Coming Up For Air | ✓

25 | verdict

"I am,"

And she is. She's happy, and she's relieved—but it's all clouded by the conflicted thoughts whirling around in her head.

As she notices the dubious look passing over Faye's features she sighs. "I am. I've just... got a lot on my mind."

Faye stays silent for a beat, mouth tightening as she regards her. "They told you," She lets out an exasperated breath, pushing away from the mosaic counter. "I told mom to wait. I told her to let this pass first, to–"

Stella whirls around on her sandal clad feet, the paper towel crumpled up in her hand. "You knew?"

"I wasn't supposed to," Faye lets her fingers come up to fidget with the collar of her blouse. "I just happened to be there when mom got the call,"

A flickering moment of silence stretches between them, then—her chest moving with her breath, voice small, Faye says, "I don't think you should do it."

Stella's lips twitch in uncertainty, unsure if she heard her sister—her empathetic, diplomatic, fair sister—right. "What?"

With a sigh sounding exhale, Faye rubs her index finger over the bridge of her nose. "I don't think you should testify."

"You don't..." Stella lets out a breath of disbelief as Faye shrugs. Traitorous tears stain her eyes. "So what? You just think he's should get away with it? Again."

"Stella, we don't even know if it'll work."

"So I shouldn't even try?" Stella asks, a warm flush to her skin as her voice grows louder. Pressing her teeth together, she speaks through the lump at the base of her throat. "I thought Donahues aren't quitters?"

"I–" Faye rubs at her temples. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"You're twisting my words."

"No I'm not. That's what you said; that's what you've—we've—always said: Donahues aren't quitters."

"Well, sometimes it's better to know when to quit."

Stella swivels her gaze to the white ceiling, blinking rapidly. "I can't believe you."

She curls her clammy palms into fists and unravels them again—then she does it another few times. Heart beating hard, she pushes back the angry—yet sad—tears. Until now, she hadn't realized she'd already made up her mind. But now, no matter how hard it may turn out for her, she knows what's right; she knows what she has to do.

"I just want what's best for you." Faye tries—tone impatient as she leans back against one of the bathroom stalls.

"What about the other girls? What about Nadia? What about every other girl that's on their path to Appleton right this moment? What about them?"

"Look, you've been through a lot of heartache in your first twenty-one years on this earth," Faye rolls her lips together. "No one would blame you if you just need a moment to press pause."

"I thought that's what these past years were for?"

Faye hugs her arms around herself. "I don't want you to do it."

"It's not up to you!"

"Stell–"

"They need me. Nadia needs me."

"Well, I need you!" Showing no regard to the hairpins holding it together, Faye pulls her hands through her hair—a watery thickness laced to her words. "You... you don't know what it was like–"