Page 88 of Dream On, Liar

My widened eyes did fairly well to display my shock. “How do you even know all of this?”

She pressed her lips together. “It took a very unfortunate incident for him to spill his gut out to us.”

“Us?” I asked, my eyes turning to Oliver. “You knew?”

He hesitated. “Yeah…” His gaze flicked to Raina.

Taking his lead, she added softly. “Vedant asked us not to say anything. I don’t think even Dev knows half the stuff we do.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” I added, my voice carrying no trace of humour. “They probably have more secrets from us than we do from them.”

Raina sighed, slowly shifting back into the couch. “Yeah, well, that’s also an unfortunate incident. But, I’m serious—I don’t think Dev knows. So, just don’t say anything even if you suspect differently.”

“Are they in a fight? The last I saw them together in December, they seemed fine.”

Raina shrugged. “Vedant was also upset when he found out Ishaan working for him, but even when they figured that stuff out—Dev was upset about what he did in Silverstone. I think we all know if given the chance, Dev would choose work over love, so I think it’s just Vedant protecting Leah. He’s worried that he wouldn’t understand his reasons.”

I pressed my lips together as I went over her words in my head. A weird feeling settling in me as I realised how further I’d grown from my siblings. A couple years ago, I’d been the one who always in the loop, but now I’m one of the last one finding truths about my own blood.

“Anyway, I do think that once Leah sees what her mum actually manages to pull together, I'm fairly sure they'll elope. These venues are huge.” Raina laughed.

“That sounds more like Vedant.” I forced a smile.

It barely lasted a second.

Silence settled over the room again.

The television murmured in the background as I quietly kept eating.

Raina had turned her attention back to her phone when Ollie forced himself up the couch.

“I’m just gonna go and check on Lilli and Milo,” He said, giving Raina’s foot a small squeeze.

“Thanks, Gorgeous.” She replied. “Can you bring me a drink on your way back?”

He nodded, leaving the two of us in silence.

Finally finished with my food, I placed it on the coffee table, and leaned back. Kicking my feet up, I allowed myself to be swallowed by the couch a little. I could see a food coma creeping up, and a part of me was relieved. So far, my sister had done a great job of keeping my mind off of what had happened earlier. Today. Yesterday. All of it.

How when I finally remembered the night, there had been moments where I’d found myself relieving them. But yesterday that reality had been shattered.

All of this happened because of simple lie.

All because for a night I wanted to be anyone but me.

Still, all it did was ruin the parts of me that I’d come to inevitably like.

I wasn't angry.

I wasn't even particularly upset.

I just felt like someone had taken everything inside me and turned the volume down.

My shoulder hurt.

My head hurt.

My career felt like it was being pulled apart by strangers.