from The Small Rain by Madeleine L'Engle

When Katherine went to her music lesson on Monday, Justin was sitting at the piano, playing. She stood quietly, leaning against the door until he had finished. When he saw her, he turned around, held out both hands, and smiled at her so sweetly that the tears rushed to her eyes. She went up to him and put her hands into his, looking down at him, trying to keep back the tears.

"What is it?" he asked.

For a moment she could not answer. She just stood still, shaking her head. Then she said, "I don't know."

"Has someone hurt you?"

Wildly she thought--He mustn't be kind to me like this! I don't want him to see me cry--But his eyes looked into hers with interest and concern, and she felt trapped; she wanted to run, to run far, far away; to run where? To run into his arms.

"Has someone hurt you?" he asked again.

At last she nodded.