Better than Friends

Chapter 16: Water Under the Bridge

• • •

"Some people play victims of crimes
They committed"

- Unknown

• • •

• { Atria St. James } •

I slipped on the lacey, dark red nightie that resembled close to a set of lingerie with a faint smile on my face. But as I stared at myself in the mirror a feeling of dread and grief overcame me as I imagined what my grandmother would think if she saw what I was wearing. I breathed in sharply as I shook my head, taking shaky steps back from the mirror till my back hit the cold wall behind me.

"You okay in there, Tree?" Cass called out from outside of my bedroom bathroom.

I pressed my lips into a thin line as I stared at the door suddenly feeling repulsed by my reflection. "Just fine, Cass. Uh, I'll be out soon just trying to figure out which holes my arms go-"

Cass pushed the door open, ignoring my protest as she scanned my body up and down to assess what I was wearing. I noticed that she was wearing the same nightie as mine except hers was a baby blue color, matching her eyes.

"You look good," She commented, clearing her throat while walking up to me to help adjust the strap.

With a slight chuckle she continued, "You just need a little help."

"Gosh, this shit feels like a jigsaw puzzle," I chuckled nervously as Cass's fingers grazed along the length of my arm.

She looked at me, her lashes fluttering as she quirked a smile. "Great analogy—but it's easier to put the pieces in place if we ju-"

My breath caught in my throat as her hands grazed just above my breast. I felt my throat close up as I imagined the hands of the boy across the street looking down at me, smirking at my vulnerability.

Cass chuckled at my apparent nervousness and pushed my hair out of my face, snapping me out of my imagination. I smiled back at her and said, "I think I can do it."

"Nonsense, here I almost have it anyways." She reached from behind me, finger nails dancing along my back which instinctively caused me to press closer to her and again an image of Dawson flashed through my head as I imagined what it would be like if he had me in this position.

Finally, after a whole minute of torture, Cass was finally able to adjust the strap where it needed to be. With a triumphant smile on her face she declared, "Viola! Now you look hot as shit, babe."

I turned to look at myself in the mirror again and instead of feeling guilt I instead felt safe as Cassidy placed both of her hands on my bare shoulders, squeezing them comfortingly. A silence fell between both of us as we gazed at our reflections in the mirror like a million thoughts were running in both of our heads.

Cassidy's eyes soon met mine in the mirror and I watched as her lips pulled down into a frown. It was an apparent indication that she was ready to say something and I already knew what it was.

"I shouldn't have done all that," Cass explained, turning my body so I was facing her now.

Her hands left my shoulders and found their way across her chest in a closed-up position. Her blonde locks fell over her face as she continued to explain, "I wasn't acting my best self and I was just so caught up with my jealousy that I didn't realize what I was doing would be irreversible. It was only when your grandma . . . Well, it was then that I realized you probably felt so alone and I couldn't let the girl I love feel that way—we've been friends for so long Tria and I can't let you go, I know that. I usually never say it but, I'm sorry, again, and I promise that I'll hold back when it comes to your relationship with Dawson."