mastermind [h.s.]

chapter 16

Early update!!! This chapter is really short which is why I'm updating early. I didn't think it would be fair to make you guys wait until Saturday for such a short chapter. Next chapter will still be posted on Saturday! :)

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"What is going on?" Harry asks in panic. All traces of anger vanish from his face at the sight of Julia and I in tears. Neither of us say anything. Harry steps in and closes the door behind him. "What happened?"

"Why are you back?" Julia questions.

"I forgot my keys. Now can someone please tell me why both of you are crying?" Harry persists. His hands ball and his chest rises and falls erratically. To a stranger, he looks angry. But I see how it truly is. He's panicking because he doesn't understand what's happening to us or how to fix it.

"I—we..." Julia stammers. "We just remembered a really sad—"

"Julia, no," I say softly, looking away from Harry. "It's time to tell him."

"Aria!" Julia grits.

"Tell me what?" Harry comes closer. His perfect face is puckering in confusion and fear.

"The truth," I throw out. I take a deep breath and meet his gaze. Harry's eyes scan the entirety of my face, forlornly.

"What truth?" he breathes. I look to Julia, waiting for her to explain. "Julia?" Harry's voice gets higher. "What truth, Julia?"

"I..." Julia's tears spill out again as she wrings her hands. "I've been lying to you."

Harry's eyebrows raise and he looks like he was hit.

"W-what? Why? What did you lie about?"

"A lot of things," Julia cries. "Um... I-I... I'm sorry!" Harry doesn't react, simply waits for her to continue as I watch with my heart breaking. "I'm not good with-with relationships. I've never had a boyfriend last longer than a few months and that was only because Aria was there for me..."

Harry's eyes snap to mine, wondering how I fit into this equation.

"And you were my first serious boyfriend," Julia continues. "She-she helped me..."

Harry's brow furrow, "I don't understand."

"She w-would give me advice... on how to keep you..." Harry's intense stare snaps to me again and I look down at my feet. "But then I started asking her to just do some things for me. Like buying you presents," she whispers the end.

"What presents?"

"Birthday, Christmas, anniversary... all of them?"

I look up to see Harry watching Julia with his jaw clenched, his eyes brimming.

"Was that it?" he asks monotonously.

"No. I-I don't know how to cook... or bake... I don't watch those superhero movies either, I don't know anything about them."

Harry looks at her in shock.

"Aria does all the cooking and baking and I lied and said it was me because I really wanted you to like me."

"So basically you were Aria half the time?" Julia doesn't say anything, just weeps. Harry nods silently and bites his lip. "Please tell me that's all," he chokes. She shakes her head.

"Um... some-sometimes I would give her my phone to text you when I couldn't."

Harry looks like his guts was punched. He shakes his head turns away from us before realizing something and straightening up. He pins Julia with a horrified gaze. "Did you—did you hand off your phone to her when I was telling you about my dad?"