Bound By Lies

Chapter 3: Facing the past

Things with Chris began to develop naturally after that. We spent more time together, sharing quiet moments in the library and long walks after school. He was patient and kind, never pushing me to talk about what I wasn’t ready to share.

But as happy as I was with Chris, there was still a weight in the back of my mind: Aaron.

Despite everything, Aaron hadn’t completely moved on. He still tried to talk to me now and then, asking for closure I couldn’t give. I avoided him as much as I could, but it was only a matter of time before I had to face him.

It happened one afternoon when I was walking home from school. Aaron was waiting near the gate, his hands shoved into his pockets and a determined look on his face.

“We need to talk,” he said firmly.

I froze, my heart pounding. “Aaron, I don’t think—”

“No,” he interrupted. “You’ve been avoiding me for months, and I need answers. What happened between us? Why did you do it?”

I looked away, guilt twisting in my stomach. “Aaron, I—”

“Was it him?” he asked, his voice breaking. “Was it Chris? Did you just…fall out of love with me?”

The pain in his eyes was unbearable, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not yet. His father still hadn’t come clean, and I couldn’t betray that promise—even if it was tearing me apart.

“Yes,” I lied, my voice barely above a whisper. “It was Chris. I’m sorry, Aaron.”

He stared at me for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then he nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll stop asking.”

And just like that, he walked away.

I stood there, tears streaming down my face, knowing I’d hurt him more than he deserved. But there was no other way.

That evening, I called Aaron’s father.

“It’s been long enough,” I said, my voice shaking with anger. “You need to tell him the truth. He deserves to know.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then, finally, he said, “You’re right. I’ll tell him.”