Forgetting Billions | ✓

24 | Forgetting Grudges

SELENA'S BODY stiffened as if she did not expect Jasmine to be angry with her. Maybe Selena thought that when her best friend flipped someone off for the first time, it wouldn't be aimed at her.

"Why are you here?" Jasmine called out from the balcony, hostility rooted deep in her words. She pulled herself out of Shayan's embrace and was leaning over the railing, staring the brunette down with knives in her eyes.

Selena rolled her eyes. "I came to apologize for being a terrible friend but when I try to be a good person, I get screwed over. What else is new?"

"Don't you dare guilt trip me over your mistakes," Jasmine hissed, her voice increasing in volume with every syllable. Shayan placed a calming hand on her shoulder and Jasmine shrugged it off, unable to concentrate on anything other than her rage.

Evan, who had been anxiously ripping the skin off his lips, finally spoke. "Could you please come downstairs so we can have this conversation face to face?"

Selena and Jasmine flashed him a look like he was an idiot before resuming their staring contest.

"Jasmine, we're going downstairs," he whispered, setting his own expectant stare on her.

"No. I'm staying as far away from her as I can," she replied, making sure her voice was loud enough for Selena to hear.

"You leave me no choice then." He picked her up by the legs and slung her over his shoulder. Jasmine let out an angry shriek, pounding her fists on his back like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Let me go!"

"You're being unreasonable. She came to apologize and you're going to hear her out. No one's making you forgive her," he chastised as he made his way downstairs, eliciting curious looks in their direction from his mother and sisters. "Stop with the hissy fit. You're not getting out of this."

Jasmine stopped punching him for a brief second just to mutter, "You sound like an experienced father of three."

"Thanks. You sound like a three-year-old," he responded dryly. With his one available hand, he opened the door and let themselves outside. He set her down after sending her a pointed look, choosing to stand in front of the door with his arms crossed like a nightclub bouncer. Evan migrated towards him despite their conflict in the past, nibbling on his nails.

Jasmine ran her fingers through her hair and watched Selena, unable to speak. She hated the divide between her and her best friend and she wanted for their lives to go back to normal. Her pride, however, stopped her from making the first move. It had to be Selena.

And it was.

"I'm sorry, okay? I should've told you about my relationship with Evan earlier, but I was scared for how you would react. I didn't want to lose you." Her green eyes met Jasmine's and her heated glare softened.

Jasmine's irritation only grew and Shayan's eyes widened at the look on her face. He urged Evan back inside so they could peer through the seemingly bulletproof window as if the two former best friends would explode at any minute.

"You think I'm angry about that? I don't care who you're dating. What pisses me off is the secrets. I tell you everything and you don't do the same for me. Instead, you cry on Evan's shoulder when I've been here this whole time with enough tears and tissues to keep you company for ages."

Selena rushed up to her, taking Jasmine's hand in her own. "I'm sorry. It was really hard for me to tell you what was happening when you were having so much trouble dealing with your own life. For once, I wanted things to be about you, not me."

Jasmine looked down at their hands and reluctantly squeezed Selena's three times like they used to when they were kids. She wanted to forgive her best friend just like that. For some reason though, she didn't like thinking about bringing Selena back into her life. It made her stomach twist into a giant knot.