If it had been difficult for her to speak what she had needed to, to utter the words that were her purpose for even being there, it was torture when he refused to give her even a semblance of a break and let her leave. His hold on her wrist stunned her, and she visibly stiffened when he let the silence between them grow. His presence, now just beside her, was almost too much for her to bear, but it was the words that came next that truly pushed her over the edge.

The accusations, the blatant judgement of her, and the belittling- she had never been made to feel so responsible, and yet inconsequential in the end. She closed her eyes for some degree of calm so that she could bear the assault until he would let her go, but it was his last words that had her turning to him with her facade crumbling to the floor.

"But," he released his hold on her wrist, "you can fucking run again. You've said your piece; you've opened yourself up as much as you ever will. I hope it's enough to soothe your guilt. I really do."

"What do you want from me?" she cried, her face aghast as she faced him, hurt shimmering in her eyes as she continued desperatey. "What do you want me to say? That I was wrong? I was! That I was selfish and cruel? Fine, I will, I was terrible. Do you want to belittle me more? Ridicule me until it's impossible for me to even lift my gaze when you're near?"

Pushing him back from her, her hand forceful as it made contact with his shoulder, she shook her head angrily, "No, that wouldn't be enough for you either, would it? It won't be enough until I've felt just as low and worthless as you did-"

Catching herself, she bit back tears as she took a step back from him. Incapable of meeting his gaze anymore, she managed through a clenched voice, "I didn't come here for this. I've said my piece, and that wasn't cowardly, Leathan, no matter what you accuse me of, it wasn't."

Turning from him and brushing her hair from her eyes, she reached for the doorknob once more, her every intent to escape from him before she did something she would honestly regret.