into the night [cazzie]

twelve

"Where do I even begin... First off, you still haven't answered my question! You keep avoiding it, and what does that lead me to believe? Also, it's because... well, I came back here, and then I see you two, all friendly once again like nothing had even happened. God, it makes me wonder... it makes me..."

"It makes you what?" Casey challenged, feeling as if she was being attacked for no reason.

"It makes me sick!"

"What?"

"It's just that... listen, I get that you guys have been together for so long, but... I thought that... I figured we were the new thing. I thought we had some sort of loose commitment or at least something after what I said. And what you claimed to have reciprocated"

"Do I have to remind you that you were the one to leave the room with Sawyer," the brunette wrinkled her nose as she said the name. "You left. I can only imagine what you two were doing, which definitely was much, much worse that what we did. Because we did nothing." Except kiss. "Where's your commitment in this case? Aren't we the 'new thing?' Don't I deserve whatever bullshit 'loose commitment' you keep talking about? Do you still love her? You haven't answered me yet, so what's the goddamn truth? I can't trust you enough to do anything apparently."

Izzie opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, thinking of the right words to say. "Casey... Th-that's different... you have to know that..."

"How? Tell me, Izzie, fucking humor me."

"It is... you guys, you and Evan, are broken up, while Sawyer and I are still together... I didn't know how to tell her and still don't know... It's just so complicated. She's a good person... She doesn't deserve this... God, please, Casey, you told me..."

Casey saw Izzie beginning to lose her anger, but Casey definitely wasn't losing hers. Izzie was a hypocrite, and there was nothing more to it. Casey should've known to run after the whole Nate situation. Her feelings would have been long gone back then. But it was too late. Now, there was just pure, unadulterated rage.

"Well, I think whatever I told you meant nothing to you because you still went and left with Sawyer. Obviously, we're not committed or at least, you can have other commitments, too. You apparently can go off with Sawyer no questions asked, but the second you catch me and Evan in a moment, you're all worried I'm choosing him again. Is that really fair?"

"It's different!" Izzie insisted once more, starting to regain the edge that she had before when she had been yelling.

"How?" Casey challenged yet again. Somehow, Izzie's anger had turned into her own, and she felt herself becoming more and more frustrated about the situation. Her movement was limited, but she did her best to show her anger from her bed.

"Because..." the track captain clenched her fists. "Because Sawyer didn't nearly kill me!"

"Of course, we're back to this one," Casey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Change your argument, Iz. I've heard the same old song. From you. At least twenty million times today."

"Yeah, we're back to this one. You act as if this is no big deal, but it is. Imagine... imagine if it just didn't happen. If you just had a nice night out with your boyfriend, or even if you broke up with him that night but he called you a cab, or told you to get a cab. Literally anything would be better than this. You brush it off, but when will you face reality? You're lying in a hospital bed with a brain injury, Case. And he put you in this position, like it or not. This isn't some sad scrape to the knee that you can kiss better; this is real."

And terrifying. The thought of losing you is terrifying, Izzie thought. But she stopped herself before she said that. She was still angry, and her fear was beyond the point.