Her Secrets

21. Convinced

"How did therapy go?" Chris asked the second he heard the passenger side door open.

"Questioning me already?" He snapped as he pulled the seatbelt over his chest and it clicked.

"As any good guardian would do." He replied.

"You aren't my guardian. I'm twenty."

"You live under my roof, don't you? I'm paying for therapy, right?"

"I told you, you didn't have to pay for therapy. I have a job. And I'll move out if that's what it takes for you to see me as my own person."

"With what money saved?"

"I have money saved."

"How much?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"That isn't important." He said.

"It is if you ever want to move out."

"I know it is. That's why I'm saving now."

"You decided this when?"

"When you started to question me so damn much."

"Asher, what's really going on? You've been acting like this with me lately and I just don't understand what happened." Chris asked.

"Nothings going on." He replied knowing full well that he wasn't convincing his oldest brother. He wasn't even convincing himself.

"For the exact reason you never told me about what happened to you for years. To protect us."

"Isn't that what you've been doing all these years?" Asher questioned.

"What?" He asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He said.

"No... I don't." He said confused.

"If I say it, thats the end of me." He said giving off a bitter scoff.

"Ash, what are you even talking about?" He said as he gripped the wheel, knuckles as white as snow.

"Camille had a stalker. You knew that and you hid it from us."

"Camille never had a stalker. If she did I would've known." He scoffed.

"Yes she did. I know that she did. I know for a fact that she did and I know for a fact you're lying." He insisted.

He scoffed again before speaking up, "how are you so sure?"

"Because she wrote it down in her diary." He answered. "It has everything I ever needed to know. You're a liar."

*

Mia held up a baby blue matching set consisting of leggings and a t-shirt.

"Those are cute. You should put 'em in." Stella said smiling as she gestured for her to put it inside her shopping bag.

"You think?" She asked.

"Yes, it looks like you." She smiled.

"Ok," Mia replied returning a smile. "Did you find anything?"

"I found some cute gym sets." She answered.

"I don't know why you go to the gym when your perfect already." She said.

Stella had the body of a model, although she wasn't by any means tall standing at five foot five, she was slim but not unhealthy thin. It was the standard Mia dreamed of reaching. Lost in grief for so long, she didn't recognize herself anymore and that in itself frightened her. It frightened her because it wasn't getting better, regardless of therapy.