Every word hammers the guilt in even more, until there's a lump forming in Ezra's throat. Because it's true, he had known better. It had just seemed so necessary.

"Then what was I supposed to do?" he asks, despair pulling at his heart, and on dust that hadn't been on the table before. Hating the betrayal of his emotions, he tries to wipe it off. "Just leave it alone and hope?"