“It’s simple,” he replied, his voice smooth but laced with threat. “Just tell her the truth. It’s time.”
“Time for what?” I felt my heart hammering against my ribs. “Why now?”
Ethan crossed his arms, the smirk creeping back into his demeanor. “Because she deserves to know, and you can’t keep hiding behind your lies.”
“Lies?” I echoed, my mind spiraled further into panic. Did Maya already suspect? I chastised myself for not being more open. I had thought I could protect her, shield her from the pain of my past. But here was Ethan, a living reminder of everything I tried to bury.
Ezoic
“Time’s running out,” he said, his tone sharper. “What’s it going to be?”
Desperate Delay
Maya returned, her face bright with excitement, holding a glass of water like a trophy. “Here you go, Ethan! Thanks for being so great tonight!” She bounced on her heels, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in the room.
I plastered a smile on my face, but it felt like a mask struggling to hold back my anxiety. “So, how was prom?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. I needed to buy time to formulate my next move.
“It was wild, Mom! You wouldn’t believe—” she started, her eyes sparkling as if the night had been a fairy tale. My heart raced. I had to keep her distracted, to hold on to this little bit of normalcy.
Ezoic
“Did you have fun with your friends?” I interjected, trying to steer the conversation away from Ethan’s ultimatum. But Ethan’s gaze was locked on me, and I felt his impatience oozing from him like a thick fog.
“Oh, for sure! But you wouldn’t believe what I overheard Ethan say during a game of truth or dare,” she continued, oblivious to the tension. “He and his friends were talking about some secret, and—”
Ezoic
“That’s not the real secret, Maya,” Ethan suddenly interrupted her, his tone serious and cutting. My stomach dropped. The moment I’d feared was barreling toward us, and I could only watch as the truth hung precariously in the air.
