Chapter 144: Equally Similar
"So, what are you going to do now?" Jania asked, leaning back in her chair as she delicately sipped her tea.
Ephyra glanced at her plate, idly cutting into her food as if it were a tedious chore rather than a meal. Her lips pressed into a thin line before she finally spoke. "I’m going to call Malia and set up a meeting with the rest of the group. They deserve the truth." She stabbed a forkful of her meal and paused before continuing. "She called me earlier, and... it made me feel like shit. I know I couldn’t tell them everything before—at least not without piling on confusion and distrust. But now that it’s out in the open, there’s no excuse."
Jania set her cup down gently, her gaze sharp yet understanding. "Are you sure you’re ready for that? Facing them, I mean. Apologies can be more difficult than exposing the truth."
Ephyra’s grip tightened around her fork, her knuckles turning white for a brief moment. "I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Malia didn’t say it outright, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. She didn’t understand why I’d kept her in the dark—and honestly, I don’t blame her. I’ve been so focused on tearing everything down that I didn’t stop to think about them for a moment."
Jania arched an eyebrow, "Alright, good luck."
"Hmm."
After breakfast, Ephyra paced her room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. The call she needed to make weighed heavily on her, but she couldn’t put it off any longer. Finally, she pressed the button and waited as the line rang.
"Ephyra?" Malia’s voice came through almost instantly, breathless with anticipation.
Ephyra hesitated, her grip tightening on the phone. "Malia," she began, her voice low but steady. "I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you what was going on, for shutting you out when I should’ve let you in."
"No," Malia interrupted quickly, her voice soft but insistent. "Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. None of this is. We should have been the ones to see something was wrong. I’m just relieved you’re not pushing us away now."
Ephyra closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath. "I’m not," she said quietly. "And that’s why I’m calling. I need to talk to you, Orla, and Cyran—face-to-face. There’s a lot I need to say, and you all deserve to hear it."