Hidden face

The Mask(ch-15)

Ch15

Olivia stood frozen, her eyes locked on the photograph. It felt like the air had been knocked out of her chest. Her hands trembled as she placed the photo down, careful not to let it show—though her heart was anything but calm.

She didn’t say a word.

Ryan stepped closer. “Olivia… please don’t misunderstand—”

But she had already begun walking away. Silent. Determined. Her eyes shimmered, but not a single tear fell — not yet.

Ryan followed her out into the corridor, his voice growing desperate. “Liv! Please—listen to me! I didn’t hide her to hurt you. I just... I didn’t know how to explain.”

She finally stopped. “You don’t know how to explain?” she whispered, voice shaking. “You said you trusted me. You promised me that everything would be open between us. And now I find out there’s a whole chapter of your life I knew nothing about?”

Ryan’s heart sank. “Yes, she’s part of my past. A big part. But I didn’t want her to come back. She just did. I didn’t even know until she showed up at school!”

Olivia stepped back, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can do this anymore… maybe I should just walk away.”

That line shattered him.

“No,” Ryan said firmly, stepping forward. “I won’t let you walk away. You’re not just someone to me, Olivia. You’re the only peace I’ve ever known. You held me together when I was falling apart. You gave me warmth when I didn’t believe I deserved any.”

Olivia’s tears finally escaped.

He cupped her face gently. “Yes, Celeste was once close to me — we were childhood friends. She was there when my parents were falling apart. But she left. Just like everyone else did. But you? You stayed. You chose me every single time, no matter how messed up I was.”

“I didn’t tell you about her because I didn’t want to hurt you. But hiding it… I see now that it did.”

She nodded silently, tears streaking down her face, heart heavy.

Then, in that quiet corridor, Ryan wrapped his arms around her — tight, desperate. And slowly, Olivia melted into the hug. Because even though she was hurt, deep down she still felt that unshakable pull — that maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth.

“Please don’t leave,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” she finally replied. “But I need the whole truth.”

He nodded. “Then I’ll give you everything. No more secrets.”

Later that evening, Ryan and Olivia sat on the rooftop of his house. The city lights shimmered below, but the silence between them felt heavier than ever. Olivia pulled her knees close to her chest, her eyes still swollen from crying. Ryan sat beside her, glancing at her with guilt and softness.

“I owe you the truth,” he began, his voice low. “About Celeste. About everything.”

Olivia didn’t say anything—just waited.

Ryan inhaled deeply. “Celeste and I… we were close. Not in the way people think. We were kids, but we were stuck in the same storm. Her parents were cold, mine were always fighting. She was the only one who saw me cry when my dad left. She understood what it was like to grow up in a house that never felt like home.”

He paused. “But then, one day… she just left. Without a word. No goodbye. I waited for her to come back, but she never did.”

“Why?” Olivia whispered.

“She went abroad,” he replied. “Her family moved, and she never reached out. No texts, no letters. For years, I blamed myself. Thought I wasn’t enough, even as a friend.”

Ryan looked down, his voice quieter now. “When she came back and I saw her at school, it felt like a wound reopened. I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t want to relive it. I didn’t want her back in my life. And I didn’t want to lose you because of a chapter that ended long ago.”

Olivia watched him. “Do you still have feelings for her?”

He turned to her instantly, eyes locked on hers. “No. The only person I care about now—the only one I feel everything for—is you. Olivia, I love you. I didn’t say it before because I was scared. But I mean it now.”

She stared at him—those words hitting her like thunder and warmth at the same time.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

And that night, on the quiet rooftop, they sat hand in hand, healing together—knowing that even though the past was complicated, the future was something they could face side by side.