Chapter 127 —The Truth

Narrator:

The room was quiet. That tense, treacherous calm that precedes a storm.

Sasha was sitting at her desk, turned toward the window, headphones on, lost in the teenage world she had built for herself so she wouldn't have to think too much. Roman stood by the door, watching her with a mixture of fear and guilt that weighed heavily on his chest. In his hand, he held the necklace she always left on the nightstand. He held it as if it could anchor the conversation he was about to have.

“Sasha,” he said, without raising his voice, but firmly enough for her to hear him.

The girl took off one earbud and looked at him without turning completely.

“What's up?”

“I need to talk to you. And it's important. Very important.”

She sighed, turned down the music, and turned toward him. She saw that he was more tense than usual, paler, more serious. That was enough for her to sit up straight in her chair.

“Is everything okay?”

Roman walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.