I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that those words were a fortress, a way to protect my heart from the gravity of being near him. But how do you explain to someone that you lied to yourself about not wanting them just so it wouldn’t hurt when they inevitably walked away?
I didn’t answer. I couldn't.
The Walk of Shame
The next morning, the air in our house was suffocating. She was in the kitchen, casually scrolling through her phone as if she hadn’t just detonated my entire life. She didn't look up, but the sharp tilt of her chin told me she was savoring the victory. My mom and her father were talking in low, urgent tones in the hallway; they knew the social peace had been shattered, but they didn't yet realize the depth of the betrayal.
I grabbed my bag and left before anyone co
