Rashawn

And she goes, because you survived and she didn't

And he says that thing that had been going around in his head at the beginning of the book, that when he saw her, her lips were blue and she was so pale like she was freezing.

Deep breath, says Bear.

Go on.

And he does.

He takes a deep breath and then just keeps kind of like talking about how he misses her.

And then when she died, when she was killed, the things he did that he's not proud of.

And he's been too ashamed to talk about it with anybody.

And Bear's just listening.

And finally she takes a deep breath.

And she says, Man the fuck up, Dresden.

you guys I cackled so loud I was so unprepared I was so because this is so like sweet and healing and soft and I'm not surprised that Barry would say it but just like the moment and the timing of it caught me so off guard I fucking cackled I really did she said man the fuck up Justin I was like he's pouring out his heart to you what do you mean

And Harry thinks to himself, if this had happened at any other night before this night, he would have gotten really, really angry.

But that part of me that was tired of hurting thought that maybe I should consider what she'd said.

I looked at her for a long moment and then I nodded slowly.

Observation to make, Bear says, more personal than I usually do.

Go ahead.

And she says, if you weren't a decent person with conscience and a soul and one who genuinely cares about trying to be a good man, you'd never be torturing yourself like this.

And if anyone else was treating someone the way you've been treating yourself, you'd hat up and take action.

Why the hell should it be any different when you're the person being treated badly?