Page 202 of Dream On, Liar

“I was.”

Samyra watched me carefully, as though she were afraid the next question might do more damage than she intended.

“Are you still?”

I did not answer.

I did not have to.

The silence did it for me.

“You shouldn’t have left.”

The words landed harder than I expected. Not because they were new, but because hearing them spoken aloud made them feel suddenly real.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

“You did.”

I shook my head immediately. “No.”

“You chose to leave.”

My throat tightened.

“Because he didn’t want me to make him a secret.”

She went quiet.

Then she said, very gently, “Well, can you blame him?”

I looked at her sharply.

“He didn’t want you to make him a secret.”

“I know.”

“No,” she said, her voice firm despite its softness. “I don’t think you do.”

My chest tightened. “Samyra…”

“Look at everything he has told you.”

She began counting on her fingers, slow and deliberate.

“His father. His family. The lies. The things people hid from him. His mother leaving. Everything he found out afterwards. He has spent his whole life surrounded by secrets. Especially, when it comes to being a hidden away like a dirty little secret.”

“What does that mean?”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“About what?”

“Ishaan?”

I paused. “What are you talking about?”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Okay. I thought when you opened up his whole history with him, you might’ve found out. But, apparently not.”