“Kelsi, are you crying?” Aki asked again, his voice revealing a hint of panic.
“No!” she lied defensively.
She lowered her head between her knees with her feet planted on the floor, letting her hair fall freely around her knees to hide the uncontrollable tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t help it — it was like a dam had been let loose once she started crying.
She was angry. She was humiliated. She was frustrated. She was hurting from the fall. All of these emotions raging inside became too much for her to handle.
She was even more pissed at herself for feeling this way. It wasn’t even that big of a deal, and she had acted like a child throwing a tantrum. Not like the mature woman she hoped she would be.
And look where it got her? Sitting on the mushy dirt and grass-covered
