Chapter 67

“I know,” he said quietly. “You’ve been telling yourself that he’s not hurting you because he never hit you and you don’t think he would. But you’re a big girl. You know people have plenty of ways to hurt each other that don’t involve hitting anybody.”

“How are you so smart about that?”

“Every black man in the world knows that,” Terrell said. “Believe me, I’ve had an education.”

Riva winced. She could only imagine what her cousin had been through. Because a lot of people assumed she was white, she’d heard what people said when they thought there was no one around to object to it.

“I feel like such an idiot,” Riva whispered.

“Lots of people fall in love with the wrong person.”

Riva looked toward the door. Her heart pounded at the thought of walking back into the room. She wasafraid to be alone with Benton—talking to him affected the way she saw the world. She’d feel sure of something on her own, then change her mind after five minutes with him.