Lexi's Final Year

Chapter 31

Isaac stared at her in disbelief. She seemed genuinely torn on what to do or how to feel about this Johnathan fellow. He didn't know how to help her— or if he should even try to help in the first place. Here he was, having moved on long ago whereas Cassie hadn't tried to do the same much at all since their break-up.

He remembered hearing about her going on a ton of dates shortly after their relationship had ended. Isaac had had a feeling that she had done that to try and hurt him, but it hadn't bothered him much at all. Now she was trying to figure out if she should date someone seriously.

"May I tell you something?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course."

Isaac took a deep breath before responding. "That feeling you're feeling now...I had that before I asked Lexi out the first time."

"You did?" Cassie asked, clearly stunned by his admission.

"Yeah, I did," Isaac confirmed with a nod. "I was terrified to ask her out 'cause I was scared she'd say no, and that could've ruined our friendship. I cared about our friendship so much that I didn't wanna ruin it at all. I had to work up a hell of a lot of nerve before I approached her. And even when we were on our first date, I was a nervous mess."

Cassie blinked hard. "I didn't expect you to say that, considering the fact you two were such good friends."

"I think that's why I was so nervous," Isaac remarked. "I didn't want to mess it up by asking Lexi out."

"That makes sense," Cassie replied before looking at the ground.

Isaac felt a pang of pity for the woman sitting in front of him. She was no longer causing problems, so he didn't have his guard up like he used to. Seeing her so withdrawn was strange, considering everything that had happened over the past few years.

"Are you worried about hurting my feelings by dating someone new?"

Cassie snapped back to attention with wide eyes. "I'm sorry?"

Isaac sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "Cassie, I don't want you to think that you shouldn't date someone to spare my feelings. Don't worry about that, okay? I'm fine."

"I..." Cassie paused to mull things over. "I don't know if that's also the case."

"Look, I want you to be happy with someone too," Isaac said in a calming voice. "I want you to be happy, period. That's all I've ever wanted for you, to be honest. Even when we broke up and through all the fights and issues we've had since, I've never wished bad things on you. I want you to be happy because you deserve it, especially after all the shit you've dealt with."

Cassie had tears in her hazel eyes. "I appreciate you saying all that. And I do wanna be happy. I am happy, to be honest. I spent the past year working hard on finding my own happiness 'cause I've been so miserable. But I know you're right about being happy with someone."

"You deserve it," Isaac repeated.

"Still...I don't know if I should accept Johnathan's offer for a date. How stupid is that?"

"It's not stupid. You're trying to not make a rash decision, which is smart. If you don't like him like that, then don't go. But if you do, then do it."

"But what if nothing comes from it?"

Isaac shrugged. "There's only one way to find out— by going on that date."

"You're right. Thanks for all the advice."

"You're welcome. I also had a similar talk with DeShawn last year when he chickened out telling Mariana how he felt about her. I guess I've gotten better at giving people pep talks."