Walking away from that scene, I was certain of three things:
First, neither Oliver nor Florence had released the video yet, which meant Leo no longer had the same motive for revenge that had driven him in our original timeline.
Second, no matter how hard we tried to change the past, some things simply wouldn't change because they were beyond our control, and Lily and I had to start making peace with that reality.
And third, that things were always more complicated than they appeared on the surface, making it impossible to be the hero in every situation.
CHAPTER 41
Lily
Leo's reassurancesthat he was okay and that I should leave him alone didn't stop me from worrying about the situation. He was my younger brother, and knowing he was going through something painful made me feel utterly helpless.
I wanted to be there for him, for him to see me as a friend he could trust. But no matter how hard we try to force our way into other people's lives, it's ultimately up to them to decide if they want us there. Sometimes love means stepping back, even when every instinct tells us to push forward. We can't save people who aren't ready to be saved, and the hardest lesson in caring for someone is learning when to offer support from a distance rather than demanding to be needed.
I left my last class and went to my locker to gather all my things. Neither Kyle nor I had to go to the hospital today—it was one of our designated study days for midterm preparation—so I was planning to use my free time to get some rest. Something I tried to do as much as possible now that I finally had time without adult responsibilities.
But as I walked through the hallways, I realized something was terribly wrong. People were whispering, clustering ingroups. Many were on their phones, laughing, showing screens to others with that cruel delight teenagers get when witnessing someone else's humiliation. The further I walked, the more mockery I encountered. Students looked at me with pity, as if they felt sorry that I had to walk past them at this particular moment.
I'd lived this nightmare over and over again in my dreams. It was all exactly as I remembered.
But how could that happen?
Leo and Jeremy had left the party. I'd seen them leave with my own eyes. Kyle and I were the ones who'd ended up upstairs until late that night. We'd controlled the situation, or at least I thought we had.
How did Oliver manage it this time? Why couldn't he just mind his own business? Why did he have to destroy my brother over and over again, in every timeline, in every possible reality?
It was incredible how some people seemed to exist solely to hurt others without ever considering the consequences. Oliver was one of those people, a catalyst for destruction who moved through the world leaving wreckage in his wake.
I frantically searched for my brother in all the places at school where he usually spent time, but he was nowhere to be found. I needed to know he was okay, even if he didn't want me there for him, even if my presence would only make things worse.
But I didn't want to and couldn't leave him alone right now.
Maybe he'd already gone home, I thought desperately. So I decided to leave school, my heart and soul completely shattered.
Kyle was waiting for me in front of the building, and the moment I saw him, I ran straight into his arms.
As soon as he held me, I felt like I could finally breathe again. This hug didn't fix everything, but for asecond, the noise in my head quieted. Somehow, being held by him like that made me feel like everything might actually be okay, like the world could be falling apart around us, but as long as I was in his arms, I was safe. He was there for me even though I didn't deserve it, even though I'd pushed him away for so long, even though I'd spent years convinced I was better off alone.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered against my hair. "I tried my hardest to stop him, but Professor Reynolds confiscated Oliver's phone, and there was nothing I could do."
"I know it's not your fault," I said, pulling back to look at his face. "Did you know about the video?"
"No," he answered immediately. "I found out this morning when he wanted to brag to the guys."
He took my hand, and together we started walking away from the school, away from the stares and whispers.
"And how was it released? Was it the teacher?"
"No, it wasn't either of them, Lily. I have Oliver's phone right here. Florence doesn't have the passcode, so it couldn't have been her."
"Then who?" I asked, though part of me was already dreading the answer.
"Brandy. She has the video."
"That can't be possible," I responded, remembering he told me something like that the first time we talked. "All this time blaming Oliver, and the real culprit was right there with us."
"He's partly to blame," Kyle said quickly. "He admitted he recorded the video, but he sent it to Brandy last night, just like I suspected might happen."
