For Me,There Is Only You |18+|

2. True Friend.

4 Years Later

The value of emotional support is often overlooked.

People are quick to share their opinions about your life, even when you didn't ask for them. But when it comes to actually standing by your choices, those same people vanish behind criticism and unsolicited advice.

"I can't believe this," Mandy said, disbelief dripping from every word. Her short blonde hair swayed as she shook her head, and her cat-like eyes narrowed at Cassie. "We spent the entire weekend getting you ready for this big day, and now you're saying you didn't even go through with it?"

Cassie stared into her coffee, her black hair falling like a curtain over her face, hiding whatever emotion she didn't want us to see.

"If everything was going so well, why did you run away?" Kara asked, brows raised.

Cassie's voice was barely audible. "I got scared."

"Scared?" Mandy echoed, her tone sharp with judgment. "You're twenty-two, Cass. Are you seriously going to live like a nun forever?"

Coming from Mandy, that was surprisingly mild.

I had braced for something far worse, like her usual, 'It's not the 80s, sweetie. Go suck a dick and live a little.'

Cassie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her hands trembling slightly.

"When he took me to his room... I don't know. I just froze. He started undressing, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened. I panicked. So, I ran."

Her voice cracked, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Around us, the café buzzed with soft conversation, clinking cups, and background music, but none of it mattered. Our table felt like a bubble of quiet tension.

"It's okay, Cass," I said gently, wrapping my hands around my coffee mug for warmth. "You weren't ready. And that's perfectly okay."

Currently, we are living in a world that constantly tells you sex is a rite of passage.

That not doing it makes you immature. That being cautious makes you uncool.

Cassie gave a small, shaky nod. "Sam really wanted to take things to the next level. I think I hurt him."

I reached across the table and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Did he say anything that upset you last night?"

She shook her head. "No. He was sweet, actually. He didn't push. He even drove me home. That's what makes me feel worse."

"Cass," I said softly, "sex doesn't define a relationship. Being loved, feeling safe... that's what matters. You should never feel guilty for setting a boundary."

Mandy, who had been sitting there with growing impatience, snapped her gaze to me.

"You should really keep your opinions to yourself on this one," she said sharply.

There it was... blunt as ever.

I raised a brow.

"Why are you being such a drama queen? It's just sex. Bang your boyfriend and move on," she said to Cassie, her tone flippant and unapologetically Mandy.

"Really?" I shot back, my voice edged with disbelief. "That's your advice?"

Mandy pointed a finger at me, her expression turning smug.

"Ignore her," she told Cassie. "She's just a prude."

Perfect. Now the conversation had somehow turned into me being the problem.