“Starving. What are you making? I can be over in five,” Naomi laughs.
I tense at that as I attempt to laugh with her.
“No way, moocher.”
Naomi’s laughter softens as her brows pull together.
“Wait, where are you? That doesn’t look like your kitchen. Oh my god. Are you at Alec’s house?”
Picking up my phone, I quickly step out of the kitchen and out to the outdoor patio as I nervously laugh.
“Uhm, nooo.”
Naomi waits for an explanation but when I don’t give her one, she speaks again.
“Cass, where are you?”
“I’m, uh, in Boston.”
“Boston? Since when?”
I look around like I’m expecting someone to be listening, even though it would be literally impossible. Still, I turn down my volume slightly so her voice doesn’t carry as far.
“I got here yesterday.”
When I don’t expand, I can see the wheels in Naomi’s head begin to turn. She always was the smartest one of our group. I literally see the moment it all clicks for her. Her eyes widen, her mouth drops and her hand raises to cover it.
“Cass…no.”
Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, I run my hands through my hair nervously.
“Yeah, I mean, it just kinda happened.”
“What do you mean?” she gasps. “What just happened? You sleeping with your sister’s boyfriend or you jumping on a plane so that you have easier access to do so?”
I’m taken back at her accusation and the aggression in her tone.
“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,” she says as she gestures to me, pointing to the button down that I now realize is in perfect view.
Feeling completely naked, I hold the shirt together some like that will help as I raise the view of the camera. I feel tears begin to prick behind my eyes at her anger. I don’t know why her judgment is bothering me so much but I feel like I’m gonna crack in two. Maybe it’s because she’s the quiet one of the bunch, the soft one. So if she is this disgusted in me I can’t imagine what Ari will have to say about me.
I wasn’t going to tell them. I literally just said this to myself. That was when I thought this was just a fling. This…it doesn’t feel like that anymore. It feels real, permanent. I fucking hate myself for thinking this way, but it feels like forever as dumb as that sounds.
“You don’t get it,” I say, shaking my head at Naomi as she interrupts me once more.
“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.”
“Would you believe me if I told you that Nico makes me feel that way?” I ask.
“Not if he’s still dating your sister,” she says flatly.
Ouch.
“It’s complicated, Nay,” I defend.
She lets out a bitter laugh as she shakes her head.
