Mason looked down for a long moment before finally speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to hurt anyone,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI just wanted to scare your mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
He explained that years ago, my mom had reported his father for abusing him and Caleb. Their father was arrested, and Mason blamed my family for everything that happened afterward\u2014the foster homes, the separation, the anger he carried for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you burned our house down?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
Tears filled his eyes. \u201cI didn\u2019t think it would spread that fast. I thought everyone would get out.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest felt hollow.<\/p>\n
For ten years, I believed the fire was a tragic accident. But it wasn\u2019t. Someone chose it.<\/p>\n
And Caleb had carried that truth alone since he was nine years old.<\/p>\n
On the drive home, neither of us spoke much.<\/p>\n
Finally, Caleb broke the silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you probably hate me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked out the window for a while before answering.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said softly. \u201cI think you were just a kid who got scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded, eyes wet.<\/p>\n
That night at prom, I thought Caleb gave me one perfect memory before everything fell apart.<\/p>\n
But strangely, after the truth came out, things finally stopped feeling broken.<\/p>\n
Because for the first time since the fire, I finally understood it wasn\u2019t my scars people noticed most.<\/p>\n
It was my survival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"