Page 71 of Between Here and There

Time blurs. Minutes, maybe hours pass, and the light filtering through the cracks in the walls shifts from golden to the deep amber of late afternoon. My throat feels raw, and my head aches, but the tears have finally slowed, leaving behind an empty heaviness.

It isn’t until I hear a voice from below that I’m pulled back into reality.

“Emily?” Bon’s voice cuts through the stillness, soft but steady.

“Is she there?” Kate echoes.

“EMILY ROSE!” Haley shouts. “Manang Linda told us you’re here, you know. Don’t hide from us.”

I freeze, swiping at my tear-streaked face as if I could erase the evidence of my breakdown. But it’s too late. They know I’m here. And they know I’m not fine.

“Screw it, I’m going up,” Haley says.

I try to wipe my tears in panic, but it’s too late when Haley’s face pops up.

“Girl, are you crying?!” she says.

“Haley, move!” Bon shoves her lightly, scrambling up after her. “Let us through!” Kate follows close behind, her steps slower and more careful.

In seconds, they’re all standing in the treehouse, their faces a mixture of concern and curiosity. It’s Kate who finally breaks the silence. “What happened?” she asks softly, her eyes searching mine.

I press my lips together, my breath shaky as I try to pull myself together. But the more I attempt to stop, the harder it gets to hold back, and my resolve crumbles. The tears keep falling, and I finally let them, realizing there’s no way to keep hiding.

“I…” My voice cracks, barely audible. “Promise you won’t hate me,” I whisper, choking on the words. My heart pounds as I glance at Bon, the sting of guilt sharp in my chest. “Especially you,” I add, the words trembling with fear.

Bon’s face softens, confusion clouding her expression. “Why in the world would I hate you, Em?”

Her kindness only makes it harder to speak. My hands tremble as I stare down at them, unable to meet their eyes. “Because… because I’ve been lying to all of you. About everything.”

It falls silent. Bon, Haley, and Kate exchange startled glances, but none of them say a word. I can feel the weight of their attention, the tension thick in the air as I force myself to continue.

First, I tell them about my career. “I don’t work in Wall Street,” I start. “I work three part-time jobs, one of which is a barista at a local cafe.” Their eyes widen, but they don’t speak. I tell them why I quit. I tell them about Ben Davids, and the awful things he did.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry—or worse, pity me.” My voice wavers, but I keep going, unable to stop now that I’ve started.

Haley’s eyes widen, but she remains silent, processing everything. Kate reaches out and places a hand on my arm, her touch warm and grounding. Bon’s gaze doesn’t waver, her expression unreadable.

“Pity you?” she says. “Emily, how long have you been carrying this weight all by yourself?”

“Until two weeks ago, when I saw Joshua,” I say. And it’s true. Their eyes soften, and they seem to be happy for me. Realizing I might have given the wrong impression, I continue.

“That’s… that’s not even the worst part. The whole thing with Joshua, Bon… it’s all fake.” My voice breaks as I say it, and I look down, barely able to meet her eyes. “We made this agreement to pretend we were dating. It was supposed to make things easier, to look like I had everything under control. But it’s not real. It never was.”

The silence that follows feels like a chasm. Bon stares at me, her mouth slightly open, as if she’s struggling to piece together everything I just told them. Kate looks at me with a mixture of sympathy and hurt, while Haley’s jaw drops, processing the cascade of revelations.

“It’s true that we kissed as strangers. But that’s it. We agreed to put on a show so I could show Rob that I’m fine and so he can keep his mother’s matchmaking at bay.”

They’re still not talking, and I can’t look at them. I’m full of shame, of embarrassment.

“Wow,” Kate says after a few beats. I finally look up, and they’re all still looking at me. We’re seated in a circle on the treehouse floor, and it feels like a weird intervention.

“Em, why didn’t you just tell us?” Kate continues, her voice wavering slightly. “We’re your best friends.”

“I didn’t want you guys to see me like that,” I admit, the shame pressing down on me. “I wanted to be the one who has it all figured out. Who’s doing well. I didn’t want you to think I was a failure.”

Kate pulls me into a hug, wrapping her arms around me tightly. “You could never be a failure to us,” she murmurs, her voice as gentle as her embrace. “You’re Emily. We love you, no matter what.”

Haley, who’s usually the tough one, clears her throat, her own eyes a little misty. “Emily, you didn’t have to pretend for us. I mean, we’re a mess half the time ourselves. We’d never judge you. You should know that by now.”

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