"Madison," he whispered softly. He felt her tense under his arms, telling him that there was definitely something more to Clyde's story. Whatever horrible things he'd done to her, it was deeply traumatic, and Arc knew well the dangers of holding those emotions and those thoughts in. They festered, spoiling the heart and the mind. It was a poison that prevented her from moving on. It suddenly made sense to him; the reason that she always said she couldn't when the passion between them bubbled near the surface, and why she was so physically guarded. It wasn't that she was afraid of him, but the things that had been done to her and likely countless other girls was burned so deeply into her heart that they left scars that would probably never heal completely.<br/><br/>"I understand. He must have done horrible things to you. Things you probably have tried really hard to forget and avoid. But no matter what happened, he can't do it to you again. He can't hurt you anymore. He's gone, and you're far away from them." Arc didn't want to push her too hard, but he felt that encouraging her to vocalize her demons would give them a face, make them real so she could banish them from her heart. Not all at once, of course. Things like those took time. But starting down a long path was always better then never looking at it, in his opinion.<br/><br/>Gently he reached down and took her hand. He brought it away from his cheek, to his lips, which he pressed against her knuckles so gently that he could have just been the sensation of breath across her skin that she felt. "I know it's terrifying. But I am here. You have someone who will listen to anything and everything you say and never judge you. I can't fix everything... but I want to carry your burdens with you. You're not alone anymore."