What Elena was asking about probably didn't match the kind of "girlfriend" she had in mind.
"...Really?" she said quietly.
Her voice dropped, and her expression changed in an instant. Her usual warmth faded, replaced by something oddly cold.
'Wait, what…? Why is she looking at me like that?'
I felt a bead of sweat roll down my temple. Her reaction made no sense. It was as if I'd just confessed to some terrible crime instead of answering a simple question.
"Elena?" I asked carefully.
She stared at me for a moment, then said in a firm, almost solemn tone, "Louis. I believe friends shouldn't lie to each other."
Her words caught me off guard.
"I… agree," I said slowly.
It wasn't like she was wrong. Lies do damage relationships. They break trust, create distance. I knew that better than anyone.
But sometimes, lying isn't about deception—it's about survival.
Sometimes you have to hide certain truths, even from the people closest to you. Everyone has secrets they can't share.
