Chapter 263: What Really Happened To Joanne
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My chest heaved, tears burning at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, not here. Not now.
"If you’re going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me," I said, my voice shaking but steady enough to carry the weight I needed it to. "I know you two don’t hate each other, you just hate the fact that I can’t choose between you both. I’m the one who woke up and started falling for both of you, it’s me. So be mad at me, not each other. Not over petty stuff like flashlights and cars and who’s driving. Just... stop. Please, don’t that get in the way of finding out the truth. This is our priority...and when we figure this out, we will resolve what’s going on between us."
Silence enveloped the room, so complete I could hear the snow whispering against the window outside.
Adrien’s expression softened first, the sharp edges of his anger melting away as he stepped closer, his voice rough but gentle. "Noah..."
Ethan’s hand found my shoulder, warm and steady. "Hey. This isn’t on you. None of it..."
Adrien reached out too, his fingers brushing my other arm, the touch light but grounding. "He’s right. This isn’t your fault. Not you, never you..."
But it was though...even if I had no control over who I fell for.
We stood there for what felt like a long moment, connected in the dim room, sharing the same charged air while the weight of everything pressed down on us. Then Adrien began pacing the small space, his boots softly thudding against the worn carpet. He stepped on a loose floorboard near the bathroom door.
It creaked. Loudly.