Hiding in the Shadows

Chapter 29 - Confession

"What is she doing here?" Peter asked in confusion, looking like he wanted nothing more than to back out of the apartment and run as far away from me as he could.

"Wow, thanks Peter, you really know how to make a girl feel welcome," I replied sarcastically, but then turned to MJ. "But seriously, what the fuck is this?"

"You two are going to go into my room right now and neither one of you is leaving until you sort out your disagreements," MJ commanded, holding the door open for her room.

"MJ, I don't think-" I began, knowing that spending time with Peter would only hurt me more.

"I don't care what you think, you're going to listen to me. Both of you. Now get inside," she demanded, seeming quite impatient.

With a sigh, I walked into her bedroom and reclaimed my spot on her bed, Peter following me like a dog who was being forced to go to the vets. MJ closed the door behind us and instructed us to start talking. However, neither of us knew what to say and so we just remained in awkward silence for a while, me sitting on MJ's bed and Peter standing in front of me.

"Do you want to explain why you lied to me to start off with?" Peter suggested, finally breaking the silence.

"I have explained, Peter, I had no choice. My father would not permit me to tell anyone and that included you. Besides, I didn't know about your connection with my father for a while after we first met and by the time I found out I didn't know how to tell you without making it seem as though I had betrayed you. That feeling only increased when I started dating you, but I told myself I was being faithful to my father's wishes. Although I suppose in reality I wanted to convince myself that I was just a normal teenager. I should have realized that you would find out eventually, but honestly I don't think ahead, like ever," I confessed, playing with the hem of my shirt.

"How about Shadow? Why didn't you tell me you were her? No one was telling you to keep that secret," Peter inquired, though he did seem to be actually taking in the words I was saying this time, to my great relief.

"I have lived my life surrounded by people who are in the spotlight, I know how easily secrets get out. And trust me, if anyone knows something, then my dad does as well. I-I probably should have told you once I found out about you being Spider-Man, but especially after you rushed to Tony about me after I saved your life, I wasn't sure I could ask you to keep something from my dad. I do appreciate you defending me that day, though."

"You were there?"

"I heard that you had requested a meeting with him and hacked his systems so that I could listen in," I replied nonchalantly, although I knew to the rest of the world hacking Tony Stark seemed like a monumental feat.

"You hack Mr. Stark a lot, don't you?"

I shrugged, "only when I know that he's keeping things from me. Or if I'm bored. It really isn't all that hard."

"I know, Ned did it to turn off safety protocols in my suit in a matter of minutes."

"Really? I didn't realize that Ned was so good at hacking."

"He is, but that's not why we're here. Our entire relationship was built on a lie, (Y/N), surely you can understand why I am angry with you."