VAL SMILED GENTLY AT ME, LEANING CLOSER. "I BELIEVE IN YOU, NAT! always did and I always will. Now, spill the tea. At least, everything you can tell me." Yeah, he probably noticed how careful I was being.
Now I'm feeling extremely stupid for overreacting, in my mind, about him knowing about it. Maybe, unconsciously, Dalilah's treason made me care even around Val. Ugh, I feel bad. I need to learn a way to calm down and put my shit together.
See? That's why I love this kid so damn much! We're similar to each other and way too different from the rest of our whole family. I always knew he was on my side, but hearing him say those words made me more at ease.
But it duplicated the guilt inside my heart.
I felt the urge to look at my hands, but I didn't, knowing very damn well that I would only get worse because I would see blood on them. And cannot freak out in front of him. Not in front of Valerian. He needs me to be strong. I need to be stronger for him!
