Blurred Lines | ✓ [1st Edition]

29 | Closure

"'Cause I found a boy who I love more,
Than I ever did you before."

I had to talk to Cody. Yuko agreed that I should, just to get the questions that I've had ever since the break up answered. Even if Bianca made him break up with me, why didn't he tell me? And most importantly, what the hell in the world did Cody do to get blackmailed by her? Did he cheat on me, or take drugs? There were just too many things that didn't make sense. When I told Yuko that I wanted to speak to Cody, I was half-afraid that he would get angry, but to my surprise, he only nodded and encouraged me to do so. It's time for closure, Ris. Without closure, you wouldn't be able to move on from this, he said.

Most people would think that I would be hellbent on seeking revenge on Bianca for basically ruining a good relationship, and maybe that's what I would've done in the past. But not anymore. Now, I had new friends and Yuko and so many things to look forward to. Not backward. As horrible as she is, I understood her actions.

She wasn't the only one that wanted to be popular and stay popular. I was like that once, and we both did things that I will never be proud of. But back then, it was the norm. She couldn't decipher right from wrong, and the lines have been crossed too many times for her to even see a clear one anymore.

"She finally told you, didn't she?" Cody mumbled the minute I opened the front door to greet him. I had called him and told me to come over an hour ago, and now he stood at the front door, a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and the other snuggled deep in his pocket.

I stared at him, taking in his familiar features. With a sigh, I nodded and opened the door a little wider and beckoned him to come in.

"These are for you," he said quietly, hesitantly lifting the bouquet towards me with a hopeful expression on his face. "They're your favourite. White chrysanthemums."

"Thank you, Cody," I said, with a half-hearted smile. After I took the bouquet form him, we headed to the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked awkwardly, hand tightening around the flowers.

"No, thank you," he mumbled, taking a seat on the suede leather couch.

Straight to business, I see.

I lowered myself onto the single armchair opposite of the couch, quietly contemplating how to start the conversation.

"Why did you invite me over?" Cody asked, lifting his eyes to meet mine.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I just felt like I had to. Why didn't you tell me anything, Cody?"

"I couldn't," he said quickly. His eyes, once so bright and wonderful, were dull and desperate. Did I do this to him? Did Bianca?

"You couldn't?" I repeated, the obvious doubt lacing my tone.

"She threatened me, Mari," he pushed, desperate for me to accept the truth that he fed me. "She told me if I didn't, she'll ruin you, and she'll ruin my family."

"You should've told me," I muttered, shaking my head slowly. "So what if she threatened you, Cody? If you told me, we could've worked it out together."

Cody shiok his head so quickly I thought his neck might snap off his shoulders, with wide, frantic eyes, he said, "No, Mari! My family is my life. And you were too, back then. I never wanted to put you in the position of suffering because of me, do you understand?"

"No, I don't!" I cried. "I don't get it, Cody! How? How can Bianca Harding ruin you or your family? There's no way she can-"

"She can! Her mother was having an affair with my dad, okay? Mari, do you know what could happen to my family if the public found out?" Cody hissed, desperation leaking out of his voice. His big hands clutched the edge of the couch, his knuckles ivory white.