(Olivia)
I knew I had it in me, the need to lash out. To show everyone that I wasn't a coward. People tend to prey on the weak, and that was exactly what Raymond was trying to do.
He had successfully said some things that made me feel bad about myself, to make me lose hope. My mind went back to what my family did to me and what Lila did, and it seemed to be a cycle of bad luck that chose to follow me.
I walked away from Derek when I should have been talking to him; after all, one of his rules was that I should be honest with him.
But how could I be honest with him if I didn’t even know how to be honest with myself?
Every time I looked at Derek, I felt something stirring inside of me. His love, his care, his belief in me. It was all too much, too good. I wasn’t used to this, to some
