"We need to talk," Brent said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Betty groaned, stepping back from Marcus. "Of course we do," she muttered, brushing past him as she walked toward Brent.
The hallway was quieter than the rest of the house, the muffled bassline from the speakers thrumming faintly through the walls. Betty stood with her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Brent, who blocked her path with a desperation that softened the usual confidence in his stance.
"Betty, please," he said, his voice raw. "You’re my best friend, I need you now more than ever.”
She scoffed. "Really? Because the Brent I know won’t keep secrets from me.”
"I thought keeping the truth from you would protect you. I didn’t know how to handle it, okay? I didn’t want to lose you."
Betty narrowed her eyes. "You know what, I don’t care. Just do the right thing and stop running away from what you really did”
"I still care about you, Betty. I always have. Seeing you with him—it kills me. I know I don’t have the right, but I can’t help it."
Her chest tightened at his words, the familiar ache of old feelings stirring in her chest. "I don’t really get it. First you got closer with my stepsister, and made me feel like I don’t matter. So you don’t get to decide who I’m with.".
"You think I didn’t feel the same when the first thing I’ve discovered when I got here was you’re dating the guy who made your life hell when you moved here?"
The vulnerability in his tone chipped away at her anger, leaving her conflicted. She rubbed at her temple, exhaling shakily. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
They stood there in tense silence, the distance between them feeling heavier than ever.
"You were my best friend," she said finally, her voice quiet, almost a whisper. "And then you went and kept something like that from me."
Brent didn’t move, his gaze fixed on her. "We both kept secrets, didn’t we? I’ll do whatever it takes to earn yours back. I need you now, Betty. I need you to have my back like what I did for you.”
Betty wanted to yell at him, to walk away and leave him to his guilt, but a part of her—the part that had missed their friendship—held her in place.
Finally, she let out a soft sigh, looking away. "Megan needs you. You should be there for her."
His expression fell. “And what about us?"
Betty smiled at him painfully, “It’s too late for that.”