[Does she tell him? Eldians, Marleyians… Aubrey isn’t sure if he knows yet, how much he does—maybe this is why she learned. Is there any chance that, learning from a friend instead, he could be swayed?]

[His squeezes feel like a plea; his voice is too resolute. Her heart sinks lower and lower.]

That’s not freedom. [Looking away was a mistake; she can’t, now, face him again. Her head dips and her hands shake, but she doesn’t let go.] Why would you ever think… ending it all…