Chapter 0334

Confusion clouded my expression. I didn't know what I was doing, or why. I didn't understand why I was allowing my heart to wander toward—

I couldn't finish the thought. I didn't want to admit, even to myself, that I might be developing feelings for Noah again. It was too complicated, too dangerous. We were supposed to be getting divorced, not falling back in love.

More than anything, I wished I had someone to talk to. Drake wasn't the right person for such intimate matters, and Amber… well, she wasn't aware of everything happening between Noah and me. We weren't as close as…

My thoughts drifted to Viona. I missed her, dearly. Now that time had passed, I felt guilty for fighting with her. She hadn't contacted me in weeks, probably still angry, but I couldn't bear it any longer. I needed to talk to her, to set things right.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my keys and left. The drive to Viona's apartment felt both too long and too short. My heart pounded as I knocked, my palms sweaty.

When Viona opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise. She'd cut her hair, a chin-length bob that swayed as she stumbled back. "Hannah? What are you doing here?"

I took a deep breath. "Can we talk?"

She hesitated, her eyes searching my face. Then she nodded and let me in. We sat on her couch, an uncomfortable silence stretching between us. I fidgeted with my shirt, unsure how to begin.

Finally, I spoke. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you. You were just trying to help. Fuck. I miss you."

Viona's expression softened. "Oh, Hannah… I'm sorry too. I promised not to tell Noah everything, and I broke that promise. I should have found another way. I miss you, too."

We looked at each other, and then we were hugging tightly. Tears pricked my eyes, relief washing over me. It felt good to have my friend back, to have someone I could confide in again. That argument felt so damn silly in hindsight.

"I was just scared, and looking for someone to be angry at," I admitted into her shoulder. "I took things out on you, and—"

"No, no, it's my fault," she sobbed.

"Viona, you're my best friend—"

We sobbed for some time, holding each other, until our tears dried. I gripped a strand of her hair, sniffling miserably.

"Your hair…"

"I chopped it off after our argument," Viona sobbed, fresh tears welling up. "I hate it. It looks so bad."

"It doesn't look bad. It looks… unique."

Viona sobbed harder, but then those sobs turned into laughter. Soon, we were both crying again, but these were tears of laughter—laughter from realizing how ridiculously silly this all was.

When we finally pulled apart, our faces aching and streaked with tears, Viona leaned back on the couch.

"I thought you came to talk about that online post," she said, wiping her cheeks.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The post, Hannah," Viona blinked. "You know, the '10,000 likes and I'll reveal everything' post?"

I blinked. I'd completely forgotten about it—I'd gotten so caught up in everything else. But the post…

"What about it?" I asked softly, my heart racing. Viona was silent as she swiped her phone screen. I could hear my own blood rushing, panic lancing through me. No, no, no—

She turned the screen toward me, and I felt like I might be sick.