𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄 ▷ 𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 [✔]

14 | AT THE EXPENSE OF SELF-DISCOVERY

○ ○ ○
VALERIE'S P.O.V

I stood staring in the mirror, strangely unable to recognize the woman staring back at me. The memories that Charles had restored had felt like breadcrumbs leading me to the biggest revelation of my entire life. What was their reasoning? What was their justification? It seemed to be a painstaking question, uttered simply to torture me. I couldn't find any viable reason in my mind for my parents to lie to me—for them to choose to abandon me—whoever the past version of myself was, instead of face the problem I possessed.

"Valerie?" Gruff and concerned, Logan stepped inside the room, barely catching my attention as I dragged my eyes away from my reflection.

My voice was lost away in my throat, "Hmm?"

He looked towards the door, "I knocked. You didn't hear me?"

"Ohh, no, I'm sorry. I'm just a little out of order right now," I insisted with my hands flailing. I tried laughing, though it hadn't felt genuine. I'm sure he could tell as my cheeks warmed, and my eyes dropped to his hands.

"You didn't meet me outside, I thought you might've chickened out..." he trailed off, reminding me of how I hadn't gone to him after I left Charles' office. I groaned, raising my palm against my forehead in shame.

"Yeah, maybe just a little," I struggled to get the words out as tears filled my eyes and my arms swirled with a faint blue hue, deep in color.

"Heyy, what's bothering you? It's not hanging out with me. What's going on?" Logan pried, making me close my eyes as he leaned closer, desperate to touch me as a means of comforting me, but unable to.

"Here sit down," we both took a seat at the end of my bed.

Somehow, the silence seemed to only make matters worse as I broke down, my face fell into my hands. Logan was too stubborn and couldn't seem to just leave me be.

"Everything's a lie, Logan. Everything about me," I exclaimed, noting how the lights flickered in the room while a loud buzzing noise filled the room.

I could feel the anger and disappointment surging all at once within me, as if had been igniting me, "My mom, my dad, all of it. Charles planted fake memories inside my head and I have no idea who I am, no idea which version I should've been..."

"Listen to me. The version of you, that should've been, is you. Alright? There must've been a reason Charles did what he did-" He tried to defend his friend. Tried to get me to see a different perspective, but I didn't possess the patience to listen.