The Mate He Rejected
He refused to step away, keeping one large hand securely planted on my shoulder, his thumb brushing a frantic, soothing rhythm against my collarbone.
I kept my eyes squeezed shut, taking short, ragged breaths, riding out the violent throbbing in my chest.
"The pain is located in the center of the sternum?" Lynn asked, opening the heavy cover of the book. The brittle pages crackled loudly in the quiet room.
"Yes," I managed to whisper, opening my eyes to look at the old woman. "Right where the old bond used to be."
Lynn flipped through the thick, yellowed pages, tracing the faded ink with a long, bony finger.