Chapter 95

Aria paced around my room, her eyes darting left and right. It was if she had succumbed to mania upon hearing Bruce on the

other end, a voice she had never had the misfortune of hearing until then.

“I'll decide on the location,” Bruce said finally, and I could hear the delight in his gravelly voice. “There’s not backing out now, so

you'd better show that pretty little face of yours.”

I cringed as he let out a rough laugh, pleased with himself. It dawned on me that I was choosing to be in his presence once

more, inhaling his stale scent and taking in that eerie smirk of his. This would have to be the last time, because his very

existence was like a tricky shadow casting itself over my existence.

“All right then,” I said, my voice clipped. I hung up before he could answer, but kept the phone pressed to my ear. My fingers

trembled against my clammy, numbed skin.

When I tucked the phone away, Aria eventually stopped and plopped herself down beside me. She

leaned in close, then pulled the phone away from my ear with a surprising amount of effort. I eventually came down from my

state of shock and my grip on the phone loosened, allowing her to take it away.

“It'll be okay,” she cooed, chucking the phone away. Even with it at a distance, I could still hear Bruce’s grimey voice coming

through the receiver. “We're going to put that bastard behind bars.”

“We'd better,” I said, wrapping my arms around my torso. “I already screwed him over before, so this could turn deadly if we’re

not careful.”

“Deadly?” Aria scrunched up her face, but then the realization slowly took over. She nodded, then hesitated to say the name, as

if it were forbidden, “From when.... When Timothy got stabbed.”

I slumped my shoulders, still feeling the awkwardness of our last discussion. Telling Aria about my history with Timothy was

something I never thought I'd have to do. Of course, I was foolish to believe that since most secrets don’t stay kept for long.

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Chapter 95

Still, here she was offering to assist me after I had lied to her for a good portion of our relationship. I wasn’t even sure how she

felt about Timothy at this point, having been a dedicated fan of his for so long. I don’t want to know if it was the lie that crushed

her or the destruction of her fantasies.

“You can say his name, you know,” I said quietly, giving her shoulder a nudge. “It’s not that serious.”

“Stop, Evie,” said Aria coolly. “Just the thought of him recording you like that makes my skin crawl. Ugh, and to think I had a

bunch of posters of him in my

room.

“Have,” I corrected, lifting an eyebrow. “I know you're hiding them in your closet.”

“I was trying to be a loyal friend,” she stated firmly with a fire in her eyes. “You know what? I’m throwing them away.”

I almost choked at that. “A-Aria! You don’t need to do all of that.”

“Evie, I have to do this.” She was already making her way to her room. “Our friendship matters more to me than his extremely

handsome face.”

As she ravaged her room for all evidence of Timothy merchandise, I couldn't help but laugh. She was.

going the extra mile to prove a point, and I’d argue that she was more determined than I was to erase his existence. I had let him

in after what he’d done, but part of me wondered if he’d actually tried that hard.

Maybe I was weak from the start? Even without the sex tape, how much was going to truly change between us? It seemed like

the men in my life all acted the same, even years later.

My father never pulled away from the booze, even when he knew his daughter needed him. Bruce was still desperate to make

my life miserable, and he’d moved on to more deadly measures. Even my boss was adding himself into the line of men who

sought to tear him down further.

Timothy might not have been so different after all. Even with all the stories and smiles that we've shared, I could only believe that

things would go downhill from here.

Aria came rushing out, a bunch of rolled up posters tucked under her arms, as she

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Chapter 95

made her way to the kitchen trash can. I followed her into the kitchen and she made a point of looking me in the eye before

hastily stuffing each one in and jamming them down with her foot. I looked on, wondering how long until she retreated, but then

she took the pitcher of old coffee and poured it into the trash.

I shook my head, already hearing the hysterics to come. “You're going to hate yourself in a week,” I said, suppressing a chuckle.

She slapped the imaginary dust off of her hands and grunted. “Maybe. But at least I can’t salvage them now.”

is

“Right-” I started to say right as the doorbell went off, startling us both. We exchanged glances before

Aria decided to answer, shoving aside the shoes that we’d lazily kicked off at the door before opening it. When Timothy appeared

on the other side, Aria gasped.

“You!” she shouted, and she moved to slam the door before Timothy stuck his foot in the frame. “Wait a minute!” he began. “Aria,

please, just...”

“She doesn’t want to see you,” said Aria.

Timothy poked his head in, meeting my gaze from across the room. “Evie, it’s important. I swear I wouldn’t bother you for any

other reason,” he explained desperately.

After Aria had given him a good amount of struggle, I found myself relenting.

“Let him in,” I told her, and she shot me a look. She waited for me to change my mind, but I stayed firm in my position.

Eventually, she gave in and stepped to the side, allowing Timothy to slip through.

He stopped just a few steps away, looking more disheveled than before. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his

clothes were barely clinging onto his frame. Had he lost some weight?

It took a moment for him to even react, his eyes trained on me with a certain intensity. I looked away, finding the attention

overwhelming. “What did you want to say to me?”

He hesitated, wringing his hands. “I need to make things right. Let me help you-”

I scoffed bitterly, anger boiling to the surface. “Help me? After what you did,

12:27 Fri, 22 Mar

Timothy?”

His face contorted with guilt, and he took a step closer. “Evie, I’m so sorry. I never meant for that video to hurt you. I only showed

it to one person, and I never expected him to spread it.”

My anger flared, and I pointed a trembling finger at him. “You think that’s an excuse? You think a half- hearted apology erases

what you did to me?”

He was getting fidgety now. His eyes darted to the side and I realized that Aria had slowly edged her way out of the room, likely

sensing the privacy of the conversation.

“No, Evie, it doesn’t,” he continued, “I know I can’t make it right, but I want to try. Please, let me help you.”

I shook my head, my voice choked with emotion. “I don’t want your help, Timothy. I've managed to keep my life together despite

what you did. I don’t need you involved with Bruce again.”

Timothy's eyes widened, and I saw the flicker of recognition in them. Bruce. He knew. A shiver ran down my spine, and I could

feel the past closing in on me, threatening to swallow me whole.

“Evie,” Timothy whispered, his voice desperate, “I need to know the truth. Is Bruce involved in this?”

I clenched my fists, torn between wanting to confide in Timothy and wanting to push him away. “Don’t pry, Timothy. Some doors

are better left closed.”

“He could hurt you again, Evie,” Timothy pressed. “Remember last time?” “I don’t need the reminder,” I spat. “I’m sure you don’t

either.”

His lips thinned and he dropped his gaze to the floor. For a moment, his hand. lifted to where he had been stabbed in the

stomach by Bruce, but it fell just as quickly. Right as he opened his mouth, Aria walked back in, her eyes zeroing in on Timothy.

Timothy looked at Aria, his eyes pleading. “Please, I just want to help. I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am, Evie.”

Aria’s brow furrowed, and she stepped closer to me, her voice low and soothing. “Evie? Do you trust him?”

12

Trust. The word hung in the air, heavy with

my life. The word felt meaningless.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Aria studied me for a moment before turning to Timothy with a stern expression. “Timothy, I think it’s best if you leave now. Evie

needs some time to sort things

OUL.”

Timothy's shoulders slumped, and he nodded. “Alright, I'll go. But please, Evie, think about what I said. I’m here.”

As Timothy left, the door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving me alone with Aria in the dimly lit apartment. Aria crossed

her arms, her gaze unwavering.

“You okay?” she asked.

I sank back onto the couch, turning my attention to the far wall. I heard Timothy’s door slam in the distance, and I squeezed my

eyes shut.

“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice trembling. “I'm okay.”

I needed to solve this on my own. As always, Bruce is my problem.

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