“Serena, wait please.” Catherine pleads, her voice raw with emotion.
“You had years to try! Years to reach out, to apologize, to show you care! You didn’t even try to reach out when dad died. You left me wondering, questioning if I was ever good enough to be your daughter. You have no idea what you’ve done to mess with my head, but I only came here to get the closure I needed.”
The words hang heavy in the air between us. “Thank you for coming out to see me, but I think we should just leave it as it is right now. Bye, Catherine and please don’t abandon your daughter like you did me.”
Closing my eyes, I lean back against the bench, trying to sort through the mess my mind has become. Thoughts of Mom and the unresolved conversation buzz like an annoying mosquito in the background. The park usually feels like a place of peace, but today it’s just a battleground. I need some clarity, a direction to go, but right now, I’m just a mess of tangled thoughts and feelings, hoping for some kind of sign.
I bite into my croissant sandwich with so much anger and anxiety that I probably look like a madman to passersby.
“Serena?”
I turn my head at the sound of my name and immediate anxiety graces through my body. I turn my attention back to my sandwich. “What do you want, Cassie?”
“I was taking a walk around the park…” her voice carries a cautious tone. She glances at the empty seat on the bench, “Is it okay if we talk?”
My grip tightens around the croissant, crumbs scattering onto the grass as frustration bubbles within me. “Talk? The lasttime you said something to me, you were upset that I ‘took your spot as top girl’.”
A soft sigh escapes her lips. “I know I was rude before. I’m… sorry about that.”
I swallow the bite and raise a finger, “Don’t forget the incident on my first day at practice. That was such agreathomecoming.” I glance up, eyeing her cautiously. Her expression seems genuinely different from the hostility I knew from her.
She takes a seat next to me, leaving a gap between us. “I’ve been wanting to clear the air about a few things. I know you think I’m the one behind spreading your past around, but I promise you, it wasn’t me. I would never do that to anyone.”
I scoff. If not her, then who would do something that spiteful?
I remain silent, so does Cassie. Then it hits me all of a sudden, a typical ah-ha moment.
“Emilie Belmont?” I say softly.
Cassie avoids my gaze and looks straight forward. “She’s my older cousin. I was so mad at myself for not nailing those stunts at practice, I was ranting to her about it. I guess she took matters into her own hands when she met you at Beckham’s house. I’m sorry about that… I didn’t know she would do something like that. Had I known what she was planning, I would’ve stopped her. I’m not like Emilie, I mean, yes, I was a bitch to you at practice all the time, but I would never bully you the way she does.” She explains without admitting seconds for breaths and turns to me.
I don’t say anything, I continue to look straight ahead, soaking in her words.
The park seems quieter now, the rustling leaves providing a subtle soundtrack to our conversation.
“I get it if you don’t believe me,” she murmurs, her voice tinged with regret. “I’ve given you every reason to think I’m just like her.”
I don’t reply.
“I judged you too quickly, and I regret it. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or to bring me into your friend group. I’ve been in your shoes, Serena. Feeling misunderstood, the need to be perfect. Being compared to Emilie half my life didn’t really help with my self-esteem.”
And something clicks in me. I feel her words tug at my chest, and I furrow my brows for a moment. “It’s okay, I guess,” I start, and let out a heavy breath. “I get it. The need to be perfect. It eats away at you.”
Cassie glances up, surprise flickering in her eyes as if she hadn’t expected me to relate. Perhaps in our rivalry, we’d overlooked the possibility of common ground. “Yeah…I know things have been complicated with everything going on lately, especially with... Tyler.”
“What about him?” I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Cassie fidgets with the edge of her jacket, her eyes avoiding mine for a moment. “You care about him a lot, don’t you?”
Her observation pauses me. I gulp. I hadn’t brought it up even with anyone in my closest circle lately. I’d been avoiding everyone, but, for some reason, this feels…okay?
“Yeah, I do,” I admit, feeling a mix of vulnerability and relief. “It’s just really complicated right now… well, I’m complicated.”
Cassie nods slowly, “Don’t be. He’s a good guy. You’re lucky to have someone like him. I’ve seen you together, and it’s more than what others think.”
The sincerity in her tone catches me off guard again. For the first time, I sense a genuine understanding in her words.
“I’m not trying to be in your business,” she adds quickly. “It’s just, what you have with Tyler is really authentic. I don’t know what’s going on in your life,” she says, eyeing me down, “but don’t let it hold you back from what you two have.”
