Cesar fell back in his seat so hard that the wood gave way. The crack sounded like a rifle report and the vibrations seemed to reverberate in his ears like white noise. He couldn’t take it back. The realization slapped him in the guts. His mouth went dry as he hardened his lips into a grim, tight line and straightened. “Cesar? You’ve gone pale.” He sat like a store mannequin, rigid, frozen. What had he just done? Revealed a secret to a woman who hated him. Given an enemy power over him. Bess suddenly seemed preoccupied with her cobbler. He noted she didn’t eat, but just prodded, succeeding in getting the insides to spill out. She did not look up as she asked her next question. “Did you try to take the memory, Cesar?” When their eyes met he saw the accusation there. She was smart, this one. She would make a marvelous ally and a terrible enemy. “I didn’t know I could not take it back.” “So this is some game you play. Confessing your secrets and then stealing them back?”
