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Regina told her, and Sofia was quiet for a e of ina’s voice was a near whisper now "He didn’t, did he?"

"No," Sofia stressed immediately "He didn’t, not at all It just surprises me that Alex wouldn’t tell you Brandon had It’s what I orried about and why I wanted to talk to you I had a feeling that story ht It’s why I told you at the party that Brandon was a good guy"

Regina thought about that for ain love with Brandon doubled over "Brandon toldthat happened was consensual," she whispered "But he did leave a lot out" She closed her eyes, her hand clutching the phone tightly "Is there ina’s heartbeat, and she squeezed her eyes even tighter "Sarah was the closest thing to a sister I had back then So she’s the only one I ever told, but even she doesn’t know the whole truth I had to deal with the guilt of Brandon taking all the blame for what happened for years None of us had talked or even thought about this for years, and I wasn’t sure howhim after all this tiain andon then took another deep breath "You’re the only one I’rave with you I’ it because Brandon didn’t deserve to take all the heat like he did back then I certainly don’t want to be the cause of any probleina assured her she wouldn’t tell a soul In a lowered voice, Sofia began again "You know all aboutup, right?"

"Yes"

The thought actually made her crack a smile She’d heard so many stories She’d also heard the stories about how Sofia and Eric had sneaked around right under their noses What orrisoator in all those stories She wondered nohat else she’d done with Brandon that no one knew about

"I could ina, but the truth is I was young I’d never been kissed by anyone but Eric, and the bottom line is I was attracted to Brandon So when he decided to kiss ave me the opportunity to walk away He literally told me to tell him to stop before he did it and that he would, but I didn’t I wanted him to" With another deep breath, she added, "Eric was already so hurt when I confessed what had happened I couldn’t possibly tell him that I could’ve easily avoided the kiss but chose not to The worst thing was my brothers and Eric all blamed hi," she said, her voice dripping with irritation, "who had been taken advantage of As iven into a moment of weakness ofEric His followingup drunk atinto what ina "Was it just the kiss, Sof? Nothing else ever happened?"

"Nothing else ever"

Feeling an enor "Were you ever in love with him?"

"No," Sofia answered immediately and with conviction "That was one area I had far ina’s surprise, Sofia touched on the very thing she was thinking "He confessed just before he left that he was in love with me, but I’d been in love with Eric for years I knehat true love really felt like, and there was no way Brandon could have felt that for me No way We never had that kind of connection if that’s what you’re thinking"

Sina knew that, even with this infors with Brandon Like Sofia he likely thought Alex had badmouthed him--made him out to be a villain

Sides

She couldn’t have hi hi advantage of Sofia All she’d been asking for or ever cared about hether or not there wasSofia had just confir Sofia for all her honest and upfront inforain This tiht to voice that at least his phone was on now, she sent hi over

She wouldn’t even wait for hi her keys, she headed for her car when she got his text response

I’ina So don’t waste your tiina texted back as fast as she could, standing right outside her car

I don’t want your side I spoke with Sofia I just want to talk to you now

She waited before she got in the car in case this was all he was going to give her She didn’t want to be driving if they were going to go back and forth via text Startled when her phone rang, she was evenimmediately