I shift under his gaze. “There’s nothing up with me. You don’t have to worry.”
“Okay,” he says. “You haven’t seen your friends recently, have you?”
“I see them at school,” I say. When he doesn’t respond, I continue. “I’ve been busy. I’m fine.”
He takes a second chocolate. “You can tell me anything, Noah. I’ll never judge you. Besides, I might have some decent advice.” His voice is light, letting me know there’s no pressure. I love my brother.
“Ha. Is that so?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I’m wise with age. Ugh — dark chocolate,” he says, flinching at the taste of the chocolate bar he’s munching on.
We sit there for a minute, the room silent except for the crinkle of chocolate wrappers and the sounds of us eating.
“Okay,” I say. “There is something. It happened last Monday. And now, both Henry and Eve are angry with me.”
I tell him everything. I’m glad I have the chocolate box, so I have something to do with my hands. I turn it around and pretend to read the nutrition information so I can explain everything to avoid seeing Ben’s expression.
When I finish and glance up at him, though, he isn’t judging me. Instead, his eyes are distant, finger tapping his chin. “Hmm.”
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. I’m thinking.”
“Thinking about what?”
“A solution. Alright — what do you want? What’s the perfect ending?”
I think. “For people who weren’t meant to know about my business to get amnesia. For Henry to forgive me. To not be fighting with Eve.”
Ben nods. “Well, we can’t give those girls amnesia, but you can still make up with Henry and Eve.”
“It’s not that easy. I’ve tried to talk to Henry. So many times. Over and over. I’ve tried.”
“Have you tried with Eve?”
“Why should I? She’s the one who started it.”
“You said yourself she wouldn’t have meant to hurt you.”
I wonder if Ben’s ever loved someone the way I love Henry. If he did, he would understand. “I never wanted him to know,” I whisper. “Not if my feelings were unrequited.”
“She shouldn’t have told him,” Ben agrees. “I’m on your side, Noah. But to be on your side, I have to help you see things from Eve’s perspective. If you gave her the chance, I know she would apologise.”
“Why doesn’t she just do it now?”
“She’s afraid of you.”
“She isn’t,” I say. “You don’t know Eve. She talks to whoever she wants whenever. And she also hates emotions, so there’s no way she would want to talk to me—”
“If she hates expressing emotions, that’s why you should talk to her first.”
I cover my face with my hands. “It’s not only her, though. I … I was an asshole to her. She’ll never want to speak to me again.”
“You’ll never know if you don’t try. Trust me.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll try.” I don’t know whether I’m telling the truth.
“Good. Now, with Henry, all you can do is try your best. But I have faith.”
