““And just like that, it’s over. And if you’d been stupid enough to let hope live, or if you’d been fool enough to believe the promise, you’d be crushed. Ruined by that bottle. But I know better now. I kill the hope before it can start. I ignore the promises. That’s how I survive.” He looked over at Vince, his blue eyes wide and vulnerable. “That’s the only way to survive.” It was the saddest thing Vince had ever heard, this reasoning that living in such a dark, horrible place was the only way Trey had to protect himself from the pain.””
