( It helps to know she understands. She gets it. Their last conversation was evidence enough of that, but she answers in a way he connects to.

Peter closes his eyes at the question. The weight of it rushing in, trying to overwhelm him with the truth of it. Will he ever stop hearing the cracking of Gwen's fucking spine? Will he ever stop hearing Harry's voice twisted and poisonous? )

Bad things happened because of me.

Bad things happened to people I cared about because of me-

( His voice cuts off, locking his jaw. )

It's happened from the goddamn start, and I can't-