The words hurt. They physically hurt, like someone was pushing on my chest, and I rubbed at my ribs absently, as if trying to massage away the pain. I knew it wasn't Eddie saying these things, I knew he was just repeating what had been said to him, but they hurt all the same. If someone else thought it, maybe he thought it, too.

I wrinkled my nose a little and then rubbed my knuckles against my upper lip, trying to disguise how much it freaked me out to hear that. I didn't even know what to say.

"What did you tell her?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound casual. I failed and it shook a little.