The weekend was chill, like Cassie had expected, but Acacia said that Parker came back from the retreat grouchier than usual. It took till Wednesday for Kaysh to find out why.
Acacia [9:48 PM]
Fuck. She and Sam broke up
Cassie [9:49 PM]
Fuck
When Acacia and Cassie had breakfast Friday morning, Kaysh looked tired.
“She’s not handling it well,” she said. “You know how she puts responsibility for everything on herself.”
Cassie could only imagine. She pushed scrambled eggs around on her plate.
“And, babe, Donovan is taking me away for the weekend,” Acacia said. “You have to stay with her.”
Cassie stared at her. “What?”
“I wouldn’t leave her alone, but Donovan planned this like a month and a half ago,” Kaysh said. “I need you to stay with her this weekend.”
“She doesn’t even like me that much lately,” Cassie said.
“Well, she likes herself even less right now. You’ll make her feel better. Even if she doesn’t think that’s what you’re doing.”
Cassie didn’t believe that. But she couldn’t say no to her best friend.
“Okay.”
“Promise me,” Acacia said.
“I promise.”
* * *
She wasn’t alone with Parker for half an hour before Parker was yelling at her to leave.
“Get out, Cassie! I don’t want you here!”
Cassie considered it for half a second, but no. “I don’t care if you want me here or not, princess,” she said. “I told Acacia I’d be here and I’m going to fucking be here. All weekend.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you told Acacia—”
“Well, you should,” Cassie said. “Because she’s my best friend. And you’re my best friend. And I’m not leaving you alone while you’re sad.”
Parker actually looked shocked, and it broke Cassie’s heart. She seemed surprised that Cassie hadn’t just given up on their friendship. Cassie kind of wanted to punch her, kind of wanted to hug her.
“I love you, you idiot,” Cassie said. “I’m staying here. We can talk or watch Disney movies or get drunk or snuggle or anything you want, but I’m staying here.”
Parker swallowed. Cassie refused to break eye contact.
“I have homework to do,” Parker said, like that was as close to accepting Cassie’s attempt at comfort as she could get.
“Great,” Cassie said. “I brought my books.”
They worked in silence for a good hour, Parker at her desk and Cassie sprawled across Acacia’s bed. Eventually Parker flipped her book closed and looked over at Cassie. Her face was wary even as she extended the olive branch.
“I’m on season two of Scandal, if you want to watch with me?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said immediately. “Yeah definitely.”
They were two episodes in when Parker talked in the time between one episode ending and the next beginning.
“I’m sorry I said that thing about you not knowing how to be vulnerable.”
“What?”
“That night.” Parker’s voice was quiet. “I’m sorry I said you didn’t know how to be in a relationship.”
Cassie was glad they were both focused on Parker’s computer, no eye contact necessary.
“You weren’t necessarily wrong,” she said. “I’m sort of an idiot when it comes to that kind of stuff. Sure had no idea about Seth, right?”
“That wasn’t your fault,” Parker said.
“It wasn’t yours, either.”
They fell silent. Cassie thought the moment was over, but then:
“Why didn’t you sleep with Gwen?”
“What?”
The next episode was starting, but Parker kept talking. “I saw her hitting on you. I know you think she’s hot.”
Cassie forced herself not to shift uncomfortably. She kept her eyes glued on the screen.
“I don’t automatically sleep with someone just because I think they’re hot,” Cassie said. It felt too heavy, too much like how this whole thing got started, and so she added, “I mean, I haven’t slept with you, have I?”
It made Parker chuckle and push her shoulder into Cassie’s, which made Cassie a little braver. She talked over Fitz, who was saying something dumb on the computer.
“I didn’t want to sleep with Gwen because I didn’t want to mess things up with you,” she admitted.
Parker burrowed a little farther under the blankets. Finally, after a long silence, she looped her arm through Cassie’s, and Cassie breathed.