bChapter /b112

    But he was one of the few who ever saw me

    —

    not as a pocket girlfriend or a burden, but,

    as a person. Someone with thoughts and feelings and a voice that mattered.

    So when I finally find him leaning against the gunnels, cigarette dangling from his lips, something sharp and unexpected twists in my chest.

    He spots me approaching, pulls the cigarette from his mouth, and offers a crooked smile.

    –

    –

    “Emilia? Wow. It’s been a while.” It has. But time doesn’t change everyone not really – and the warmth in his voice can’t quite disguise the tired sadness in his eyes. He nces at the cigarette like it’s just urred to him, thenughs under his breath. “Shit. Let me ditch this.”

    “No- no, it’s fine,” I say quickly, before he can walk away. “I’m the one intruding.”

    He doesn’t argue. He just shifts over a bit, making space.

    I lean next to him, letting the silence settle for a second. The air smells sharp and bitter, like burned paper and something sour beneath it.

    “That’s going to kill you one day,” I say quietly.

    He exhales, a long, slow stream of smoke. His eyes are darker than I remember. And sadder. He’s always been easy on the eyes. Dark brown skin, eyes close to kohl and short curls on his head I’m sure no longer grow. “Better death than my own hands, then. Do you smoke?”

    I shake my head. “No, thank you.”

    He shrugs. “Suit yourself.” I want to get to the point, but I’m still turning it over in my head, trying to figure out how to say it. How to get him to believe me. But before I can open my mouth, he suddenly says; “If you have something to say, just say it.”

    I pause. Then: “You know she’s hooking up with Stone, right?”

    He doesn’t ask who. He doesn’t need to. His whole body tenses, jaw clenched like he’s grinding down his own thoughts.

    “I don’t know anything,” he says, voice tight. “And neither do you. Don’t drag whatever shit you have with Stone into this.”

    bI /bclick my tongue. I guess it would be a bit hard to believe.

    The articles have done more harm than good to my reputation, although social media is a

    white noise I’ve learnt to tune out.

    I’ve officially mastered the ancient art of scroll–past–the–drama. All the hate, all the “poor Stone got trapped by the evil siren”ments? Yeah, no thanks. I’ve built up a nice, shinyyer of not–giving–a–crap.

    And I’ve given no exnation. I haven’t debunked any of the rumours either.

    I’m not ready to hand over my story to the inte so it can be twisted into a circus act. I’ll go to the station with Tessa when we get back and file a report.

    Make it have more impact while I watch his career go down the drain.

    But my silence has given way to different rumours and lies that I haven’t cared enough to

    debunk.

    With time, everyone will get exactly what they deserve.

    The thought fuels me and steels my resolve.

    “Even you don’t believe that,” I say.

    “They’re just friends.”

    “Are they?”

    His hand curls into a fist.

    Silence falls again. This time, it’s heavier.

    Then finally, he asks, barely above a whisper: “How did you find out?”

    I look down at my hands. Finally, something is going right. “He told me himself the night.

    he assaulted me.”

    If possible, Toby’s body freezes up even more.

    I turn to look at him, meeting his eyes, the hurt behind them and smile. “I know exactly where to hit Stone. Where it hurts,” I search his eyes for something I can’t exin. “Will you help me?”

    Fake Dating My Ex’s Favourite Hockey yer.

    bChapter /b113