She was about to sink into her thoughts again when she heard footsteps behind her. Hanna turned to see Emily standing there, holding out a handkerchief.
“I was too hard on you,” Emily said, her voice soft and hesitant. She took a few steps closer, her eyes brimming with the weight of unspoken words.
Hanna blinked, startled. She hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected any kind of olive branch after everything that had happened. Her fingers trembled slightly as she took the hanky from Emily, wiping at her damp eyes. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I deserved it. I lied to you, to Elordi....”
Emily stood there, her arms wrapped around herself as if she was trying to protect herself from the cold, or maybe from the feelings that were bubbling up. “You did,” she said honestly.
Hanna’s heart clenched, the truth of Emily’s words piercing through her like a knife. “I know,” she admitted, her voice thick with regret. “I’m sorry.”
For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of everything hanging between them. Then, to Hanna’s surprise, Emily hesitated before speaking again. “But if we’re being completely honest... I lied too.”
Hanna’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?” she asked, her confusion clear.
Emily sighed, looking down at her feet as if she couldn’t bear to meet Hanna’s eyes. “I wasn’t just mad at you for lying,” she confessed, her voice quiet. “I was mad because you hurt Elordi... and because I like him. A lot.”
The words hung in the air, and Hanna’s heart skipped a beat. “But... but you said you’d never fall in love with anyone.”
Emily gave a sad, bitter chuckle. “Yeah, well, I guess I was lying to myself too.”
The realization hit Hanna like a ton of bricks. All this time, Emily had been harboring feelings for Elordi, and she hadn’t known. All the signs she had missed, the way Emily had pulled away—it all made sense now. Hanna felt a rush of guilt. “I had no idea, Em.”
Emily shrugged, a faint smile playing on her lips. “It’s not your fault. I never said anything. We’re both pretty stupid when it comes to love, huh?”
They shared a soft laugh, the tension between them finally starting to ease. For the first time in what felt like forever, Hanna felt like she could breathe again. Maybe things weren’t completely broken between them after all.
But then, Hanna’s phone buzzed in her pocket, shattering the brief moment of peace. She frowned, pulling it out and glancing at the screen.
An unknown number.
Curious, she opened the message. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the screen. It was a video—of her and Finn kissing after they had blown out the birthday cake together. The memory of that moment flashed in her mind, and a pit formed in her stomach.
Her phone buzzed again with a new message. This time, the words sent a chill down her spine: “Imagine what Finn’s family will say when they see how cheap and easy you are.”