Even

"Why does it matter? That was so long ago," Bradon replied dismissively, as if he didn't want to talk about this topic any longer.

Despite what he wanted, I wasn't inclined to let it go, because I could clearly imagine the consequences of his actions. I stared at him intensely while feeling a stinging sensation at the back of my eyes that made me realize that I was on the verge of tears. It was probably because I could relate to his situation, imagining the punishment and the price he had to pay to cover for me. If on that day, the one who had covered for me was truly Anthony, then I was sure he would have gotten off with little to no punishment at all. However, things must have been very different for Bradon.

"Why did you do something like that? You knew that you would be punished in my place. There was no way they would let you go without any punishment," I said as my voice cracked under the strain of my emotions.

"I did it so you wouldn't get punished and so that no more conflict