The Confession: Unveiling the Past
Elisa's POV: The Weight Lifted
The adrenaline from the bookstore incident finally drained away, leaving me feeling hollowed out. Liam's unwanted touch, his persistent disregard for my "no" – it had reopened a wound I thought had mostly healed. Back in my dorm, the shaky feeling wouldn't leave me. Lisa was already there, hovering with a concerned look, and a few minutes later, Caleb arrived with Leo, drawn by Lisa's frantic text.
Felix, to my surprise, followed me back to the dorm. He stood by the door, arms crossed, his face unreadable, but his presence was a steady anchor in the swirling chaos of my emotions.
"Elisa, what happened?" Lisa demanded, her eyes wide with worry. "We saw Liam run out of the bookstore like he'd seen a ghost. And Felix was right behind him."
I took a deep, shuddering breath. It was time. I looked at Lisa, then at Caleb, then, unexpectedly, at Felix. The memory of his quiet intensity in the bookstore, his simple, unwavering "when Elisa says no, she means no," gave me the strength I needed. This wasn't just about Liam anymore; it was about finally shedding this secret shame.
"Liam… he was my first real crush in high school," I began, my voice barely a whisper, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "I was so naive. I told him everything. Every insecurity, every dream, every vulnerable thought. I trusted him completely." My gaze fell to my hands, clasped tightly in my lap. "I even told him about… about the depression of my sister that i used to love the most, leaving, she chose her life and my father leaving. It was a really private thing, something I'd barely told anyone."
A tear traced a path down my cheek. "And then, during senior year, right before prom… he thought it would be 'funny.' He… he used it. He told everyone. Made a joke out of it in front of the whole class during a talent show rehearsal. My biggest secret, my family's pain, turned into a punchline. Everyone laughed. It was humiliating. I never went to prom. I never spoke to him again."
The silence in the room was heavy, thick with shock and empathy. Lisa gasped, rushing to pull me into a tight hug. "Elisa, oh my god. Why didn't you ever tell me that detail?" she whispered, her voice thick with fierce protectiveness.
Caleb looked absolutely furious, his jaw tight. Leo, usually so stoic, had a rare frown etched on his face, his eyes dark with understanding.
I pulled back from Lisa's embrace, finally looking at Felix. He hadn't moved. His expression was still unreadable, but his eyes, usually so cold and challenging, held a depth I hadn't seen before. A quiet, almost painful, understanding. He simply met my gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the raw truth I had just laid bare. The vulnerability I'd shown, the trust I'd implicitly placed in him by telling this story in his presence, seemed to create a new kind of unspoken bond between us. The heavy weight of that secret, carried for so long, finally felt a little lighter.
Felix's POV: An Unveiled Truth
I didn't leave Elisa after Liam bolted from the bookstore. The sheer nerve of that guy, the way he just disregarded her clear rejection… it had sparked something deep, a protective fury I hadn't anticipated. And her face, pale and shaken, cemented my decision to follow her back to the dorm. Lisa and Caleb were already there, and Leo joined them. Good. This was a conversation that needed to happen.
Lisa immediately started asking what happened, frantic with worry. But then Elisa began to speak, and the air in the room changed.
"Liam… he was my first real crush in high school," she whispered. My gaze sharpened. This was it. The history. "I was so naive. I told him everything. Every insecurity, every dream, every vulnerable thought. I trusted him completely." Her voice broke slightly, and her eyes, usually so expressive, dropped to her hands. "I even told him about… about my mom's struggle with depression after my dad and Sister left . It was a really private thing, something I'd barely told anyone. Although my mother is better now. We have a new family"
My jaw clenched. That bastard. To take someone's deepest vulnerability, a family's pain, and twist it into a public spectacle for a cheap laugh… it was a level of depravity I rarely encountered, even in my own cutthroat world. That wasn't just humiliation; it was betrayal, pure and simple. It explained the deep-seated aversion she had to him, the way she froze.
A tear fell from her eye. "And then, during senior year, right before prom… he thought it would be 'funny.' He… he used it. He told everyone. Made a joke out of it in front of the whole class during a talent show rehearsal. My biggest secret, my family's pain, turned into a punchline. Everyone laughed. It was humiliating. I never went to prom. I never spoke to him again."
The silence that followed was heavy. Lisa gasped, pulling Elisa into a fierce hug, murmuring reassurances. Caleb looked absolutely livid, his hands clenched into fists. Even Leo, usually so impassive, had a dark, angry look in his eyes.
I remained silent, absorbing every word. My initial thought had been to simply 'handle' Liam – to make him disappear, just like the article. But this… this wasn't something that could be fixed with a few calls or a strategic payment. This was a wound, deep and personal. It explained her guardedness, her sharp retorts, her resilience. She had been publicly humiliated by someone she trusted, and it had shaped her.
When she finally looked at me, her eyes red-rimmed but defiant, I didn't offer empty words of comfort. I just met her gaze, letting my own understanding, my own quiet respect for her strength, show. My world was built on secrets, on carefully guarded information, on avoiding vulnerability at all costs. To see her lay bare such a painful truth, especially in front of me, was a profound act of trust. And I knew, instinctively, that this revelation had fundamentally changed something between us. It wasn't about a scratched car or a scholarship anymore. It was about shared understanding, about seeing the hidden scars that shaped each other.