"No," Lianne refused.
Seth's eyes were fixed on her. "You want me to leave?"
Lianne looked back at him. "Whether I want you to or not, you're leaving anyway, aren't you?"
'Since he's leaving regardless, what difference does it make what I want?'
Seth grabbed her hand, but his fingers brushed against something unusual. He lifted her hand to look and saw the bandage on her finger.
"How did you get hurt?"
Lianne said, "I accidentally cut myself while playing the cello."
Her casual tone made Seth frown. "Lianne, don't get hurt again." After saying that, he felt his tone was too harsh and added, "Got it?"
Lianne pulled her hand from his grasp. "You ask for too much. I can't do it."
'He wants me to live to a hundred, he won't let me talk about breaking up, and now I'm not allowed to get hurt.'
Lianne was stubborn and deliberately defied him. "It's not you who feels the pain when I get hurt. I'll get hurt however I want."
But Seth said, "How do you know it doesn't hurt me, too?"
