Thirty-Five:
Cecelia Porter
I shouldn’t have stayed in his room. Victor had a reputation, and I knew that people would talk, especially since he was courting me. But he was so messed up over Vivian’s death, I couldn’t leave him. I just stayed, wrapped in his arms, on his bed as he cried. He sobbed for what seemed to be ever. I couldn’t recall any man or boy I knew crying as hard as he did. I wanted to make things better for him, but I didn’t know how.
All I did was lay down next to him on his chest. He buried his face into the crevice of my shoulder. He’d been like that for hours. He kept his arms wrapped around me.
“Cecelia,” he whispered, when he finally managed to gain control of himself.
I ran my hands through his blond hair. “W
