Between Secrets and Lies (FreenBecky) ON-HOLD

Chapter 8

It was already midnight, but I couldn't sleep because Freen wasn't by my side. I got up and decided to look for her.

As I stepped out of our room, I saw her sitting on the sofa, quietly gazing out the window. I almost tripped because she didn't even turn on the lights.

"Freen," I called out to her.

She looked at me when she heard my voice.

"Are you okay? Is something bothering you?" I asked, sitting down on the other side of the sofa.

It took her a while before she spoke.

"No, it's nothing. I'm good," she replied.

There's something bothering her. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it.

"Babe, we promised to be open with each other, remember? You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" I said affectionately.

She held my gaze for a moment, took a deep breath, and finally spoke. "Is it true?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"What? What are you talking about?" Confusion clouded my thoughts.

A few seconds passed before she spoke again.

"About what Maxwell said earlier... about that Alexander guy. Is it true that those are the types of guys you're into?" she asked.

I didn't answer her question right away.

Is that what she's been thinking about, keeping her awake?

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. "Well, if what Renz says is true, then yeah, that's my type of guy. I mean, for me, it's a huge green flag if a guy is family-oriented," I admitted.

I saw her avoid my gaze upon hearing my response. "Okay," she murmured, her voice cracking.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"Uhm, nothing. I'm going to sleep," she quickly stood up from the sofa and went into our room.

I sighed at her reaction, standing to follow her. As I entered our room, I found her preparing to sleep.

"But, that was before," I said softly, catching her attention. "Because I met someone, actually."

"You met someone?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," I confirmed, holding her gaze.

"Do I know that person?" she asked quietly.

I nodded in response.

"Is that person part of our circle?" I could see the nervousness in her eyes when she asked.

I nodded again before speaking.

"If you think it's Renz, no, it's not. I've told you many times he's like a brother to me," I clarified. Because, He's really my brother.

"Then... is it Elias? Saint? Or Nathaniel? Because, if it's one of them... that's good. I mean, they're good..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes downcast, and I could hear her voice crack again, as if she was holding back tears.

We fell into a tense silence for a few moments.

"Actually, she spilled coffee on me the first time we met," I began, breaking the silence.

She looked at me in surprise upon hearing what I said.

"Then, she played a prank on me on our first day of school," I continued.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to my words.

"But despite her antics, she still helped me with my report in the library. We became friends after that. And then SHE chose me to be her student assistant, and we ended up living together in the same dorm," I emphasized the word "she" so that she wouldn't think of anything else.