“Cass, where are you?” I ask calmly.
“I’m, uh, in Boston.”
“Boston? Since when?”
Classes start on Monday. What could she be doing there? I mean, I know her sister lives out there, but she just visitedSeattle and they’ve never been close, so it’s not like she followed her out there for more family bonding or anything like that.
“I got here yesterday,” Cassi says quietly.
Wait. No. Oh my God.
I can’t help it. My mouth drops open, and my eyes widen as I look at my best friend, who’s making a huge fucking mistake.
“Cass… no.”
Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Cassi looks down at the ground nervously. “Yeah, I mean, it just kinda happened.”
“What do you mean?” I gasp. “What just happened? You sleeping with your sister’s boyfriend, or you jumping on a plane so you have easier access to him?”
Cassi seems shocked by my aggression, but come on—we’ve always been straight with each other. Especially Cassi, honestly. She’s the first one to tell us when someone’s doing something fucked up. Just because she’s the one in that position now doesn’t mean she gets a free pass.
“I…”
“Honestly, I’m really disappointed in you, Cass. I mean, this isn’t you. I know you and Carly don’t get along, but to help her boyfriend cheat? The club was an accident, but this,” I say as I gesture to the men’s button-down she’s currently wearing.
Cassi quickly pinches the shirt together, like that will absolve her of what she’s done. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to judge her. She’s a grown woman—she can sleep with whoever she wants, and as her friend, it’s my job to support whatever makes her happy. This isn’t that, though. She felt awful when she found out her mystery man was her sister’s boyfriend. We talked for hours about how she regrets it and wants him to disappear—a feeling I can absolutely relate to. That’s why I’m so dang confused why she’s doing this.
“You don’t get it,” Cassi says with a shake of her head, her voice choked with tears.
“No, I don’t. At all. This isn’t you. You’re worth more. You’re not a side piece; you don’t deserve your sister’s sloppy seconds. You deserve someone like Alec that will make you their entire life. You should be number one, always.”
I hope she understands where I’m coming from because it’s true. She deserves the world. Not this slimy scumbag.
“Would you believe me if I told you that Nico makes me feel that way?” Cassi asks quietly.
“Not if he’s still dating your sister,” I answer honestly.
Hurt flashes on her face, and for a moment, I regret being so hard on her.
“It’s complicated, Nay,” she snaps defensively.
Complicated?Complicated? Call me the dang queen of complicated. At least she didn’t suck off her brother. At least she isn’t dreaming of doing it again and again. The difference is, I’m refusing to go there. I know it’s wrong, and so does he. I mean, yes, I did try to initiate another encounter, but that was a lapse of judgment, and I needed the brush-off from Kolter to fully take in the situation. It’s wrong, it’s messed up, and I know better. Cassi should too. Instead, she’s playing the victim, and it pisses me off.
“It’s more than complicated, Cass. It’s wrong.”
The hurt dissipates from her features then, fiery rage taking over.
“I get that you don’t have all of the facts and you’re drawing conclusions based off the information you have, but respectfully, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
I laugh bitterly as she continues to defend herself with absolutely zero self-reflection. “Okay, Cass. Play the victim. I’m the bad guy, Carly is the bad guy. Not you and Nico, though, right? You guys are just two innocents caught up? Like it’s that fucking easy. Society has rules, standards, and you’re breaking them!”
I’m practically heaving. I never swear—my mom instilled that in me from a young age, so I’ve probably cursed a total of five times my whole life. Six now, I guess.
Cassi shakes her head in disbelief and sneers at me. “Honestly, why am I getting lectured by a jealous virgin? Maybe if you stuffed more than vibrators in your cunt, you’d chill the fuck out and realize life isn’t so black and white! It’s messy, and I thought my best friend would get that. Apparently not. Do the world a favor and get laid already—you’re acting like a miserable bitch.”
The screen goes dark, and I’m left feeling numb. That’s the problem with fighting with friends—they know just how to hurt you.
Without thinking about it, I stand up and move to my closet, rifling through my clothes until I find the shortest, tightest dress possible. It’s a little black dress that’s even more risqué than the one I wore to the club. Ari got it for me for my birthday last year, knowing I’d never buy it for myself.