100% SURE »H.S

C H A P T E R T E N

BRYN

"Bryn, the shelter burned down. Desmia, s-she died."

The entire world seemed to stop revolving about its axis for Bryn after Flynn spoke those words. It felt like the hands of time had shattered into a million irretrievable pieces, and a painful constriction took hold of  heart.

Jackson couldn't have acted on his words - he would joke about those kind of things, but he was never serious. He just can't have done that.

Bryn tried to deny what she knew was true, and every second that went by only made her sink further and further. Bryn knew how special the shelter was to Flynn. If he knew that it wasn't an accident, he would go absolutely mad with grief and vengeance. However, Bryn also knew that by keeping the truth from him, she would only dig herself into an even deeper hole. It was better to tell the truth and pay the consequences than deliberately lie to him despite the nobility of her intentions.

In the end, she decided on the bolder of the two options. She confessed.

"Flynn, it wasn't an accident. I know who did it," she said calmly, and Flynn's gaze sharpened, giving him an almost feral expression.

"Who?" Flynn demanded, his tone deliberately measured.

"Jackson, and his friends-" Bryn began, before  Flynn stood so quickly she jumped back in fright.

Flynn's expression was perfectly neutral, but his skin was several shades paler than it already was. "Ok. Thanks for telling ." he said, and then he made to leave, his body language screaming murder.

Bryn stopped him and said, "Flynn, wait. I'm not done yet - there's more."

She took a deep breath, and said, "Flynn, don't get mad, but I was there."

"You were what?" Flynn asked, his tone betraying nothing.

Bryn winced, and tried again. "I was there last night when he burned the place down. He joked and said that he would because homeless people didn't deserve to live off of the rich, and that it would be better to torch the place down. I tried to stop him, and I told him that they had every right to be there. He hit me and told me to leave, otherwise he would break every bone in my body, so I left. But I swear, I never would have left if I knew that he was being serious. Trust me, Jackson always says those kinds of things, but he never acts on them, so I thought he was just trying to look cool for his friends."

Flynn stood silently, his head turned away from Bryn so that she couldn't see what he was thinking. "But you were there right?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"And you could have stopped them, right?"

Bryn frowned. "Well, no. I tried to, but Jackson threatened me."

"But you could have stayed, right?"

"Umm, well, I could have."

Pause.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because he threatened me."

Pause.

"Oh, I see, because if anyone threatens little miss Perfect's well being, all other concerns go out the window. Forgive me for my insolence, I should have known! It's gospel, how could I have not known that?" Flynn said, his voice bitter and sardonic.

Bryn ignored the burning behind her eyes. "That's what you got from that? That I was too self-centered to care?"

"Shut up! I know you, Bryn Howard. I know what a self-centered, manipulative little bitch you are. I've seen your fucking soul, and I know that no matter what mask you wear, you will always be that shallow egomaniac that doesn't give a damn about anyone, but herself!" Flynn screamed, his voice reverberating across the empty hallway.