Lenore almost had everything she wanted.
In just a few short months, she'd graduate early from high school, start an internship at her father's new startup in San Francisco, and then head off to college in the fall on a full scholarship. Everything...
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"My side?" Lenore echoed. Suddenly everything roiling inside of her went still. No one had ever asked to know her side of the story... The story that had derailed the course of her life.
"Yeah," Victor said. "I'm sure there's something in the story that other people don't know, or have neglected to tell. There's always two sides to a story... Sometimes three sides, or four sides, or more." He gave a small laugh like he was trying to cut through the tension that settled over them.
Finally, Lenore looked at him, peering at him through her curtain of dark hair. He was smiling at her, like t all he wanted was to listen. But part of Lenore, the part that had been hurt before, warned her to be careful. For all she knew, this was just an act to get close to her, get the juicy details, and then he'd go and tell everyone he had the inside scoop.
But something else in Lenore told her that wasn't the case. Victor wasn't like that, she knew it. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did—it felt as certain as the sun setting.
Victor wantedto be her friend.
Though, that could be worse.
There was the chance that when—if—she told Victor the whole truth, he'd change his mind and no longer want to be friends.
And then she'd be alone.
Again.
She wanted to say no, to lie to Victor that there was nothing to tell, that the story was just rumours shared between bored neighbours. But she knew that wouldn't work either. If he didn't get the full story from her, he'd get it from someone else if he hadn't already. And the other sources in Eden would not paint her or her family in a favourable light...
As all the thoughts tangled and twisted in her head, Lenore began to feel dizzy. Her heart was thrumming in her chest, and her palms suddenly felt slick. She tried to swallow, and it felt like her throat was closing up.
"Lenore?" Victor asked like she might've forgotten he was there.
She forced a deep breath down her throat, and slowly her thoughts stopped their twisting and came together. She knew what she had to do.
"Okay," she agreed, looking at him properly. "But not now." And then she went back to her work.
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