Shattered Truths

Chapter 17: Shattered Truths

Marissa sat in the same spot Mason had left her, the silence of the room pressing down on her like a heavy weight. He was gone. Just like that, he had walked out, leaving behind only his words and the crushing ache in her chest. "When it's safe, when you're ready to hear the truth..." His voice echoed in her mind, but there was no comfort in it. No promise that it would make sense.

What truth?

She could barely comprehend what had just happened. Everything she had believed about their relationship about Mason was now in question. The man who had seemed perfect, who had swept her off her feet with his kindness and intensity, was hiding something far darker than she had ever imagined.

The door shut behind him with a soft click, and Marissa was left to face the fragments of what remained.

She didn't want to be here. Didn't want to be stuck in this place between confusion and fear. But no matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts away, they came rushing back: the letter, the shadows in Mason's eyes, the terror in his voice when he spoke of "them" the people who were coming for him.

And now, it was her fight too. Whether she wanted it or not.

She stood up, pacing the room in a haze of emotions. Anger, fear, betrayal, all swirling inside her. How could he keep something like this from her? How could he ask her to walk away from him when the only thing she had ever wanted was to be by his side?

Her phone buzzed, cutting through her thoughts. It was a message from Lily, her best friend, asking if she was okay. Marissa hadn't responded to her calls in days. The truth was, she had no idea what to say. How could she explain any of this to Lily when she barely understood it herself?

Her fingers hovered over the screen, the words not coming easily. Instead, she found herself typing out something she hadn't expected: "I need to talk. Can we meet?"

A few seconds later, the response came. "Of course. I'm coming over."

Marissa tossed the phone aside and collapsed onto the couch. She needed to talk. She needed to unload everything the questions, the fears, the confusion. She needed someone who could help her make sense of the storm Mason had just unleashed in her life.

It wasn't long before Lily showed up, her face a mixture of concern and curiosity. Without a word, she sat down beside Marissa and waited.

"Something's wrong," Lily said after a long moment. "You've been off, and now… this. What's going on?"

Marissa took a deep breath and recounted everything: the letter, Mason's confession, the threats he had spoken of, and the impossible decision he had made to walk away from her.

By the time she was done, Lily was quiet, processing it all. Marissa felt like she was spilling her heart out to her best friend, but there was no relief. She wasn't sure how to feel anymore. She loved him. She knew that much. But love didn't fix the fact that he had kept secrets from her. That his past was a mess she couldn't untangle.

"So what do you think?" Marissa asked, her voice cracking. "Should I just let him go? Let this whole thing fall apart?"

Lily turned to her with a determined expression. "I think you need to make your own choice, Marissa. But I don't think you should walk away without knowing the full story. You deserve the truth. He owes you that much."

Marissa nodded, wiping away a tear. "I know. But what if the truth is too much for me to handle?"

"You won't know until you hear it. And you're strong enough to handle whatever it is. But you need to make sure you're ready to face it. No more running."

Marissa felt a flicker of something inside her. Strength, maybe. She had to face this, whatever it was. She couldn't keep hiding behind her doubts and fears. Mason had been honest with her about one thing: he wanted to protect her, but he had never realized that in doing so, he was pushing her away.

"I'll find out what's going on," she said, her voice firm. "And when I do, I'll be ready."

Lily smiled at her. "That's the spirit. Just don't let him run your life, okay? You have to take control."

Marissa looked out the window, the fading light casting long shadows across the city. Somewhere, out there, Mason was hiding. And no matter how scared she was, she knew she couldn't let him face whatever was coming alone.

"I'm going to find him," she whispered to herself, determined. "And I'm going to find the truth."

The path ahead was unclear, but one thing was certain: Marissa was no longer just a bystander in this story. She was going to confront the secrets Mason had kept from her. And she would not let fear dictate her choices. She was going to find him, no matter what it took.