stack overflow

Every passing second made the heels of Nia's hands itch deeper and burn hotter, even though the look on Cole's face was fairly neutral, as faces went.

She arrayed her own in its most unimpressed expression. "Forget I said anything. You were sayin', about Indol?"

"Too late for that, my dear."

"Wh- did you know?!"

"It'd be objectively foul play for me to claim that I 'knew it' and that you couldn't fool me if you tried, because you did try, and you almost fooled me."

Was it only trying? Was it only fooling?

"But yes, I knew."

Which was just great, of course. Yes, lucky Nia, she'd picked an ostensibly safe person to make this bungle in front of, but she could see exactly where this slippery slope led: first she'd try being trusting, so she'd start racking up a little tab of those who knew versus those who didn't, and then one of those who did would make a passing comment to one of those who didn't, rendering them both uncomfortable and their mutual acquaintance vulnerable simply because Nia herself couldn't remember to manage her information and the responsibility (or associated lack thereof) of Knowing.

Very likely, by the point of this eventuality, those who didn't know probably hadn't been told for a very good reason, so they would begin to mistrust either their friend or Nia or both. No good came from honesty - none at all! Because if it was this difficult to realize, then was it even really true, about her?

"I hate to break it to you-" Nia startled up out of her feverish reverie "-but you're much safer than you realize. Not only safer, but stronger and smarter too."

"I know, I know, nothing good ever comes easy. And it's worse to be safe if all you're doing is hiding, but someday you'll find the people who'll love you the way you are, and it's worth waitin' for. I know." All rewards patience.

Cole nodded. "All fair, if trite, points. But Nia, that person you're waiting for...it's you."