Iris stepped out of the room, but she did not have a moment alone since Reece followed her into the corridor.
"You should go back inside to have your time with him, Reece. Do not spoil your talk with him simply because I refuse to speak. I do not want you, years later, to blame me for missing your chance," Iris said, avoiding Reece's eyes.
"I am not going to force you to speak to him. I did say you should take this as you feel. I only wanted to be certain you would be well outside, since it is a prison," Reece replied, his eyes scanning the corridors. "It is not safe."
"I am not going to wander off and find myself in a cell. The guard is still near, so I shall remain here. Do what you must," Iris said, urging him to return. "Do not worry about me and have your talk with him."
"I am sorry that-"
"Don't," Iris cut him off. "Stop apologising on behalf of others. I hate it very much. Always remember that you are my brother, not my father. You should not apologise for what he does."
