Brendan was apathetic, distant, and even a little impatient.

He did not believe her.

Deirdre felt weight crushing her chest. For some reason, she was reminded of what Emily had said to her. 'You shouldn't blame anyone for this. If anything, blame yourself for being so useless. You can only rely on Brendan to do anything at all. Think about it. What happens when he stops trusting you?'

Deirdre understood the thorn in her words now. It felt like cotton had been stuffed into her throat.

A lon