Alyssa's PoV:

My heart pounded in my chest, my hands shaking as I slowly made my way upstairs to my room. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't make it any easier. Emily had always been the one I turned to for everything, and now... now I had hidden something so important from her. I felt like the weight of the world was pressing on my shoulders.

I opened my bedroom door, and there she was, sitting on my fluffy carpet, surrounded by the comfort of books and quiet. Emily was deep in thought, her focus entirely on the pages she was reading. The sight of her, so calm and unaware, made the guilt in my chest grow even heavier.

"Em, can we talk?" I said, my voice almost trembling, trying to hold myself together.

She looked up from her book, her expression unreadable, but her voice soft. "Sure, what about?"

I swallowed hard, trying to push the knot in my throat down. I could feel my hands start to sweat. "What you saw downstairs," I muttered, barely able to meet her eyes.

She blinked, her lips forming a small, knowing smile. "I had my suspicions," she said, and for a moment, I felt a little relieved that she hadn't been completely blindsided.

"Yeah," I whispered, "but I'm sorry."

"For what?" She tilted her head, her eyes searching my face, the concern in them only making the guilt intensify. "I can't blame you for being with Mason. It doesn't bother me. He seems like he really likes you."

"I know, but I should have told you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Emily's gaze softened, but her words were matter-of-fact. "Yeah, you should."

"I'm sorry," I repeated, my words stumbling out. "I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I was afraid."

"Afraid?" Emily's voice cracked slightly as she met my eyes, her gaze almost too intense, too full of something I couldn't quite place. "Afraid of what? That I'd get mad at you? Or maybe that I'd feel left out?"

My chest ached. I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. "I was hoping you'd understand. I wanted to keep it between us, like a secret, just... for now."

"You didn't trust me enough to tell me?" She said it quietly, her voice soft but with an edge that made me flinch. "I was hoping you could trust me, you know? At least for that. To tell me that you had moved on from that... terrible guy, and finally found someone new."

"I know," I whispered, staring at the floor, too embarrassed to look her in the eye. "I wasn't thinking."

Emily's eyes shimmered as she held my gaze, her lips trembling as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I would have been happy for you, you know? I would have loved to hear you talk about Mason. About how he made you feel, and when you went on dates, things like best friends do. But I guess I'm not too much for that. I don't deserve that."

I felt a sharp sting in my chest, like a dagger twisting into my heart. "No, it's not like that," I said quickly, but my voice cracked as I saw her stand up and start packing her things. "I was afraid to tell you. It was supposed to be a secret."

"And you think I would tell?" She scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips, though it was clear she was hurt.

"I know you wouldn't," I said, trying to hold onto the words that would make everything better. "It was stupid. Really, it was. But... our situation is complicated."

"Why?" she asked, her voice rising slightly, as though trying to understand. "What's so complicated?"

"He's my brother's best friend," I said, finally forcing myself to say the words out loud. "You know how Aiden is. He wouldn't like it. Not at all."

"So you would stay a secret forever?" Emily's voice was tight now, and her tears were starting to spill over, her face flushed with frustration.

"We didn't reach there yet," I said quickly, my heart pounding. "Eventually, we had to tell. I swear, it wasn't meant to be like this."

Emily shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her as she wiped her eyes. "I could have helped you, Ali!" she cried out, her voice loud with emotion. "You don't have to hide everything from me. I could have been there for you through this, but instead, I'm sitting here... hurt. You didn't trust me enough to share it with me."

Tears blurred my vision as I tried to speak, my chest tight with guilt. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm happy for you, really, I am," she said, her voice quivering. "But I thought we were friends. I thought we could share anything. I thought... I thought you trusted me to keep your secret."

"I know," I whispered, my voice thick with regret. "I wasn't thinking."

"No, you were," she said, her voice low but filled with pain. "You were thinking about yourself and keeping it a secret. But you didn't think about how I'd feel when I found out. You didn't think about what it would do to our friendship."

I could feel my heart breaking as she continued packing her things, putting her bag together, each motion just a reminder of how much I had failed her.

"I'm sorry, Em," I said again, the words barely escaping me as I watched her move away, the distance growing between us.

"I just want your happiness," Emily said, her voice shaky but resolute. "But I don't like staying in the shadows when something so important like this happens. It feels like I don't matter."

"Em, I-" I started, but she held up a hand, silencing me.

"It's okay, Alyssa," she said softly, though there was an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. "I get it. You didn't trust me enough to keep that secret."

"I trust you," I said desperately, reaching out for her. "You're my best friend."

"It doesn't look like it," she whispered, her eyes full of hurt as she slung her bag over her shoulder and turned towards the door. "I need some time, Alyssa."

"Emily!" I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion as I rushed to catch up with her. I followed her downstairs, my heart sinking with every step.

Mason was standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he saw me trailing after Emily. "Hey, I think the cake is ready," he said, his voice soft, but the concern in his eyes was obvious.

Aiden called out from upstairs, his voice filled with confusion. "Where are you going?"

Neither Emily nor I answered. She was already halfway to the door, and I could feel the finality of the moment weighing heavily on me. The boys exchanged a glance, trying to figure out what was going on, but Emily didn't stop. She walked straight outside, and I stood frozen in place, the realization of what was happening crashing over me.

"Emily, please don't do this," I pleaded, my voice filled with desperation.

"I'm sorry, Alyssa," she said, her voice thick with emotion as she turned to face me. "But you really hurt me this time."

"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention," I said, my voice breaking as I took a step towards her. " i didn't meant to hurt you"

"Well, but you did," Emily replied, her eyes full of unshed tears. "You hid something so important from me. I can't just pretend it's okay." I stood there feeling as if the ground had been pulled out from under me. My heart ached, my chest tight, as I watched Emily walk away. Every step she took felt like a hammer striking my heart. I knew that I had hurt her in a way I couldn't easily fix. It was one thing to make a mistake, but to hurt someone you love with that mistake... it was a pain I had never known before.

"Emily..." My voice cracked as I reached out, but she didn't turn back. She was already too far.

I stood there, frozen, staring at the her leaving, trying to will myself to breathe, to make sense of everything that had just happened. But nothing made sense. It was all a mess.

I heard footsteps behind me, and before I could turn around, Aiden's voice rang out from upstairs.

"What the hell happened?" Aiden's voice was sharp with confusion, laced with a hint of frustration. His footsteps pounded till his way outside, quick and heavy, until he appeared beside me, his expression a mixture of concern and irritation. "Where did she go? Why is she leaving like that?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but nothing came out. The lump in my throat was too big, and my tears began to spill over, too overwhelming to hold back any longer. I wiped my face, but it didn't stop the tears from flowing. Aiden looked at me with even more confusion, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Ali, what's going on?" His voice was softer now, but the frustration in his eyes didn't leave. "Why did Emily leave? What did you say to her?"

I couldn't look at him, not right now. I couldn't bring myself to explain everything-everything I had hidden, everything I had kept from him. I shook my head, not knowing where to begin. There were too many emotions swirling inside me to put into words, and I was afraid of what Aiden might say if he knew.

He didn't wait for my words he just followed after Emily.

Before I could respond, I heard the faintest sound of footsteps behind me again, this time softer and gentler. Mason's presence at my side was a comfort, his familiar warmth enveloping me. He didn't say anything at first. He just stood there, his eyes soft with concern as he reached out to place a hand gently on my shoulder.

"Mason, I..." I choked on the words. I didn't know what to say. I was lost. Everything felt like it was slipping through my fingers. He knew something was wrong. He had to know.

"Hey," Mason said softly, his voice warm, yet filled with the sadness I could feel in the air. "It's okay. We'll fix this, alright?" His words weren't some empty reassurance. There was a steadiness in them, an anchor that I desperately needed right now.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to pull myself together, but the tears didn't stop. It felt like I couldn't breathe, like everything I had built had crumbled in an instant. My friendship with Emily, the secrecy with Mason-everything was falling apart.

"She won't forgive me," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I've ruined everything."

"You didn't mean to hurt her," Mason said softly, his thumb brushing over my hand in slow, reassuring circles. "I know you didn't, Alyssa. Emily will come around. She's your best friend. She just needs time."

"But I... I should've told her," I whispered, shaking my head. "I should've trusted her. She's my best friend. I've hurt her in a way I don't know if can fix."

Mason let out a soft sigh, his hand gently pulling me into his chest. I leaned into him, the comfort of his embrace the only thing grounding me at the moment. "It's not too late," he said. "You'll talk to her, and she'll understand. You'll make things right."

I nodded, even though I wasn't sure I believed him. The situation felt too broken to be fixed, too fragile to be mended. But Mason's arms around me, his presence, it made the world seem a little less heavy, a little more bearable.

"I just... I don't know how to fix this," I said, my voice cracking.

"One step at a time," Mason replied gently. "First, let's get through tonight, okay? Then we'll figure it out."

I pulled back slightly to look up at him, my eyes red from crying. He gave me a soft, reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out together."

As I looked up at him, I felt a small spark of hope, despite everything that had happened. Maybe we could fix this. Maybe we could make things right. But one thing was certain: we couldn't keep hiding forever. I had to face Aiden, face Emily, and eventually, the truth had to come out.

I took a deep breath, wiping the last of the tears from my face. "Mason... I think we need to tell Aiden," I said quietly, looking at him with newfound resolve. "We can't keep this a secret. Not anymore. Not after this."

Mason didn't hesitate. He simply nodded, his expression soft and understanding. "I know. We'll tell him when the time is right. But for now, let's not make things harder. We'll figure out the right way to tell him."

"We'll tell him when the time is right," I repeated, my voice steadier this time. "And Emily too. I need to talk to her. She's my best friend, and I know she'll come around. I just need to give her time."

Mason nodded, pulling me back into his arms. "We'll work this out"

A wave of emotion washed over me, and for the first time tonight, I felt like maybe everything wasn't lost. Maybe there was still a chance to fix things. I could apologize to Emily, and make things right with her. I could be honest with Aiden, tell him about Mason and me. It wasn't going to be easy, and there was still a lot of hurt to heal, but we would get through this. Together.