Secrets

Chapter 42

Tina's POV

My heart was pounding, and my body felt numb. I was freaking out. How am I supposed to face Veronica? She just lost her mother. What could I possibly say to her? How do I react? A part of me wanted to break down and cry, but I knew that wouldn't help her. She needed strength, support, she needed us.

While my thoughts ran wild, my phone beeped.

Will be there in ten.

Trisha was coming to pick me up. We had decided to stay with Veronica for the night. As usual, Edam would pick us up in the morning for work. I let out a shaky breath, grabbed my bag, and locked the door. My fingers trembled slightly as I pressed the lift button. By the time I reached the gate, Trisha was already there, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

I got into the car, noticing how nervous she looked. Maybe even more than me. The drive was eerily silent. Words failed us as we both struggled to figure out what to say, how to act, how to be the support Veronica needed.

In twenty minutes, we were standing outside Trisha's apartment. The air was heavy, filled with the weight of what lay ahead.

"I've never been this nervous before," Trisha whispered, hesitating at her own doorstep. "I'm standing in front of my apartment, and I can't even press the doorbell."

I swallowed hard, understanding exactly what she meant. Trisha always seemed tough on the outside, but I knew she was soft-hearted. Perhaps even softer than me. I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"We have to go inside, Trisha. We don't have a choice. She needs us."

Trisha took a deep breath and finally pressed the doorbell. We instinctively grabbed each other's hands as if grounding ourselves for what was to come. The lock clicked, and our grip tightened. And then there she was.

Veronica stood before us. Exhausted, drained, broken. Her once-bright eyes were now dull, heavy with grief. The second she saw us, she collapsed into sobs. Her body shook violently, and before I knew it, we were both running toward her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She clung to us, as though letting go would mean drowning in her sorrow.

My heart clenched. The sound of her cries was unbearable. I wanted to take her pain away, but I was powerless. My own tears fell freely, and I felt Trisha's silent sobs beside me. We held onto each other, mourning the loss of a woman we all cherished, until time itself felt meaningless.

Finally, I pulled away, cupping Veronica's fragile face in my trembling hands. Her cheeks were damp, her lips quivering. I wiped away her tears with my thumb and whispered, my voice breaking,

"You have to be strong, Vero. For yourself. For your family. And we are here for you, okay?"

She nodded weakly before burying herself in my arms again, seeking the comfort she desperately needed. She felt so fragile, so small. I glanced at Trisha, who looked like she might faint from grief. Her engagement, Veronica's loss, it was all too much.

I took a deep breath and stood up. Someone had to be strong.

"I'll get water," I murmured.

In the kitchen, I grabbed two glasses and a bottle of water, my hands slightly shaking. When I returned, I handed them the glasses, watching as they drank in silence. Veronica's fingers trembled as she set the glass down.

"I think you need to rest," I suggested gently.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm just... really glad you both are here."

Before I could change the subject, Trisha spoke up.

"How is your family doing?"

I froze. Oh no, Trisha, what have you done?

Veronica's breath hitched. Her eyes filled with fresh tears as she whispered, "They're okay now. I guess... they've accepted that Mom is gone." Her voice cracked, her fingers gripping her knees. "When she was on life support, she was in pain. We could feel it. We had to let her go. She left us. She broke the promise, she..."

She broke into uncontrollable sobs. My chest tightened as I wrapped my arms around her again, gently patting her back, trying to soothe her pain. I shot Trisha a sharp look, silently pleading with her not to bring it up again.

Not now. Not ever.

After a long silence, I finally asked, "Have you eaten anything?"

"Noah brought me food."

"Good," I said softly.

She took a shaky breath. "I just want to spend time with you guys. I missed you both so much."

Trisha placed a hand over Veronica's and squeezed it. "That's why we're here, Vero."

"I'm going to freshen up," Veronica murmured, before disappearing into the bathroom.

The moment she was out of sight, Trisha sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I shook my head. "It's okay. Just... don't talk about her mom anymore. She needs to heal, Trisha. She has to move on, and we have to help her."

Veronica returned, looking slightly better but still exhausted. I knew we couldn't just sit there in silence, drowning in grief.

I forced a small smile. "Why don't we take a walk? Maybe grab dinner at our favorite place?"

Veronica hesitated. "I don't feel like going out."

Trisha, always the one to lighten the mood, grinned. "Girl, we missed you too, and fresh air will do you good. You need to breathe. Let's go."

She grabbed Veronica's hand and pulled her up.

"You're going to be fine because you have us," she said, her voice full of warmth and determination. "Let's go and cherish tonight."

Veronica let out a small, weak smile. It wasn't much, but it was something.

And that was enough for now.

Trisha's POV

Only two weeks to go, and this placement will finally be over. Which means it's time to tell Edam everything. I know he will be broken or, worse, furious. And I deserve that. I deserve his hatred. I deserve his bitterness. Whatever he says, I'll take it. I'll try to explain everything, to make him understand, but I don't know if he will.

But before that, I have to tell Veronica. She deserves to know first. It's been a month since she came back, slowly recovering from her mother's death, but I think it's time. I've wanted to tell her so many times, but Tina asked me to wait. To give her some time. But now, I'm running out of time. I need to sort out my problems.

A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts.

"Knock, knock."

Tina stood at the doorway, her arms crossed, eyes studying me. I glanced at the clock. Lunchtime. I had been so lost in my thoughts that time had slipped away.

"How come you're not hungry today? The restaurant lady called, wondering where you were." She smirked, but her eyes held concern.

I shut my laptop, grabbed my bag, and headed toward the door.

"Is everything okay? You seem off today," Tina asked, her voice softer now.

"I want to talk about something, but first, I need food," I muttered.

We walked to our favorite restaurant in silence. I pushed the food around my plate, trying to find the right words. Once we were done eating, I finally spoke.

"I think it's time I told Vero about my moving back to India. There are only two weeks left before placements finish, and I'll have to tell Edam everything. But before that, I want to tell Vero. She deserves to know first."

The weight of the words left me breathless.

Tina exhaled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I was thinking of hanging out at my apartment..and Vero's too and telling her there. What do you think?" I asked hesitantly.

"Sounds good. But she's been taking multiple shifts again. Says she needs to keep herself distracted."

"I'll work something out and let you know," I told her.

Later that afternoon, I texted Veronica, asking her to take a day off over the weekend. She agreed, saying she needed the break.

Days passed in a blur, and the weekend arrived. My nerves were frayed as I texted both Tina and Veronica to meet at Vero's place at seven.

The truth, the lies, the guilt. They were all eating me alive. My days and nights blurred into each other, my dreams turning into restless nightmares.

"So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" Veronica asked, sipping her vodka. She raised an eyebrow at me.

I swallowed hard and downed my own drink, the burn grounding me. Tina gave me a reassuring nod. I took a deep breath and said the words out loud for the second time.

"I'm moving back to India."

Veronica froze. Her eyes widened as she turned to Tina. "What is she talking about?"

"Just hear her out," Tina said gently.

I took another gulp before extending my hand, showing her the ring. "I'm engaged but not to Edam. To someone else."

The shock on Veronica's face was the same as when I had told Tina. A mix of disbelief and confusion.

"Before you start firing questions, let me explain everything." And so, I did. I poured my heart out, narrating every detail. When I finished, she sat silently, processing.

Then, instead of lashing out, she said, "You could convince Nikhil to let you finish your degree. Why throw everything away after all the sacrifices you've made?"

I blinked. That was not the reaction I had expected.

"I don't think he'll let me," I murmured.

"Veronica is right," Tina chimed in. "At least try. Imagine being stuck as a housewife right after marriage. You've worked too hard for this. After your bachelor's in business, you could even work in Nikhil's firm."

I sighed. "That's what his dad said when he sponsored my scholarship that I'd join their business. But for some reason, they only want me to complete my diploma. My dad says I have to do what they ask. Besides, they won't pay for another semester. I wouldn't be able to study anyway."

Tina and Veronica exchanged a look before Tina spoke. "Then go back to India this summer and talk to Nikhil. Since you have no other choice but to marry him, at least try to make him understand. Spend time with him. Maybe he'll support you."

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling deeply. "Okay, I'll try. But how do I tell Edam? I don't want to break his heart. I don't want him to hate me."

"You don't have to tell him everything," Veronica said simply.

I frowned. "What? I don't understand."

She sighed. "Look, we know you kind of cheated on him. But you loved him. You still do. And you don't have feelings for Nikhil. So, just tell Edam your marriage is fixed in India, and you're leaving after graduation. Break up on good terms. He doesn't need to know everything."

"But…" My voice trailed off.

"Veronica has a point," Tina added. "You didn't have a choice. You still don't."

We sat there for hours, weighing the pros and cons of the lies, the secrets, and the choices that weren't really choices at all.

I was lucky. So lucky to have these two amazing, supportive friends. But deep down, the guilt gnawed at me. Because I wasn't the friend they deserved.

Veronica's POV

I stared at the television, watching some shows, but my thoughts were miles away. The apartment felt empty. Silent. I was alone. Again.

Tina and Trisha had left in the afternoon after lunch. I had asked them to stay a little longer, but they had their own lives to get back to. We cooked together, laughed between bites, and then they were gone. Trisha had to figure out how to deal with Edam, while Tina had a presentation to prepare for her final week.

I shouldn't have taken the weekend off. Now, I had nothing to do. I texted Noah to see if he wanted to hang out, but he was busy. I couldn't nag him. He had been with me since I arrived. I tried to keep myself occupied after the girls left, cleaning the entire apartment and doing laundry. But even after that, there wasn't much left to do. The apartment was luxurious, beautiful even, but it felt cold. Dark. Like something was missing.

I decided to put on a movie, hoping it would distract me, but I just stared at the screen. My mind wouldn't settle.

Had I done the right thing? Should I have told them? Or was it better this way?

I had planned to tell them something important this weekend. That was the whole reason I agreed to take time off when Trisha mentioned she wanted to talk. It was supposed to be the perfect time. I wanted to tell them my secret, the truth I had been holding onto since I came back. That after graduation, I would have to go back. My family needed me. My younger sisters needed me.

I knew they would understand, but they were already dealing with so much. Tina was struggling with a long-distance relationship, and Trisha was preparing to return to India for an arranged marriage. They had enough on their plates. I didn't want to add mine to the mix.

So, I decided to wait. I still had almost a year. I would tell them before graduation.

We had all made a promise to stay back for another year, to do our internships together. We even planned to rent an apartment, have fun, go on girls' nights, maybe even travel to different cities during breaks. We dreamed of making more memories, stretching our time together just a little longer. But then I learned Trisha had always known she had to go back. She had been playing along, pretending.

Surprisingly, I wasn't upset when I heard her story. Everyone has their own journey to walk. I was just trying to figure out mine.

I hadn't told Noah about moving back to Mexico either. But we weren't serious, so did it really matter? I didn't know whether I would tell him and end things properly, like Trisha, or try to handle a long-distance relationship, like Tina. Either way, everything was starting to unravel.

Why did everything feel so messed up?

Summer was approaching, but it wouldn't be like last summer. This was going to be our last summer. Our last Christmas. Our last everything. Next year, before summer even arrived, our student visas would expire, and we would have to return to our countries.

All the plans, the promises we made, they would be broken.

Maybe this was how it was meant to be. Maybe life never goes exactly the way you want. Maybe destiny had already been written, and we were just trying to find our way through it, hoping we wouldn't take the wrong path.

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"Secrets are the silent weights we carry, unseen, yet heavy enough to shape our choices."