“They might have been nothing to you, but they stuck with me, Daisy.”
She glares at me, and I look away. I could list a hundred other things she’s made comments about because I’m sick of keeping them to myself. But this conversation isn’t doing me any good, and I’m over it.
It might not be malicious, but when they begin to build up, I feel like a target that I can never escape, and I don’t need friends who bring me down.
“You’re actually unbelievable,” she rasps harshly.
My eyebrows shoot up. “I’m unbelievable?”
“Yeah,” she spits and steps towards me. “I came here upset, and you’re the one who decides to lecture me, that’s not what a friend does.”
A sour chuckle escapes my lips. “A friend? I don’t understand why you want me to be your competition.”
“I’ve never seen you as competition, Ivy. That’s just ridiculous.”
“Alright,” I throw my hands up in defence. “Whatever.”
She scoffs in my direction. “See, you don’t even care how upset I am about JJ!”
“I’m sorry you’re hurt, Daisy. And I know it feels shit.” I press my hands to my face. I can’t be dealing with this right now. “But it’s a rejection. It happens to everyone, all the time. I guess you don’t know what that’s like, because it rarely happens to you.”
Daisy’s eyes fill with tears again, and she shakes her head. “You’re not being very nice, Ivy.”
My heart quivers inside me, and I never intended for this conversation to take this turn. “Yeah, well, that makes two of us.”
“Screw you,” she grits and stalks away, slamming the front door behind her.
My fists tighten at my sides, and I resist the urge to scream at the top of my lungs.
The comment to JJ was the final straw. I shouldn’t have told Daisy to get with JJ. I should have told her the truth. It might have made things easier. Maybe this is my fault.
I inhale a big breath, burying my hands into my hair. A part of me wishes I never came home at all.
I knew it would end in disaster.
Footsteps echo behind me, but I don’t turn around. I really don’t care for any conversation right now. My head has already started thumping, and I’ve barely done any thinking. The rest of the day is going to be hell.
“Ivy?”
JJ’s voice rings in my ears.
“You good?” he asks softly.
I nod once, staring ahead at the blue sky. “Yeah,” I rasp and drift my eyes to the side to find him standing against the patio door.
“You sure?”
My eyes shut for a second. I hum in response.
“Can we talk… about the other night?”
I stand from the sunbed and grab my things. “Not right now.” I focus on the floor. “I have a headache and I’m not feeling up to it.”
When I walk towards the door, he doesn’t move out of the way. “Want me to grab you some paracetamol?”
I meet his blue eyes, and I curse him silently for being so sweet. After that argument with Daisy, I really don’t want to sit around and talk about my feelings for a second longer. I’m done with this crap for today.
“No, thank you.” I swallow and attempt to move around him.
