Naomi shakes her head in disappointment as she squeezes my arm.
“He is a son of a bitch, and you deserve so much better. You get that, right? You understand that his shitty behavior is not a reflection on you or your worth?”
I’d love to agree, but unfortunately I fear I have turned into that woman that is so dependent on the man I thought I loved affection and actions, I don’t know what to think. It’s cliché to think that I’m the problem, that I must have done something. That I wasn’t enough in some aspects. I just…I can’t believe he’d do this. He didn’t even have the decency to end things with me before the goddamn engagement party invitations were being sent out?
“Guess you were, right, Nay. We should have never gone there in the first place,” I say with a bitter scoff.
“No,” Naomi says urgently before muttering under her breath. “I’m sorry, Cass. I was out of line. Our phone call and every moment after. I…I’ve been struggling and that’s not on you, nor was it fair for me to put it onto you. I’m so sorry. If I could take it all back I would in a heartbeat. I didn’t mean any of it. Truly.”
Her blue eyes are watering like she’s about to burst into tears. She’s such a goddamn empath, always has been. When someone is hurting, she just about keels over in pain at just the sight of it. It’s one of the many things I love about her. Even if her words and, honestly, actions leading after hurt, I don’t have it in me to hate my best friend. Especially not when everything else is fucking crumbling around me.
“You were trying to look out for me, Nay. I get it. We’re okay,” I say before pausing. “And I’m sorry for blowing up on you. I never should have thrown your virginity in your face like that. I was out of line.”
As if we’ve summoned him, my phone rings, buzzing against the table as all of our eyes swing to his contact name. His picture is one I took of him when we were in bed together a few days ago.
A few days ago.
How can we go from that moment, wrapped up in the sheets, him promising me forever, that he loved me, that he wanted me…to this? In just a few days?
Naomi reaches for the phone, declining the call. I nod in thanks before the phone starts up again. This time I decline the call and we all sit in anticipation. Within seconds, the phone rings again and again. No matter how many times I decline the call, he calls right back.
He’s no doubt calling to cover his ass. Make up some bullshitexcuse. It doesn’t matter, though. I don’t want to hear from him. I don’t want anything to fucking do with him.
“Are you okay?” Naomi asks softly.
“No,” I answer quickly.
The girls nod before Arianna pipes in.
“Want me to cut his dick off? Would that make you feel better?”
I look to my friend before shrugging.
“Couldn’t hurt.”
I picked up a shift after my classes were done for the day. Really, it’s just to help out with the after school rush because oddly enough that is a thing. Parents don’t want to take the time off work or pull their kids out of school so our office stays open until eight at night on the weekdays.
After we get the lobby cleared, it’s looking like we will be able to actually leave early. Glancing to my side, I see Rebecca, the full time receptionist playing a game on her phone when the door opens. She sinks a little lower, as if to say ‘this one is all you’ and I do my best to hide my sigh of irritation.
“Hi, how can I help yo?—”
My words stop immediately as I stare at the man in the doorway. Nico looks to me with frantic eyes as he quickly crosses the room.
“Cassi, I need to talk to you,” he says breathlessly, as if he ran all the way here from Boston.
“I’m working,” I practically spit.
He winces at the ferocity in my tone, but I don’t give a fuck. I don’t want to see his face. I don’t want him near me. I don’t want anything to do with the lying fucker before me.
“Please, Cass. I need to explain. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“You need to leave. Now,” I say stoically, earning the attention of Rebecca who puts her phone down to watch us curiously.
Nico sighs in frustration as he shakes his head.
“No! I’m not going anywhere. Please, just give me five minutes,” he says, his voice rising as Maddie walks in from the back.
“What is going on in here?” she asks before her eyes land on Nico, her gaze turning poisonous.
