“How long were you going to hide that injury from me?” My arms crossed over my chest as I waited for her answer. Claire nervously pulled down the beanie over her head and looked down at her boots. Instead of denying it, like I assumed she would, she slowly raised her chin and locked onto me. There was the smallest crack in her strong-girl façade, and I watched the mask slip just enough to make me feel worthy that she was trusting me. “How did you know?” “Because I pay attention,” I answered truthfully, but what I didn’t allude to was the fact that I only paid attention to her.
