Girl On Film

Chapter 25 - Friendly Comfort

Crystal POV

The second Jackie walks through the door, I feel like I can finally exhale. She's always had that effect on me, like no matter how bad things get, she'll be there, steady and unshakable. Jackie's been my rock for as long as I can remember, the sister I never had, but always needed. I think that's why I called her, why I needed her to come over today.

I don't even have to say a word. She steps inside, takes one look at me, and her expression softens in that way that makes me feel like she's already figured out half of what's going on. She sets her bag down on the table and crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, out with it." she says, plopping herself onto the couch. "What's going on? You look like you've been in your head all day."

I sit down next to her, feeling the weight of everything still heavy on my chest. I've been replaying the last few days over and over, especially what happened with Gigi at the park, the tears, the kiss, the way she made me feel like my world was crashing and being rebuilt at the same time. I can still feel her trembling in my arms, and it's messing with my head in the best and worst way possible.

"I don't even know where to start." I say, running a hand through my hair, pulling at the curls that still haven't fully dried from my earlier shower.

Jackie's eyes narrow as she leans in closer, resting her chin on her hand. "It's about Gigi, isn't it?"

Of course she knows. I shouldn't even be surprised. Jackie has been around long enough to pick up on the smallest things. Hell, she probably figured it out before I did. I nod, and she lets out a long breath, leaning back.

"What happened?" she asks, her tone softening.

I let out a shaky sigh and stare down at my hands, trying to put it all into words. "I don't know how to explain it. It's like...we've been going in circles, you know? I mean, I know she has her guard up. I get that. But I'm so deep in this now that I don't know how to handle it when she pushes me away."

Jackie watches me intently, nodding, her eyes never leaving mine. It feels good to have her here, to know she'll hear me out no matter how messy this gets. I tell her everything, ,about the kiss at the party, the night we spent together at my apartment, and the park, where everything came crashing down.

"I thought things were finally okay after the kiss." I say, my voice a little hoarse. "I thought maybe this time, she was ready to let me in. But then she texts me, telling me she made a mistake, that she can't be with me because of who she needs to be. And that just-" I pause, trying to find the words for the ache still lingering in my chest. "It hurt. Bad."

Jackie's face softens, and she reaches out, squeezing my arm. "I'm sorry, Crys. That's tough."

"And then..." I continue, my voice breaking a little, "we met at the park, and she was falling apart. And I just...I couldn't help it. I broke down too. Told her I loved her."

Jackie's eyes widen, and I can tell she's trying to hold back a smile. "You love her?"

I nod, feeling the weight of the words all over again. "Yeah. I do. But I don't think I've ever been this scared before. I don't want to keep getting my hopes up just to have them crushed."

Jackie's expression shifts into something more serious. She leans in, locking eyes with me. "Crystal, listen. Gigi's got a lot going on, and yeah, she's probably scared out of her mind about letting someone in. But the fact that she's opening up to you, even if it's messy? That's huge. She wants to let you in, she's just terrified."

I nod slowly, my throat tightening. "But what if I'm not enough? What if I can't fix this?"

Jackie lets out a small laugh and shakes her head. "It's not about fixing her. She's not broken. And you're not supposed to have all the answers, Crys. You just have to be there for her, like you've been. The rest? That'll come in time."