Alana's POV
The ringing phone dragged me out of the storm in my head. I sat up slowly, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand as I searched for it. I finally found it wedged halfway under the bed.
It was Nat.
I picked up.
"Lana?"
"Yes."
"How are you feeling?"
"I don't know."
And I meant it. I felt heartbroken. Betrayed. Numb. And somehow still overwhelmed. All at once.
"Lana?"
"Mhm?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Not really," I admitted.
"I asked if you want me to come over."
"No… I'm fine."
"No, you're not," she shot back, her voice firm but soft.
"I want to be fine," I whispered, already feeling my voice crack. "I really want to be okay... but I can't."
Tears spilled down again, hot and heavy.
"I'm on my way," she said.
"You don't have to do that—" I started to argue, but the doorbell rang.
I blinked.
"Nat?" I said into the phone.
"Yes. Open the door, I'm too tired to ring again," she replied.
I hung up and shuffled downstairs. The moment I opened the door, Nat wrapped her arms around me like a shield, and I completely broke down again.
"It's okay, Lana," she whispered.
"It's not okay, Nat," I wailed into her shoulder. "What if my mom finds out? What if she sees the video? What am I supposed to do?"
"It's going to be fine. Trust me."
I looked up at her. Nat had always been taller than me. She held my gaze with the same calm strength she always had.
"You really think so?" I asked, uncertain.
"Yes, Ally."
Hearing her call me that—Ally—pulled a weak laugh out of me.
"Don't call me that," I said, sniffling.
"Why not?" she teased, chuckling.
"It's childish," I murmured.
"Okay, fine. I won't call you Ally anymore."
But she was fiddling with her nails—something she only did when she was nervous. I raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?" I asked.
She hesitated. "Can I ask one more thing, Lana?"
"Yeah, sure."
She looked down at her hands again, twisting her fingers.
"Just ask, Nat," I said, a bit impatient now.
She took a breath. "Um... I heard a rumor. That you were in a closet with Xander Hale. Is that true?"
My stomach dropped—not because I was shocked, but because I wasn't. High school rumors traveled faster than light.
"Yes," I said. "But nothing happened, Nat. I promise. You know I don't like him. We never even get along. He just… he was there. And I needed someone. He didn't try anything. He just let me cry."
"Oh…" she nodded slowly. "Well, the rest of the school doesn't think that's what happened."
I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly did you hear?"
She shook her head. "It's not important."
But it was.
And we both knew it.