My voice cracked.
“Yes, he ruined my life,” I continued. “But I do not intend to ruin his too.”
Maya’s eyes filled with tears.
“You know we won’t be able to hang out after this,” she whispered.
The words hurt because I knew she was right. This confession would not only burn me. It would burn anyone standing too close. If I told the truth carelessly, Maya would go down with me. Her family would suffer. She would be blamed for helping me lie. Nolan and my father might still find a way to punish her. I could not let that happen.
“I will protect you in my confession,” I told her. “It was all my fault. I will keep it that way. One day, we will see each other again, Maya.”
Maya started crying properly then.
“Sienna, don’t do that,” she said. “Don’t make yourself worse to save me.”
I smil
