64. Level with me, Part I

No one noticed when, quietly, Sam and Shandra left the chamber; or if they noticed, they didn't care.

Now they were in some sort of very old, dusty library. The girl sneezed twice before asking:

"What is it? What did you want to talk to me about?"

Sam opened and closed her mouth, as if giving up on the initial sentence and wanting to rephrase it before verbalizing.

"I think I owe you an apology. Ever since I came into your life, everything has become a huge mess. And it is directly affecting my goal, which is to protect you."

"That's not true."

"Of course it is true. Listen: none of this was in my plans. After your parents died, I was going to take care of you. I was determined to come into your life and be a part of it. Then Julian came along and... And here we are. You're stuck in this endless mess, and the chances of your life returning to normal are practically nil."

Shandra tilts her head and sighs heavily.

"Look, it's okay. It's not like this is your fault."

"Of course it's my f