[ In the dimly lit area it still works to be able to make out his expressions, any gesturing. She watches, waits, patience not as bottomless as it once used to be. Times were different now, weren’t they? ]

Right. A brother. [ A scoff. ] Who just so happened to be conveniently out of the picture the entire time we’ve known each other. Who just so happens to conveniently show up now. A brother you thought was dead.

Well, Nate, that’s great for you, I suppose. Two brothers reunited. Congratulations. You two clearly have so much to catch up on.

[ Does she sound sarcastic, bitter? Yeah, she still has good reason. And right now Elena chugs back two long sips of her drink while hating on the tightness that squeezes at her chest and makes it hard to swallow down her drink. Hates that her eyes are beginning to sting, yet she’s grateful for the mask, for the partial darkness they’ve moved themselves to.

Hates him for how she’s feeling right in this moment. ]

I don’t— Nathan, I don’t get you. You lied about him. You lied about where you were going, why you were doing what you were doing. To me.

I thought we were done with that.