As we waited, Vanessa leaned against my shoulder.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
I kissed the top of her head.
“I’m sorry you were so frightened that you thought you had to face it alone.”
She squeezed my hand.
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop being afraid.”
“Neither will I,” I admitted. “But we don’t have to let fear make us lie to each other.”
Eliam looked at me.
There was regret in his expression, but there was something else, too.
Understanding.
He reached for my hand.
I let him hold it.
Trust wasn’t a switch that could be turned back on. It was something we would continue rebuilding, one honest conversation at a time.
And as we walked through the doors together, I understood the lesson I had nearly missed.
Sometimes, the person you follow isn’t hiding an affair.
Sometimes, they’re hiding fear.
Sometimes, people lie because they believe silence will protect the people they love.
