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"Good morning, sugarbun! How was your sleepover with Stef?" Gran asked with a wide smile when I got home from Devon's.

"We had a wonderful bonding," I responded, hiding the guilt of lying to my dearest Gran behind a smiling façade.

I still hadn't told Gran about my break-up with Luke and my relationship with Devon. (Damn, that sounded so bad in one breath). So I lied to her everytime and I hated doing that. I had wanted to tell her the truth so many times but knowing that she strongly disapproved of Devon and break-ups, I didn't. I couldn't bear the thought of her being upset with me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her love and affection for me. So I let her believe that I had nothing to do with Devon and that Luke and I were going great together.

I felt terrible about it.

On the other hand, I couldn't tell Devon the truth about my life. I lied to him or came up with some excuse whenever he spoke about my parents. As the days went by, it just got worse. One lie to cover another lie. I told him so many lies to keep details about my past and the nightmares under wraps that the guilt silently killed a part of me each day.

It was getting harder and harder to deal with the mess I'd created. I wanted to break free. But every time I mustered courage to face Gran and Devon with the respective truths, I had nightmares of them leaving me....

Even the Ferrero Rocher chocolates weren't as effective as they used to be.

Also, I doubted that Devon had started suspecting something was wrong with me.

I didn't know what to do.

"Tell him the truth. As simple as that," said Stef when she had come over one evening. Gran had gone to a tea party in the neighborhood.

"I can't. I just can't," I slumped down on the couch in frustration in the living room, my eyes lowered to the ground in despair.

Stef was about to speak but my phone buzzed.

"It's Adam," I said, looking at the screen.

I was startled seeing the fleeting look of displeasure that crossed Stef's face hearing me. I couldn't be really sure about that. I might have imagined it.

"Hey Adam, what's up?" I asked over the phone.

"Hey," he responded from the other end. "Josh and I are going to the club to play squash. Wanna join?"

"That's great! Stef has come over. We will join you guys in sometime," I said.

"Actually, I think Josh and I will play billiards instead." Adam said quietly. "Talk to you later."

He hung up. That puzzled me completely. Like what just happened?

"Well, the moment I said we'd come over to the club soon, Adam changed the sport altogether," I told Stef in confusion.

"Devon will come to know the truth sooner or later," said Stef, evading the topic. "It's not like your father is never gonna come back here. And when he does and that too alone, Devon will come to know everything. So instead of him finding out your reality that way, it's better you take the truth to him."

"I can't do that, Stef..." I trailed off gloomily. "Devon thinks I've a happy family and that I don't carry a baggage like him...When he comes to know the truth, he will dump me. Why would he want to be with a girl who is broken....? And I cannot imagine my world with Devon, Stef. I-I just can't," I gulped.

"How can you even think he will leave you?!" Stef sat on the couch beside me, placing her hands over mine. "Devon is not like that. He ain't with you just because he thinks you've an amazing family. I mean you should know that better than me. I've told you, Eleanor, don't be afraid of your happiness. You deserve to be happy."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't ease the burden in my chest.

Stef took a deep breath as she spoke again, "Eleanor, Devon has told you everything about his past. Now it's your turn to do the same. It's your turn to liberate your relationship of all the secrets and lies that threatens its existence."

"How do I tell him that I don't even know how my mother looked like, that I know nothing about her except for her name?" I countered, looking at her. "How do I say that my mother isn't with my father on a business tour. Infact she is not even alive. I never got to speak to her because she died long back while giving birth to me. I-I killed her and I don--"

I froze mid-sentence when my gazes randomly happened to go at the door. And I saw Devon stood there with hostile features, his hands clenched icily to his sides as he looked on at me with eyes resembling lava.

I was paralyzed with fear all over. The front door was ajar and he heard everything....

I watched Devon with pale wide eyes as he left from there without a word. My heart sank.

He-He wasn't stood there before...He heard just what I spoke...