#Chapter 53: A Fool’s Masquerade

Olivia I sat there on the sand for a long time after Nathan left, staring out at the ocean as the light faded over the horizon. Confusion gnawed at my thoughts as I mulled over the words that had come out of my mouth and hurt my friend’s feelings. Maybe I had been too harsh with Nathan. Perhaps I should have been more understanding and empathetic. The weight of guilt settled upon my conscience, urging me to make amends and bridge the growing divide between us. Determined to apologize, I made my way back up to the house, anticipation mingled with nervousness. The house was dark when I entered, with only the lamp on in the living room. Nathan wasn’t anywhere to be found downstairs, so I headed up to his room to see if he was in there. However, as I reached his door, my hand poised to knock, I noticed that there was no light pouring out from underneath the door. A sinking feeling enveloped me as I realized he was either already asleep, or he was pretending to be asleep