I bit the inside of my cheek. I wanted to force Caelyn to tell me everything that was wrong, not talk about some idiotic reporter. “She’ll probably write something that is completely full of lies, and people will believe it hook, line, and sinker.”

Caelyn nibbled on her bottom lip. “Has it always been this way for you?”

“Worse.” I searched her face for any signs of deception. There was nothing but openness and honest empathy. “You didn’t look me up?”

Her eyes widened. “No.” She blushed. “I mean, I’ve heard talk about you and your family around town. I’d have to live under a rock not to. But I didn’t search the internet or anything. I wouldn’t.” Her gaze locked with mine. “I know what it’s like to have the island think your life is open for discussion and gossip. I wouldn’t do that to someone else.”

I sank to the stone steps in front of the house. Of course, she understood better than most. “I’m sorry. I just…”

Caelyn crossed to the stairs and lowered herself to the slate. “You’re just used to people looking at you as something other than human. They don’t realize how painful it is.”

I looked up into Caelyn’s green eyes full of so much understanding. In the past, at best I’d gotten sympathy that made my skin crawl. But Caelyn was different. She truly understood what it was like to live under a microscope, your most painful memories fodder for gossip. She knew what it was like to have to constantly have your shields up because someone could carelessly toss out something that would remind you of your darkest days at any moment. “How do you do it?”

Her brow wrinkled. “Do what?”

“You’re so…positive.”

Caelyn chuckled. “I’m not some Pollyanna. I have my share of rough days. Today was one. But as much hardship and pain as there is in the world, there’s also endless beauty. Do you know what I ask the tiny terrors every morning? Tell me the good things. There is so much of it all around us, even amidst the hard stuff. You just have to take a moment to recognize it.”

I took in the simplicity of Caelyn’s words, but also the power in them. She was right. But because I’d been so focused on locking myself away from the world, avoiding any chance for betrayal or pain, I’d missed out on a lot of those opportunities. “You’re a wise woman.”

She grinned. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

I shook my head. “You gonna tell me what happened today?”

Caelyn sighed and looked out over the rolling hills and forest surrounding us. “My mom’s getting out of prison.”

“Was this expected?”