Her Bet

chapter 29

Laria

I sat on my  bed, the faint glow of my  laptop illuminating the string lights that hung above my headboard. A cozy blanket wrapped around my legs, I  was lost in the world of the movie streaming on my screen. It was a romantic comedy, filled with light-hearted moments and laughter. The kind of film that allowed me to momentarily forget the whirlwind of emotions I had been navigating for the past few months.

Suddenly, a soft but firm knock echoed from my bedroom door, pulling me from my happy bubble. I  hesitated briefly, wondering who could be on the other side. My mom is in another city and Winter is off . And most of my friends knew to give me space after everything that had happened. Reluctantly, I set my laptop aside, a mix of curiosity and anxiety coursing through me as I approached the door.

When I swung it open, the sight that greeted me was unexpected. There stood Jess.  The girl’s usually vibrant eyes were dulled with uncertainty, and her shoulders slumped slightly as if the weight of the world was pressing down upon her.

“Laria, "  Jess said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, “can we talk?”

My stomach twisted. Memories of betrayal flickered through my mind—of trust shattered when I had discovered that Jess also had slept with Cole.

"What do you want, Jess?” I  asked, my  tone cooler than I intended.

“I came to apologize. I know I hurt you deeply, and I can’t even begin to express how sorry I am.”

. “You think an apology fixes everything? You destroyed our friendship, Jess. You ruined everything when you decided to sleep with him!”

Jess swallowed hard, the guilt evident on her face. “I know. I was selfish and stupid. It was a terrible mistake, and I never wanted to hurt you. I…I let my feelings get the best of me, and I didn’t think about the consequences.”

. “And what? You thought you could just show up now and everything would be alright again?”

“I didn’t expect you to forgive me,” Jess admitted, her voice trembling. “I just needed you to know how truly sorry I am, not just for what I did to you, but for how I treated our friendship. It was one of the greatest things in my life, and I threw it away.”

The vulnerability in Jess' words caught me off guard. .

“And you think I would be able to just let it all go? To forget?”

“I don’t expect you to forget. I just hope that you can find it in your heart to at least hear me out. "

"Hear what ? I don't need details. Are you done or what?"

Jess scoffs  shaking her head. Her expression changes from sad to angry.

"You weren't any better friend Laria ." She spats out with cold tone.

"What?"

"You knew that I've liked  Cole since fucking middle school and you still went ahead and dated him . You didn't care about my feelings, you only asked if I was ok after you announced your little trashy relationship. I had to say yes , because I knew you felt the same way about him and I knew you were happy . I sacrificed my own feelings for you but you still didn't even realise or appreciate, Laria! "

I listen attentively as Jess vents her frustrations, feeling a mix of emotions: guilt, defensiveness, and concern. As she finishes speaking, I notice her heavy breaths, a sign of her emotional exhaustion. It's like she's always wanted to say this for a long time .

I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully

. "I'm sorry you feel that way. I didn't....I didn't realise. I guess I was just caught up in my own world , selfishness and happiness. I guess I just loved Cole too much to understand."

"I know . But at some point my feelings had to get the best of me . When I found myself alone with him in a long time , the feelings just started exploding out of that little bowl I kept them in . And they got the best of me , Laria. I didn't mean for all of this to happen.  Please just forgive me. I also found it in my heart to live with the way you treated me , please ..."

I realize that her words are true, and I  feel a pang of regret. I open the door widely for her to get in . She gives me a small smile before entering my room.

"I was watching a random movie I found on Prime."

"Mmm. Cole texted me the other day ."

I look at her but she's smiling.

"I never replied to it . Did you do something to him?"

"No . I just ended things completely, why?"

"I don't know , he just seems different. "

"Well , maybe it's just his drugs taking a toll or something."

"Maybe . Did you talk to Pip?"

"Not in a while, no."

"I don't think she deserves this kind of treatment. She's been there through our ups and downs. I think she deserves a chance. And knowing her , she probably was as drunk as she claims she was ."

"But why would Cole sleep with someone who's not in their right mind .?"

"We should really talk to her Laria. Maybe ask her to come tomorrow. You know what this might mean. "

"I missed you ."

"I missed you too ,babe."

I smile and hug her. We continue watching the movie that I was watching.

......

Danton

Barry listens intently as I  share the details of our breakup, his expression empathetic.

"Man, that sounds rough," he says, shaking his head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. She sounds really hurtful."

I nod, still processing the emotions. "Yeah, it was a tough conversation. I feel like I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything she said."

Barry puts a hand on your shoulder. "You deserve better than someone who speaks to you like that. I told it's definitely gonna get rough."

"Yeah , but she's known me for years . And just one fact changes her whole perspective of who I am or who I was in her eyes. You should've seen the way she looked at me . It was like I'm some kind of shit she found in her food or something. "

"It's now you're seeing how judgemental she is?"

"I knew she was , but I...I didn't know it was to this point. Can I confess something though?"

"Sure."

"I hated the way she spoke about Laria. I hated it even more than anything she said to me. I felt like I wanted her....her to end our relationship the way she did so I won't have to talk to her . I never felt eager to end a relationship than yesterday. "

"I know that feeling. But I think we're better off without her anymore."

Yeah. I feel lighter and it's like a new beginning. I just have to push these  weeks and then get ready for spring break .