How The Heartaches Come And They Go

Chapter 20

Frida was shocked, her heart started pounding. Did Agnetha actually know? Frida tried to think of something to say, but all she could managed was a confused:
"I'm sorry, what?" Agnetha crossed her arms.
"Oh, don't play coy with me. I may be sick but I'm not stupid." Frida's mind was racing. Should she just deny everything? Or should she own up to it, come clean? She had promised Marieke it would stay a secret. But could she lie Agnetha straight into the face? What was is that Agnetha thought she knew anyways? If she had seen anything why didn't she say so last night? Frida was still scrambling for words.
"I really don't know what you're  talking about, Agnetha." Agnetha scoffed:
"I saw you and her holding hands last night." So Agnetha had seen something. Frida was still torn between denying it all or telling the truth.
"What do you mean holding hands? I mean, maybe our hands accidentally brushed, but why would I be holding Marieke's hand?" Frida felt bad for lying, but she had promised Marieke to keep it a secret. Agnetha only got more and more furious:
"You're really going to do this? You're going to do to me what we did to Björn and Benny? You're going to hurt me, again?!" The remark cut through Frida like a knife. What she was doing wasn't fair, but this certainly wasn't either.
"I hurt you?! Who wouldn't see me, be near me or even just look at me for weeks after it was over? You were punishing me for your own decision! You made it clear, that you would pick Björn over me and then had the audacity to act like it was my fault. You broke my heart into a million pieces, Agnetha! And now, and now that I am indifferent to your punishment, you can't take it. You are jealous. You are jealous that you are not the only thing on my mind anymore. You are jealous that Marieke and I get along. So you make up some story. Congratulations, that is a new low, even for you." Frida had started crying and was hastily wiping the tears out of her face.
"And now please let me out of the door. I'm gonna go." Agnetha was crying too, still leaning against the bathroom door, though no longer with her arms crossed. She didn't know what to say, so she just stared at the floor. Defeated Agnetha stepped aside, letting Frida leave.
She couldn't move, everything around her felt like it was frozen. When she heard the front door slam she sank to floor sobbing uncontrollably. She wanted Frida still there to comfort her, but she was also hurt. Yes, she had pushed Frida away, but the choice wasn't really hers. It was the only way their lives could have continued the way they were before, at least somewhat. Agnetha hadn't tried to punish Frida, Agnetha was broken into a million pieces too. Only she couldn't put herself back together.