The Truths That We Hide

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

At first, Bree thought she heard wrong. She thought that there was no way that he apologized and it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She almost believed that until she saw his face that was filled with different emotions but she recognized it was nervousness.

Why was he nervous?

As if seeing the confusion on her face, Chris explained that he was sorry for the way he acted in high school as if he was the only one to blame for their fights. She looked people in the living room and saw that everyone was staring at her, waiting for her reaction. Why was he doing this now, in front of everyone?

Sure, Joey knew since he was there with the two of them and was Chris' friend but she doubted that he told the others everything about his old high school days, let alone about a girl who he couldn't get along.

Bree turned to look at the man who she had hated for so many years and who had given her nothing but bad memories and who she swore to hate for a long time. He was the reason why she had lost her best friend in high school because Chris had told some lies about her and no one believed what she said.

That was when she knew that someone like Chris was only good at making people suffer. People who he didn't like or who he wanted to get revenge on. People like Bree.

Now she was more forgiving, mature woman who knew that she also had some apologizing to do. There was no reason to be angry about things that happened in the past which he seemed to be thinking too. Chris had made the first move and apologized to her and now it was her turn.

With that, she easily forgave him for something that shouldn't even be remembered after such a long time. There was no reason to pretend to be angry about something so stupid.

"I'm sorry too. I was - we were pretty stupid back then," Bree laughed, now understanding what everyone was trying to say in high school. Especially adults, the principal, teachers and both of their parents, always tried to tell that it was better to try to get along than fight and make both suffer.

Bree obviously hadn't listened and had only thought about getting revenge every time he did something to her. Both of them had lost count of how many times they did something bad to others only because they wanted revenge. Revenge after revenge repeated about a hundred times.

"Nah, I think it was fun!" Chris said, thinking the same things than Bree about their fights.

"It didn't look like fun when you looked like you were about to explode. You were always in a horrible mood and made everyone want to stay away from you. That repeated every time you talked with her," Joey smirked, making everyone else laugh too even though they were a bit confused.

After that, they talked a bit more about their high school days and at one point Vicky even asked if either of them liked the other. That's when both of them forgot what they were talking about and turned to look at her at the same time with a funny look on their faces.

It was clear that just like Bree, Chris thought the idea of the two of them having some secret crush was ridiculous. No one dared to ask if the idea was as ridiculous now five years later because they had seen how they acted around each other.

"Can I ask where is Quentin's father?" Chris looked like he was scared to ask this but he finally seemed to have the courage to do it after spending time with her. Honestly, she was a little surprised that he had waited this long and she respected him for doing that.

The atmosphere went down in a matter of seconds. The conversation and laughing ended when Chris decided to ask what everyone else was thinking. Bree wasn't stupid. She knew that without seeing an engagement ring on her finger, at least some must have thought that Quentin's father had left them.

She was forever grateful that Xavier wasn't one of those guys and took the role of the father seriously only at the age of twenty. Now all she had to do was to make sure that no one thought of him badly because he truly was such an amazing person who was willing to do anything for her and their son.

She guessed that they were confused because none of them had seen another man but Brett with her and Quentin. She knew that someone would ask about it but it didn't make talking any easier. Xavier's death was still a sensitive subject for her and it hurt to think about it.

Luckily, after time and lots of therapy, it was becoming easier to think about it without having a panic attack every time as she did in the first weeks. She felt Brett's hand on her shoulder and understood that he was trying to comfort her. He knew what she was thinking and how hard it for her to talk about him. He always knew.

Bree was proud that her voice didn't crack or make it obvious that she was holding back the tears when she told them about his death which happened two years ago in a robbery. The sad truth was that he died as a good man who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She had heard many times that she was lucky that she wasn't there with him and stayed alive. They were wrong. Sometimes she felt the most unlucky woman but then her son reminded her that she still had someone to live for.

Bree noticed that she find herself liking Chris' friends and trusted them after only meeting them two hours ago and she didn't even feel the same dislike towards him or Joey what she felt in high school. She noticed that they were completely different people now compared to how they acted in the past.

"Have you told anyone about me or Quentin?" Bree went straight to the point because she felt like that's how they understood how important this was for her. Both Chris and Joey seemed shocked by her question, probably not expecting something like that but got over it fast enough. Chris was the first one to say that he hadn't.

She knew that she was most likely overreacting but she didn't feel comfortable with the fact that someone out there knew about her child. Who knows what they might do? It was a scary thought. Besides, even if Chris told someone from high school that Bree Collins from their class became a teenage mother, it wasn't any of their business.

Sure, she had friends but even she knew that they weren't one to help her through the pregnancy. They were people who judged pregnant teenagers without even knowing anything about them and she knew that they weren't close enough to make them change their attitude.

"I promise," Chris said and was about to say something else but was cut off by Joey who had been silently listening to their conversation but wanted to make sure that Bree knew that he hadn't told anyone either.

"We promise"