“You’re my best friend,” Emily continued, her voice quieter now, but no less intense. “And you lied to me. You played all of us.”
“I didn’t lie to you, Em,” I said, my voice shaking. “I didn’t tell you because... I didn’t know how to handle it. Everything got so messed up, so fast.”
“You didn’t know how to handle it?” Emily’s laugh was bitter, cutting deep. “You’re the one who started this whole thing. Now Elordi’s hurt, Finn’s getting his face punched in by your brother, and you’re standing here, acting like you’re the victim.”
I flinched at the truth in her words. I had made the choices that led to this. I had set everything in motion, and now it was all crumbling around me. The sound of the party continued to drift in from the other side of the door, but it felt miles away.
“Why him, Hanna?” Emily asked, her voice breaking. “Why Finn?”
The question hung in the air, and I knew I owed her an answer. I owed everyone an answer.
“I didn’t plan on it,” I admitted, finally looking her in the eye. “It just... happened. Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking about Elordi, and I started... feeling something for Finn. I don’t know when it changed, but it did.”
Emily shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “You could have chosen Finn without using our friend.”
I nodded, the weight of her words crushing me. “I know. And I’m sorry, Emily. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, least of all Elordi. But I couldn’t help it. Finn just... he made me feel things I wasn’t expecting.”
Emily’s shoulders sagged, her anger draining as the reality of the situation hit her. She wiped at her eyes, her voice softer now. “You should’ve told me, Hanna. You should’ve been honest.”
“I was scared,” I confessed, my voice breaking. “I was scared of losing everything.”
Emily let out a deep breath, her hand running through her hair as she paced the small space. “You already have. I can’t believe I’m saying this…but you’re worse than Ciara.”
Her words landed like a punch to the gut, and I felt my heart shatter. The room spun around me, and all I could do was stand there, helpless, as my world fell apart.