She had been walking with the others when she realized what she’d done. The letter from Caiohme, meant only for Gerard, was gone from her pocket, and in her panic, she’d accidentally mentioned Mark’s abuse to everyone. The truth spilled out before she could stop it, and the look on Gerard’s face when he found out was one she would never forget. Now, guilt and fear chased her as she saw him storming out of the classroom, jaw tight, fists clenched. “Gerard! Wait!” she shouted, her voice cracking, sprinting after him. He didn’t slow, didn’t look back, just kept walking faster, hands buried in his pockets, jaw tight.

The parking lot stretched before them, empty except for a few stray cars and the fading afternoon sun casting long shadows across the asphalt. She reached the edge, nearly tripping over her own feet, and skidded to a stop a few paces behind him. “Gerard… please,” she begged, trying to catch her breath. “I didn’t mean—” He turned his head just enough for her to see the storm in his hazel eyes, the hurt and anger that had been simmering beneath his calm exterior all day. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white, and the weight of his betrayal hung in the air like smoke. “You’re not my girlfriend,” he said, voice low but sharp, cutting through her pleas. “And you’re not my friend.”