"Don't! Don't touch me," she hissed, jerking away from his hand on instinct. Later, she would regret it, the cruelty and thoughtlessness of it, but such a thing was beyond her in that moment.

"Just don't touch me, Chuck."

Shuffling towards the edge of the bed, she set her feet on the floor, sitting there hunched over with her face in her hands as she struggled to catch her breath.