Lexi's heart pounded in her chest as she returned to the party. She warmed up quickly once escaping from the cold weather outside, but that did little to comfort her. The anger-fueled rant she had unleashed on Cassie a few minutes ago was fresh in her mind, leaving little room for anything else.
Why the fuck did she even want to talk to me? God, I can't fucking stand her, Lexi thought as she scanned the entrance of the apartment. Isaac had gone to the bathroom before Cassie had approached her, and she hadn't seen him since.
I hate that Cassie tried to ruin my fucking night, Lexi thought. She took her halo off her head and ran one hand through her chestnut blonde hair. She had curled it for tonight's party, so she took care to not mess them up.
A familiar and welcoming face approached her from out of nowhere. "Hey, baby! Finally found you. Where were you?"
Lexi glanced over to see Isaac standing beside her with a carefree grin on his face. But despite seeing his joyous expression, Lexi couldn't bring herself to crack a smile in return. She looked down at the ground with her halo still clasped in her hands.
"What's wrong?" Isaac asked. His smile had now disappeared into a look of concern.
"Can we please talk elsewhere?" Lexi countered. "Somewhere more private?"
"Of course we can."
Isaac grabbed her by the hand and led her to his empty bedroom. Lexi sat on the bed, her eyes glancing down to the floor as Isaac locked the door behind them.
"What's going on?" he questioned once he sat down beside her.
Lexi put the halo on the nightstand and looked up at her boyfriend. "I just got done yelling at Cassie."
Isaac's look of concern switched to an incredulous one. "Wait, what? Seriously???"
"Yep, it actually happened. I still can't believe it," Lexi said with an empty laugh.
"Good for you," Isaac remarked with a nod. "Serves her right for yelling at you for the millionth time."
"She didn't yell at me this time, believe it or not," Lexi revealed.
Isaac appeared to be confused. "She didn't?"
Lexi shook her head before explaining everything that had led up to her blowing up at Cassie outside his apartment. She also detailed all the nasty things she screamed at her enemy, as well as how she reminded Cassie of how she had ruined much of Lexi's time at New York University over the years.
"She still wanted to talk after everything I yelled at her, and I just didn't wanna hear it," Lexi concluded. "So, I left after calling her a few choice things. It felt good to get all that off my chest— and to say it all to her face, no less."
"Well, I'm proud of you for doing that," Isaac said before kissing the top of her head. "I know how upset you've been over the shit she's pulled over the years."
"It's beyond upsetting," Lexi confessed. She took a deep breath to keep herself from crying out of sheer frustration. "I still don't get what she even wanted to say to me in the first place."
Isaac mused the possibilities for a moment. "Maybe she wanted to apologize to you the way she did to me?"
Lexi's blue-green eyes widened. "Cassie apologized to you?"
"Shit, I forgot to tell you about that! I'm so sorry, Lexi. I honestly thought I already did."
"It's fine, babe. But holy shit... She seriously apologized to you for all the shit she put you through?"
Isaac nodded before rehashing what happened between him and his ex-girlfriend earlier that month. The admission left Lexi's head spinning and her eyes even wider than before.
"I can't get over the fact that she apologized to you in the first place," she remarked while shaking her head.
"Yeah, same," Isaac said with an amused chuckle. "She claims that she realized she's done wrong and just wanted me to be happy. That's why she apologized, from my understanding. But I don't what's going on in her head exactly."
"Do you believe her?"
"No. I don't trust her for a second, especially after everything she put you and me through. I can't take Cassie at her word— and I told her as much. She seemed to respect that and didn't try to argue with me."
"She probably knows you're right, whether she wants to admit it or not."
"Probably."
Lexi sighed, her chest suddenly feeling heavy. Everything Isaac had said still didn't explain why Cassie had decided to approach her tonight. While her demeanour had been anything but confrontational, the scars that her previous actions had left on Lexi's heart were deep. They hadn't begun to heal at all.
"I hate her," she said after a moment of silence came and went. "I don't trust her one bit. I know she apologized to you and whatnot, but I still can't stand her."
"I completely understand, babe," Isaac replied as he held her hands. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what happened before. Like I said, I thought I had."
"Isaac, it's fine," Lexi insisted, a small smile crossing her face. "I'm not upset with you. I'm just upset at this whole situation. I'm also a little embarrassed for screaming at anyone in public, even if it was Cassie. That's not like me at all. I haven't even been drinking, for what it's worth."
Isaac smirked. "I know, baby. Let's try to forget about what happened, okay?"
Lexi nodded before pushing her boyfriend and straddling her lap. They began to kiss passionately while being mindful of their positions. She held onto his face and deepened the kiss, exploring his mouth as thoroughly as possible. Her smile widened as Isaac wrapped his arms around her hips. A small moan escaped her throat as the make-out ended minutes later.
"There is one thing that would make the perfect distraction," she said in an innocent voice.
"Oh? And what would that be?"
Lexi threw her angel wings off before ripping off the white dress she'd be wearing as part of her Halloween costume. She had wisely chosen to wear a lacey white bra and white panties underneath her outfit. Her fair-coloured and slim stomach was out for anyone to see. She wanted to rip off her underwear right there but suddenly held back. She loved nothing more than to tease Isaac. Her hand skimmed her breasts and stomach as if to beg Isaac to touch her.
"God, you're a fucking tease," he grumbled as he tossed his devil horns down on the ground.
Isaac abruptly pinned her to the bed before kissing her hard. He also attacked her neck with his lips, making sure to leave a mark that would surely show up the next morning. Lexi moaned and squirmed in response. She closed her eyes to concentrate on his touch better.
He suddenly stopped to take off his T-shirt. As he threw it to the bedroom floor, Lexi touched his arm with a finger.
"Are you gonna fuck me or what?" she asked playfully.
Isaac looked at her with bewilderment. "Maybe I won't."
Lexi frowned. "Isaac, please. I need you so bad. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"I'm only messing with you," Isaac laughed before kissing her lips gently. "Whatever you want, baby."
The couple proceeded to get lost in their lovemaking, not caring that the Halloween party was still going on just outside of Isaac's bedroom. All they focused on was each other and making sure that they would leave this sexual encounter more than a little satisfied. The bedroom filled with the sounds of moaning and occasional creaks from the wooden bed frame.
Once their lovemaking finally ended, Lexi rested her head on Isaac's bare chest. She could hear his heart racing from what had just taken place. She couldn't help smiling as she cuddled closer to his tall frame.
"Mmm...that felt so fucking good."
Isaac chuckled. "It really did. I needed that more than I thought."
"So did I," Lexi admitted.
She got off her boyfriend's chest and rested her elbows on the pillow. They locked eyes, their faces mere inches apart. The couple shared a tender kiss before exchanging soft smiles.
Lexi didn't say a word as she took in his appearance. His hair was now a hot mess, and his face was rather red. She pressed her bare breasts onto his skin, smirking at the contact made. She played with his hair in an attempt to mess it up further. Isaac frowned for a moment before smiling and chuckling.
God, he's so handsome, she thought. How the hell did I get so lucky with him?
"You okay?" Isaac suddenly asked.
Lexi nodded, smiling wider than before. "I love you, Isaac."
"I love you too, Lexi. Do you feel better?"
"Oh, definitely. Thank you for doing that."
"Anytime," Isaac replied before kissing her again. "We should join the party again."
"Do we?" Lexi inquired with a puzzled look.
Isaac laughed. "I mean...we don't have to."
"But we should, though," Lexi said. "Can we at least enjoy this moment for a few more minutes? Please?"
"I'd love to, babe."
The couple shared another kiss before Lexi rested her head back on Isaac's chest. She didn't mind the parties he and his roommates threw; she had grown to tolerate them since her first year of college. But she preferred hiding out with Isaac away from the chaos much more. Intimate moments were more her thing.
I'd rather stay here than join the party again, she thought as she closed her eyes to rest for a couple more minutes.
***
Cassie groaned as she tossed and turned in her bed the next morning. She had struggled to get a goodnight's sleep due to the music from last night's party blasting not far from her unit. It finally ended just after two AM, so she had managed to get a few hours of sleep. But she was far from well-rested— a fact that hit her hard when she sat up in bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked out her window as the sun shone through her light grey blinds.
Thank God for coffee, she thought as she peeled herself out of bed.
After using the washroom, she made her way to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She then sat on the living room couch to sip on it in silence. Her dark brown eyes fixated on the New York City horizon off into the distance. Several tall buildings were in the way— a normal occurrence in such a massive landmark—, but she could see just how bright and blue the sky looked. A couple of white clouds milled about too. She couldn't see the sun, but its rays shone inside the living room.
It's probably cold as hell out, Cassie thought.
She decided against stepping outside to test out her theory. Instead, she propped her feet up on the couch and took another sip of her black coffee.
Cassie continued to enjoy her morning in peace for the next several minutes. The silence was eventually broken by the sound of a door opening and then closing. She looked over in the direction of the noise, despite already knowing who had caused it.
"Morning."
Mariana yawned loudly. "Morning."
"I thought you stayed over last night," Cassie remarked.
"No, DeShawn walked me home," Mariana divulged. "When did you get here?"
Cassie shrugged. "It was well before midnight; that much I know. But I don't know the exact time."
Mariana blinked hard.
"Did you not get my text last night?" Cassie asked.
"I guess not," Mariana replied before going to her room to grab her phone. She re-entered the living room while reading the text in question. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, I missed it."
"It's no big deal," Cassie said. She meant it too— there was no point in getting upset with her best friend.
Mariana set her phone down before taking a seat on the couch. "Are you okay?"
Despite how simple the question was, Cassie wasn't sure how to respond. She hadn't forgotten about Lexi's ferocious rant from last night; it was relatively fresh in her mind. She didn't want to talk about it and risk getting upset again. But keeping it to herself made Cassie's head hurt.
"Did something happen last night?" Mariana asked in a worried manner.
Cassie took a swig of her coffee, the hot liquid burning her tongue. "I got upset, so I left early."
"Upset about what?" Mariana inquired.
Even though she was reluctant to do so, Cassie gave in and told her best friend all about approaching Lexi in the hopes of apologizing and making things right. She didn't neglect to bring up the fact that her doing this had caused Lexi to snap. She also went into great detail about the things Lexi brought up and the insults she had flung at her like mud. Tears filled her dark brown eyes as she recalled everything that had gone down last night.
"I just wanted to get out of there," she said in conclusion to her explanation. She paused to sip some coffee in a feeble attempt to calm down. "I didn't want to run into Lexi and have her yell at me again."
Mariana nodded before resting one hand on her best friend's arm. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I had no idea that happened. I saw Lexi early on for a little while, but that's it. I didn't see her again after that."
"Don't worry about it," Cassie said in a dismissive manner. She pushed her tears away and took a deep breath.
"But it bothers me that she wouldn't hear you out whatsoever," Mariana remarked, frowning.
"Can you blame her? I wouldn't have heard me out if I was Lexi."
Mariana bit her lip. "I know you've changed, and I know you feel bad for what you've done. It's upsetting that Lexi didn't wanna talk to you. But I get it, I do."
For a couple of minutes, neither woman spoke. Mariana strolled to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She returned to the living room a few minutes later to sit back down on the couch. Her light green eyes held sympathy towards her best friend.
"Look," she began after taking her first sip, "I'll help you, okay? I hate to see you so upset. Just say how I can help, and I'll do my best to make it happen. I mean it, Cassie."
Cassie grinned. "Thank you, Mariana. That means a lot to me, girl."
"And I'm sorry I talked you into going to last night's party," Mariana added. "I shouldn't have done that."
"It's no big deal."
"No, it is. I should've respected your wishes from the beginning. I promise to do that going forward, okay? If you don't wanna go to a party again, that's fine. You don't have to explain why or justify it to me whatsoever. All I ask is that I get a heads up beforehand."
Cassie's grin bloomed into a full-blown smile. "I appreciate you saying that, Mariana. Thank you for that...and for your apology too. It means a lot to me."
Mariana returned a similar smile. "You deserve it."
The two best friends shared a nice hug, which almost made Cassie cry for the second time that day. Even though it felt like things had gone to shit last night, at least Mariana was in her corner. That meant way more to her than words could ever convey.
I'm so lucky that Mariana is my best friend, she thought with a warm heart.