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When he finds out I’m not who I say I am, he’s going to freak.
I stare at my phone, watching the minutes roll by until it’s almost four in the morning.
I’ve jumped from elation, to devastation, back to false hope, before I finally resign myself to my fate. There’s no use letting things go any further without doing the right thing.
It just sucks that the right thing is going to make my best friend hate me.
On cue, Sasha’s face appears on my phone as it rings.
Good old time difference. It’s nearly afternoon for her in London. I answer the call.
“Sasha. I have to—”
“I have a confession to make,” Sasha blurts, cutting me off.
I frown. “Okay…”
Sasha sniffs, and my frown deepens. “Are you crying?”
The speaker crackles as a tense moment passes, and I picture Sasha marching around, her face screwed up as she starts to ramble. “My grandmother isn’t coming. She can’t. I’m so sorry, I thought I could make it happen, but she doesn’t travel well and…”
“Wait. What?” I say, suddenly unable to feel my arms.
My breaths come out hard and shallow, and my brain begins to spin.
Oh. This must be what a panic attack feels like.
“I’m so sorry, Emily. I’ve been trying to think of ways to break the news, and I should have waited until it’s morning for you, but if I don’t tell you the truth I’m going to burst!”
“I get it,” I say, hoping that if I can soothe Sasha, it’ll calm me down too. “It’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”
“Are you serious?” Sasha says in a squeaky voice. “Emily, oh my gosh. You are amazing.”
“Don’t praise me just yet,” I warn. "Sasha, I have to tell William the truth."
"No, you can't!" she almost screams into the phone. "Emily, if William doesn't showcase Grandma's art, she'll lose everything. We need this visibility."
I'm torn, caught between honesty and loyalty. "Sasha, I can't keep lying. It's not fair to him or to me. Tonight… we kissed, and now things are complicated."
She's pleading now. "Please, Emily. You said he values honesty more than anything. You really think he’ll want to do business with us after this stunt? My grandmother is going to be at the charity event in London later this week. Just keep up the act a little longer. I’ll be there too, and I’ll explain everything."
I’m not going to lie, the idea of Sasha taking the brunt of the confession is appealing. But I don’t know how I can face William again under such a big lie.
Sasha vents to me about how much this means to her, how I can’t let her down.
Reluctantly, I agree to her plan, feeling the weight of my decision like a stone in my stomach.
The morning light filters softly through the kitchen windows, casting a gentle glow over the room.
I find William there, his back to me as he pours a cup of coffee.
My heart is pounding in my chest, a tumultuous mix of nerves and resolve. This is it – the moment I have to bend thetruth once more, but with a promise to myself that it will be the last time.
"William," I begin, my voice barely above a whisper.
He turns, and his smile fades slightly as he sees the seriousness in my face.
"Emily? Is everything okay?" he asks, setting down the coffee pot. “Oh no. Are you having regrets about last night?”
