|| LOVE AT THE LODGE ||

CHAPTER 8 - "The Longer we hide"

.......everything. Max might never forgive us."

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "But if we don't tell him, it'll only get worse. I don't want to lose you, Jack, but I can't lose Max either. He's my brother, and he means everything to me."

Jack stepped closer, his expression torn. "I don't want to lose either of you. But maybe... maybe we can wait until after the trip, when things aren't so intense. We'll have more time to figure out how to tell him, how to make him understand."

I wanted to believe him, to think that waiting would make it easier. But deep down, I knew the longer we kept this secret, the more damage it could do.

"We can't wait forever, Jack," I said, my voice trembling. "He'll find out eventually. And the longer we hide it, the worse it'll be."

Jack looked at me, his eyes filled with conflict and pain. "I know. But I just... I don't know how to do this without hurting him."

Before I could respond, we heard footsteps approaching. We quickly stepped apart as Max walked into the kitchen, completely unaware of the conversation he had just interrupted.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" he asked, grinning as he grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl Jack had just filled. "You guys having a secret snack party without me?"

I forced a laugh, trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. "Just getting the good stuff before you hog it all."

Max chuckled, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Come on, the movie's almost over."

As we followed Max back to the living room, I exchanged a brief, anxious glance with Jack. The weight of our secret felt heavier than ever, and I knew that something had to give. We couldn't keep going like this, pretending everything was normal when it was anything but.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I barely paid attention to the movie, my mind too consumed by the looming decision ahead. By the time it ended and everyone started heading to bed, I knew what I had to do.

After everyone else had gone upstairs, I lingered in the living room, waiting for Jack. He caught my eye as he turned to leave, and I motioned for him to stay. Max was already halfway up the stairs, oblivious to the silent exchange.

Once we were alone, I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "Jack, we have to tell him. We can't keep this up. It's not fair to Max, and it's not fair to us."

Jack's face tightened, and he looked away, his hands clenching at his sides. "Milly, are you sure? Maybe we should wait until we're back home, away from all this."

But I shook my head, resolute. "No, Jack. We need to tell him now, before this goes any further. It's only going to hurt more if we keep hiding it."

He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You're right. But it's going to crush him, Milly."

"I know," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "But it'll hurt more if we keep lying."

Jack nodded slowly, finally meeting my eyes. "Okay. We'll do it together."

We made our way upstairs, the house eerily quiet around us. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. When we reached Max's room, I hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

Max opened it, looking surprised to see both of us standing there. "What's up? You guys look like you've seen a ghost."

I swallowed hard, glancing at Jack before speaking. "Max, we need to talk to you. It's... it's important."

Max's expression shifted to concern, and he stepped back to let us in. "Okay... What's going on?"

We sat down on the edge of the bed, Jack and I side by side, while Max remained standing, looking increasingly worried.

"Max," I started, my voice barely above a whisper. "There's something we need to tell you, and it's not easy."

Max's eyes darted between the two of us, confusion and fear creeping into his expression. "What is it? You're scaring me, Milly."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to continue. "Jack and I... we've been... we've been seeing each other. But it's not just that. We've developed feelings for each other, and we didn't know how to tell you. We didn't want to hurt you."

Max stared at us, his face blank with shock. For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped. Then, slowly, his expression shifted—first to disbelief, then to anger.

"You've got to be kidding me," Max said, his voice low and shaking. "You two? Behind my back?"

Jack spoke up, his voice steady but filled with regret. "Max, we didn't plan for this to happen. We tried to fight it, but... it's real. And we didn't want to keep lying to you."

Max's hands clenched into fists, and I could see the hurt in his eyes. "You're my best friend, Jack. And you, Milly—you're my sister. How could you do this to me?"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt my heart breaking. "Max, I'm so sorry. We never wanted to hurt you, but we couldn't keep pretending."

Max took a step back, shaking his head as if trying to process everything. "I trusted you both. And you kept this from me?"

Jack stood up, taking a step toward Max. "We were scared, Max. Scared of losing you. But I swear, I care about Milly. I wouldn't do this if I didn't."

Max's face twisted with pain and anger. "This isn't about you caring, Jack. It's about betrayal. I can't believe this."

There was a tense silence, and I could feel the weight of Max's disappointment crushing me. I wanted to reach out to him, to make him understand, but I knew there was nothing I could say that would make this better.

Finally, Max turned away, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I need some time to think," he said, his voice hollow. "Just... leave me alone."

Jack and I exchanged a pained glance, but we knew better than to push him. We quietly left the room, closing the door behind us. As we stood in the hallway, the reality of what had just happened hit me like a ton of bricks.

"I didn't want this to happen," I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

Jack pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "Neither did I, Milly. But we'll get through it. We just need to give Max some time."

But as I stood there in Jack's embrace, I couldn't shake the feeling that things would never be the same again. We had crossed a line, and there was no going back. The truth was out, and all we could do now was hope that, in time, Max would be able to forgive us.