39: Hiding

*Jonas*

“Fine ! Do you want to know why I am upset? Fine. I'll tell you.” I swallow, summoning courage I do not feel. “Did you happen to notice that you compared me to the plague?”

Cana huffs, ‘That wasn’t nice.’

“Oh, for the love of…” He bites his lip, presumably to keep himself from cursing in my presence, or maybe from laughing.

Not, I think caustically, that that has ever stopped him before.

“You must know.” He says. “That I did not mean that literally”.

"It still hurts my feelings." I mumble.

He stares at me intently. “I will allow that that wasn't the nicest comment I have ever made, and I do apologize for it, but I know you well enough to know that that alone wouldn't make you cry.”

“I wasn't crying.” I say, quite automatically.

“Almost cry then.” He corrects. “And I would like you to tell me the full story.”

“Oh very well. My father used to call me pestilence and plague all the time. It was his very favorite insult.”

“You mentioned that. And I will take that as yet