“Gil’s an asshole.” You muttered, talking about one of your ex-husbands.

Joe stood in front of the table you sat at and tilted his head to the side at your words. “Yeah, I could…I could see that.”

“He used to hit me.”

Joe’s face changed at your words. “He what?” He looked almost angry. His eyes widened slightly and his jaw tightened.

———

The next day when Joe came over, you could see something was different. Wrong. His shoulders were tense, his head held lower, and his eyes avoided yours. You stood, your eyes scanning suspiciously over him as he neared. Then, you saw it. The knuckles on his right hand were bruised and discolored. Almost as if he had punched someone.

You grabbed his hand and his eyes dropped to the floor. He could see the recognition in your eyes. You knew what he had done. “I’m sorry.” He muttered.