πππππππ
My tears threatened to escape, and I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from crying.Β
"What did he do to you, Vanessa?" I heard Antonio ask softly, his eyes wide with concern.Β
I couldn't look at him, so I let my gaze drop to the ground beneath my feet and wrapped my arms around my chest. I knew what he had to be thinking, and it was nothing like that. It was worse. For three years, I carried this burden, knowing my mistake would one day come out in the open. And here I was, unable to keep my secret any longer.Β
Antonio moved closer. "Vanessa did heβ"Β
"No," I interrupted him. "No, he didn't." I still couldn't look at him. The guilt was too much, tearing at my soul. Admitting this to Antonio was almost as bad as it would be admitting it to my father.Β
"Then what did he do?"Β
Finally, I gathered the courage to look up and glanced between Daniel and Antonio. A tear slipped down my cheek, and I took a deep breath.
