𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

I lay on the couch, my eyes fixated on the ceiling, lost in a sea of thoughts and emotions. I desperately needed a solution to my problems, but the answers eluded me.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening and voices filled the living room. I recognized them immediately – it was Reuben and Dante. They had a habit of showing up unannounced, and today was no different.

Reuben entered the living room first, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. "Claire, is everything alright?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

I mustered a smile and nodded, hoping he wouldn't probe further. "Yeah, everything's fine," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

As if on cue, Dante strolled into the room and took a seat beside me on the couch. His presence usually comforted me, but today, it only intensified my unease.

I hoped he wouldn't dig any further or ask any questions that would reveal what had happened last night with Michael. The memory of him showing up at my house and kissing me moments after Dante dropped me off filled me with anxiety. Michael knew about Dante, but Dante was completely unaware of the encounter.

However, my hopes were quickly shattered as Reuben's face twisted with anger and suspicion. "Did Michael get in touch with you again?"

I tried to keep my voice steady in my reply, "No, he didn't."

Dante, who was sitting beside me, caught something in my tone and expression. He knew me well enough to notice when something was off. His eyes narrowed, but he remained silent, allowing Reuben to continue talking.

As Reuben kept discussing Michael, my panic grew. I didn't want Dante to find out about last night's encounter. I felt torn, caught between hiding the truth from Dante and not lying to him. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to maintain my composure.

It's not as if he is my boyfriend, so he shouldn't mind.

Dante's silence began to weigh on me, and I could feel his gaze lingering on me. I could tell he was piecing things together, sensing that there was more to the story than what I was letting on. My mind raced, trying to find a way to change the subject or divert the attention away from Michael, but I was struggling to find the right words.

As Reuben continued to talk, Dante finally spoke up. His voice soft but laced with tension. "Claire, did something happen last night?"

I glanced at him, my heart aching with guilt. "No. Nothing." I said, trying to reassure him.

Reuben watched, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. He did not intervene.

Dante wasn't convinced, and I could see the doubt in his eyes.

As the conversation began to settle, I heaved a sigh of relief, hoping the worst was over. But just as the silence settled in, a sudden ping resonated in the room, causing all eyes to shift towards the table where my phone lay. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Michael's name appear on the screen, and I instinctively reached for my phone to silence it.

However, before I could even touch my phone, I saw Dante's eyes dart to the screen, his expression hardening. In that brief moment, he managed to read part of the text message that had popped up, and it was enough to set him off.

He got up from the couch, his movements tense and controlled. I could feel the weight of his emotions, and my heart sank. I knew I had messed up, but it was too late now, and the damage was done.

Reuben shot me a concerned glance, sensing the brewing storm between Dante and me. "Dante, man, where are you going?" He tried to intervene, but Dante didn't respond. He walked towards the door without saying a word, leaving me stunned and filled with regret.

I hurriedly got up from the couch, my mind racing as I tried to figure out what to do. "Dante!" I called out, but he didn't stop or turn back. I followed him to the door, but he was already gone, leaving me standing there, feeling the weight of my mistake.

I tried to process what had just happened, a voice inside me desperately tried to rationalize my behavior. He wasn't my boyfriend, I told myself, so why did it matter that I kept the truth from him?

As I struggled to reassure myself, my brother walked up beside me, his gaze fixed on the door through which Dante had just stormed out. His voice was tinged with suspicion as he asked, "Do you have any idea why Dante would just leave like that?"

I turned to face Reuben, trying to keep my expression neutral. "No," I replied, my tone as composed as I could manage. "I have no idea."

Reuben's brows furrowed, and he gave me a scrutinizing look. "Claire," he said slowly, "Is there something you are not telling me?"

My throat tightened as I struggled to hold back the truth. A rush of guilt and shame flooded over me, knowing that I had let down both Dante and my brother. I wanted to confess, to spill everything and hope for forgiveness, but fear held me back. "No, Reuben," I finally managed, my voice barely a whisper. "There's nothing you need to know."

Reuben stared at me for a moment longer. Then, he sighed and shook his head. "Alright," he said, his tone resigned. "You know, Claire, secrets have a way of coming out. It's always better to face the truth than to let it fester."

I knew he was right, but fear held me hostage. I nodded, my eyes welling with the tears of regret and remorse that I couldn't allow to fall. Reuben's words were like a steady hand shaking the foundation of my excuses.

Reuben's final words echoed in my mind, and I knew that eventually, the truth would demand its rightful place. I had hoped to keep this secret buried, to protect my own fragile sense of right and wrong, but as my brother's words rang out in the quiet of my thoughts, I realized that there was no hiding from the truth, no matter how hard I tried.

He let out another sigh, this one heavier than before, and I could sense his frustration. "I'll talk to Dante, see if I can figure out what happened."

Relief and guilt mingled within me as I managed a weak smile.

As he turned to leave, the room felt suffocating, the air heavy with unspoken truths. I stared at my phone once more, the text that had set off this chain of events.

𓆩♡𓆪