Page 9 of Unbreakable

“I wanted to ask you something,” I say finally.

“If it’s about the magazine, talk to Cassie-the-editor, not Cassie-the-person-who-hates-you.” She really is going to make this hard for me.

“It’s not about the magazine.” I lean forward slightly. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“Because of sophomore year. We’ve been through this.” Okay so she’s talking to me. That's a good sign, right?

“No, I mean… Why does it still hurt? It’s been two years. Why are you still so angry

She finally looks up at me, and if looks could kill I’m sure I’d be dead right now. “Because you knew better. That’s what makes me angriest. You’re not stupid. You’re not ignorant. You just chose to be complicit. You chose silence over solidarity, and that choice had consequences for me.”

“I know.”

“Do you though? Do you really understand what it felt like to have people I thought were friends turn on me? To have the guy I actually liked a lot participate in spreading rumors about me? To have you, someone who knew it was wrong just stand there and let it happen?”

“I was a coward.”

“Yes. You were, but like I said you don’t know what it did to me.” Her voice breaks a little, and I wonder what it did to her.

I’m not going to mention it now, but she said she liked me, maybe thats why it hurt her more.

“I’m trying not to be anymore. I want to make this right.”

“By reading poetry at the literary magazine reading?” Even, I know that's meant to sound like a dig at me.

“By actually changing who I am. By choosing to stand up when I see things that are wrong. By understanding that my silence is still a choice, and it has consequences.”

She looks at me for a long moment, and I see something shift in her expression. Not forgiveness, but maybe… understanding.

“That’s good,” she says quietly. “That’s really good. But it doesn’t undo what happened.”

“I know it doesn’t. I’m not asking for a do-over. I’m just asking if maybe… you could see that I’m trying.” If she can get to know me, I know she will see me for me, and not the one who let friends mess with my head. She will see I’m a nice person.

“I see it,” she admits. “Which is the problem.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“Because it would be easier to hate you if you were still the same person. If you were still toxic, arrogant and cruel. But you’re not. You’re actually trying to be better, and I don’t know what to do with that.”

“You could forgive me.” Maybe that's pushing my luck, but I’m taking it, maybe I’ve got her in a good mood.

“I could. But I’m not ready yet.”

“But maybe someday?”

She doesn’t answer, just takes a sip of her coffee and looks back at her laptop.

It’s not a yes. But it’s also not a no, and I’m taking it. Give her enough time, I know she’ll forgive me. If I’m lucky, even go on a date with me.

Chapter 5

Cassie

Tyler is making it very difficult to maintain my anger.

Anger is easier than anything else. Anger is clear and protective and doesn’t require me to be vulnerable. But Tyler keeps doing things that make the anger harder to hold onto.

He shows up to my shifts at the campus writing center and volunteers to help with editing. He reads every piece the literary magazine publishes and writes thoughtful feedback. He stops trying to force conversations with me, but he doesn’t disappear either. He just… exists in spaces we share, like he’s earned the right to be there.