HUMILIATION IMMOBILIZED Izzy. She wanted to bolt from the room, but couldn’t figure out which way to go. The last thing she wanted was to trip or run into something.

The unfairness of Nick’s words twisted inside her. If she could have been sure of her aim, she would have thrown her plate at him.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she said quietly. “Not the explosion or the consequences. But then it’s easy to be critical of me-after all, there’s nothing wrong with you, is there?”

Instead of another sarcastic reply, she heard the distinct sound of a slap.

“Hey,” Nick grumbled.

“Norma hit him on the back of the head,” Aaron whispered.

“Go, Norma,” Izzy murmured.

“Don’t be rude,” the other woman said.

“Don’t push me,” Nick told her.

“Like I’m afraid of you.”

Izzy heard footsteps retreating to the kitchen.

Aaron cleared his throat. “Nick isn’t actually a horrible person.”

“Really?” Izzy asked. “Could have fooled me.”

“I don’t need you defending me,” Nick said at the same time.

“Yes, you do,” Aaron snapped. “Look, Izzy, he needs to test your boundaries. Find out what kind of person you are. He sincerely wants to help.”

She looked at the blur across the table. “What does he do for the people he doesn’t want to help? Throw them off the side of a building?”

There was only silence.

“Izzy,” Aaron said, sounding frustrated, “being sympathetic doesn’t always work. But this is done with love.”