"No," Sonia bursts out in frustration, balling her hands into fists again. She almost wants to grab Byerly by the front of his shirt, shake him until he gets the point. "It isn't your presence, Byerly, it's -- it's your fucking attitude. You keep trying to only have this halfway, and it doesn't work like that. You used to treat me like a person before anything else, you used to be here for me, and now -- now I'm just the Princess again, aren't I? Too far removed from you to feel? For God's sake, Byerly, the only thing I wanted was -- "

You. She breaks off, a shaky breath turning into a quiet sob. "I just wanted my friend back."