Knowing Tala

Initially, I planned to respond, but sensing her desire to speak further, I chose to remain silent and listen.

"But if all the rumours I've heard about you are true," she began, shaking her head slowly from side to side, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." With that, she refocused her curious gaze on me.

Earlier, I mentioned my tendency to keep to myself, which meant that the juicy bits of gossip circulating about me rarely reached my ears. So when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't help but ask, "I'm genuinely curious, what sort of things have you heard about me?".