Page 79 of Stay
“So, that’s it? You guys are over?”
“Cass, I can’t be with a guy who cheats.” She sucks in a big breath before slowly blowing it out again. “I just can’t.”
“Does he want to work it out?” Austin is so crazy about her. I can’t imagine him walking away without a fight.
She scrunches her face before picking up her phone and scrolling through a few things before handing it over. My eyes widen before darting back to hers.
“Forty-two missed calls?” That’s, umm, excessive.
“And fifty-five unanswered text messages,” she adds before huffing out a breath.
“Wow.” It takes a moment to gather my scattered thoughts. “I don’t know if that’s romantic or cause for a restraining order,” I say with a bit of humor, but I’m not entirely joking.
She glares out the window. “I’ve told him there wasn’t anything more for us to talk about, but he won’t leave me alone.” She shakes her head in exasperation. “He keeps showing up at my classes and the cafeteria…” She pauses. “It’s just getting embarrassing.”
I can’t believe all this was going on and I didn’t have a clue.
“What are you going to do?” I point to the cell. “Did you give him a chance to explain his side of the story?”
Just as I ask the questions, her phone chirps with an incoming call.
One glance at the screen has her rolling her eyes. “Guess who.”
Even though I don’t want to get involved in this mess, I’d do it for Brooklyn, because that’s what friends do. They help each other out. And I haven’t been a very good friend to her.
“Do you want me to answer it? Maybe if I talk to him, tell him that you need some space, he’ll get the message and leave you alone.”
She hits the decline button before tossing the phone on her bed. “No.” Her brows pinch together as she scoffs, “His side of the story? Give me a break! What could he possibly say? That he was soshitfaced, he thought Mandi Richards was me? Ha! That he accidently slipped and fell onto her face?” Jaw tightening, she shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”
“But you can’t keep living like this with all the calls and texts, and him following you around campus.” I don’t even know what to tell her. This is completely out of my depth. “Maybe he just needs to hear you tell him it’s over. That there’s no coming back from this.”
“I can’t talk to him right now. I’m still too angry.” Sadness and hurt lurk in her eyes. She may be furious with him, but she still cares.
Unsure what the answer is, I pull her in for an embrace. “How about we plan a girls’ weekend? We can stay at the dorm and binge-watch reality TV or check out a party.” I quickly tack on, “But definitely not any hockey parties.”
Her lips flatten. “I think I’m done with hockey players…for now.” After a moment, her lips curve into a smile. “Thanks.”
“I’m really sorry about being such a crappy friend.”
Even though I’m nearly twenty, sometimes it still feels like I’m navigating through the pitfalls of how to be a good friend. This is the stuff people learn in grade school. Not college.
“It’s all good. We’ll have fun this weekend, just the two of us.”
“Definitely.”
20
CASSIDY
We stay in Friday night and stuff our faces with pepperoni pizza while marathoning reality TV shows. Saturday afternoon is more of the same. I fill Cole in on the situation with Brooklyn and Austin, and he says he’ll speak with his friend. Hopefully, get him to back off for a while.
Even though I love spending time with Cole, it’s nice that we can do our own thing and still be good. After this weekend, I need to carve out more time for Brooklyn.
By eight o’clock on Saturday night, my roommate is climbing the walls with the need to escape our dorm and hit one of the fraternity parties that seem to be a constant around here. Since Cole and Austin are throwing a bash of their own, she won’t have to worry about running into her ex, which is a relief.
Looking to draw as much male attention as possible, Brooklyn chooses a short, black skirt and a low-cut, red shirt that clings to her curves and does amazing things for her boobs. They almost defy gravity with their perkiness.
Not wanting to encourage any male attention, I throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty pink cashmere sweater that is soft and well-loved. But not exactly sexy. I leave that to Brooklyn, who has decidedto pull out all the stops tonight. Since this is clearly a hunting expedition, Brooklyn leaves her long blonde hair free to float around her shoulders in big soft curls. It’s her secret weapon. Not that she needs one. She’s gorgeous and never lacks for male attention no matter what she’s wearing. How she manages to look like sex on a stick, all the while appearing angelic, is beyond me.
