𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘||𝘑. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘺 ✔️

𝐈𝐗

----- act one, HIDDEN LIES
Chapter 9. Astrid's Confession

THE THROMBEY HOME,
DEERBORN DRIVE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A
1:02 A.M.

ASTRID TOOK GREAT CARE TO AVOID DETECTION, GOING OUT OF HER WAY TO RUN THROUGH UNPOPULATED AREAS. She finally came to the edge of the woods and started running at a human pace to the house. She went inside through the side door, walking quietly as to not wake anyone up. 

She sighed in relief that her feather-light footsteps managed to not make the stairs creak. Astrid looked around to make sure no one was there before speeding to her room, knocking quietly at the door. 

Jacob freezes at the knock. He knew Astrid couldn't be back at least until morning, so who was there? His phone chimed with a text and he winced. "Jacob, it's me. Let me in." He bolted up and unlocked the door, staring at Astrid's slightly disheveled appearance. 

Astrid steps inside and closes the door, bombarding Jacob in a hug. "I'm so sorry," she whispers. "I didn't know what to do and I-" Jacob cut her off. "Ari, it's fine. I get it. I'm not holding it against you." He hugs her back, Astrid laying her head on his shoulder. 

Jacob did get it. Everything. He understood why his grandfather cut his own family out of the will and gave everything to Marta and Astrid. It was because they became too dependent on his money and they never accomplished anything for themselves. 

The two went quiet for a second. "You're not mad at me, are you?" Astrid whispered, closing her eyes and hoping he wasn't. She sounded so unsure- so vulnerable- that it made Jacob want to cry. He had never heard her like this before. She was so confident in everything she did. Maybe it was time he took a leaf out of her book. 

Jacob kissed the side of her head briefly. "Of course not. Not even at first. I'm just...I'm scared," he confesses. Astrid moved to look up at him. "Why are you scared?" 

Jacob bit his lip, internally screaming at himself that Astrid was not his enemy, that he could trust her. "Because...I don't know what's going to happen. I've never had this much uncertainty in my life," Liar. "And I don't know what's going to happen to us. Granddad fired Dad from the publishing company, and I don't know what's going to happen." Jacob turned his eyes to the ground, fearing the silent judgement. "I don't really care about them anymore. I don't know if they ever loved me or not, but for the past year they have been treating me as more of a stranger than their son." 

Astrid tenses in anger, but attempts to calm down, pulling away from him. "I'm not helping your parents," Jacob visibly saddens, momentarily thinking this would include him. "But you're stupid to think that I'm leaving you behind." Astrid went quiet for a moment as he processed this. 

"I feel like I should tell you what's been going on, but I've been putting it off," She replies hesitantly. 

The two sat down on the floor against the wall. "To be honest, I'm scared too. I don't know how you're going to react, but if you feel like you can't do this, then please just leave. I don't think I could handle you being mad at me." Or scared of me, she thought bitterly.

"Ari, I promise I won't," Jacob says, turning towards her. She shakes her head. "Don't make promises you can't keep." 

She sighed. Where to begin? "I guess I'll start all the way at the beginning. It's going to take a long time," she warned. Jacob's lips upturned into a smile. "It's 1 in the morning. I don't think I'm getting anymore sleep." 

Astrid took this as a cue to begin her story, and so it began. 

A/N

So sorry for the lack of updates. I totally forgot about this story.