“What?”

He looked a little hurt at that. Yeah…I did sound a little bored…but I didn’t want it to come off that way! I felt just the opposite.

Dumb girl, my inner voice reprimanded, but I didn’t give chase this time.

The only sound I could presently detect was the scrabbling of Scooter’s claws on his scratching post as he promptly dismembered it.

“Aidan…”

“Are you a broken record?” I snapped, setting down the soap irritably. “I know my name already. It was the first thing I said when I gained the ability to speak.”

I inwardly flinched when I saw his expression.

That definitely didn’t go well.

Why are you getting so worked up over a simple thing? the little voice screeched, nearly driving me up the wall with its tone.

Just apologize, you doofus! It’s not that hard! One word, that’s all it takes. So-rry. Say it, say it!

Much as I struggled, I couldn’t make the words crawl up my throat and out of my mouth.

I was sure that my words would only carry unnecessary poison.