The Truth

chapter fourteen: confession

I take a deep breath. I have a feeling I'll be taking many of those.

"Get ready to leave because I'm pretty sure you won't be able to look at me the same when I'm done talking." The least I could do was give him a heads up.

This get's his attention. He looks at me like he's processing everything.

"That won't happen."

"Well technically you don't even know what I'm going to say."

"Nothing would ever be able to keep my eyes off you." What the actual fuck? Come on Quinn don't say those things if you don't mean them.

I take my second deep breath.

"I don't even know how to say this because it's the last thing I want you, well anyone really."

"If it's really that hard you don't have to," he says.

"Well now I feel like I should continue." Oddly I don't mind telling him. It's not the telling him I'm nervous about. No, it's going to be how he feels about me after.

"Ok but I'm not pushing you to say anything."

"On march 16th, 2019. I went to a gas station." I pause because I know everyone remembers the date and well, I want to see his reaction.

His eyes have widened and he looks like he may just pass out.

"You were. . .you were there?" He's at a loss. Just wait for the details buddy.

"I wasn't just there. I watched it happen."

"Oh Vera." He sounds so sympathetic. Give it a minute dude you don't even know the whole story.

"Can I tell you everything?" I ask, because hearing the details of one of your bestfriends death isn't something I'd want to tell someone if they weren't ok with it.

"If you're ok with it." He gives me a small smile. He really did need a distraction.

"I am." I pause for another second. I need to remember what it feels like for Quinn to be my friend.

"We were checking out. The man at the register was handing Raegan back her card and a loud boom went off. I remember looking at her but she wouldn't look at me. I held her hand because I thought it would be the last time we'd both be alive. I got so scared I took a step back, that was a huge mistake. Before either of us knew it the man was over there. He was holding his gun towards the ground. He told me to give him a reason not to shoot. I couldn't speak. Another huge mistake. He told me nothing would have happened if I'd answered his question. After that he pointed his gun right at me."

Here it goes. Quinn's gonna know.

"He shot and she," I fight back tears, "she jumped in front of me. It's my fault."

"Vera." I close my eyes. I don't need to watch as he can't look at me. "That was not your fault."

What?

I open my eyes and look at him. He's doing the exact opposite of what I thought he'd do. He just keeps looking into my eyes. It's almost too much.

"I should be dead, it should be me. Not her." I cry.

He's close to me in seconds.

"Don't say that please." He sounds hurt by my words, like me not being here would be worse then Rae not being here.

"I'm sorry for taking our friend away, I'm so so sorry." I sob. I hate crying like this. I don't even notice him wrap his arms around my body until they're there.