.'
With a sharp tug, she pulled the veil away, revealing her face fully.