“And I wonder if I should have stayed with her.” She stopped playing and held the controller loosely in her hands.
I took the controller from her and entwined our fingers, letting Pac-Man get eaten by the little ghosts. My anger was growing but the last thing she needed when talking about an angry man was another one. I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully. “No wonder he’s threatened by you.”
She squeezed my hand. “What?”
“Why else would he be writing nasty think pieces?”
She glanced my way. “You read the article?”
“Nope. I’m not interested in what other people have to say about you. I only want to hear about you from you. But… I heard aboutthe article. And it’s pretty clear to me now that he’s scared of you, and he should be.”
She climbed onto my lap and pressed her face against my chest. After a second, I felt a wetness seep through my T-shirt. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and held her while she cried, years of pent-up frustration and sadness dripping out of her shaking frame.
She sniffled, leaned back, and wiped her eyes. “I shoplifted when I was eleven, and when I was a kid, I had a crush on a cartoon lion, and when I was fifteen, I told my mother I slept over at Kaia’s house, but actually I went on a date with her brother, who I wasn’t allowed to see.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, lifting her chin to gaze into those puffy eyes.
Her lip trembled. “Those are all my secrets. I’ll never keep a secret from you ever again. I am still so sorry I didn’t tell you I was Pancakes. I just want you to love me, Lincoln. I really, really want it.”
“Is it not strange to want something you already have?” I kissed her forehead and her cheeks. Every part of me was on edge, piecing together the challenges she must have been through and how much effort it had taken for her to get here. To excel, despite having one of the richest and most powerful men standing against her.
Going forward, I would do everything in my power to help her in whichever way I could, but there was one more solo obstacle. She’d have to ace that final test all on her own.
48
ELIZABETH
[29 weeks ago]
@pancakesareelite:
I see girlbotxo is flirting with you
@theanswerisno:
Jealous?
@pancakesareelite:
Maybe
@theanswerisno:
Then I’ll tell her to stop
@pancakesareelite:
I’m only joking
@theanswerisno:
Told her you’d challenge her to a duel
@pancakesareelite:
Link!
@theanswerisno:
