Chapter 6

• Tiana heard every word and observed how every time someone said something, Wilder sunk further into himself, his head lowering and eyes set on the sidewalk. What did all the whispering mean? Why were so many people giving Wilder such dirty, vindictive looks?
• She reached out and placed her hand on Wilder’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. It didn’t matter that she didn’t really know him, what they were saying was clearly hurting him. Tiana only had her observations of him when he was alone, so alone. He always looked that way, even before the accident. She would ask him when they returned to his house what the whispering was about.
• “Ignore them,” grumbled Wilder. “I was judged in the court of public opinion with rumors as witnesses. I gave up trying to say anything in my defense decades ago.”