𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄.
❪ 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝗂 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉
𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗒𝗈𝗎. ❫
"Hi," Yuxin says, sliding into the seat opposite from Camila. "Sorry for being late, traffic was pretty shit."
"That's fine." Camila says, giving Yuxin a tight lipped smile. She flew out to New York — not just to talk to Yuxin, but also because she had some other business herself.
She looks at Yuxin, who flips her newly dyed bright red hair over her shoulder. She takes off her sunglasses, smiling at Camila. "So, how have you been?" Yuxin asks.
"Could be better." Camila replies.
"Oh," Yuxin frowns. "I hope everything's okay, though. Um... how's the relationship going?" Yuxin doesn't really know what to ask — Camila had asked to talk to her out of the blue, and when Yuxin said yes, Camila said she wanted to do it in person, and was flying out to New York in a matter of days.
Yuxin doesn't know what to expect.
"Uh, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Camila says hesitantly, and Yuxin furrows her eyebrows.
"Is something wrong? Oh god, did he do something dumb? Should I talk some sense into him?"
"No, it's nothing like that. It's actually about... you."
Yuxin looks at her, taken aback. About her? Did she do something to ruin Camila and Lando's relationship? She was moving on, already, and she thought it was going quite well — her heart doesn't skip a beat as often when she talks to Lando anymore.
She thinks... those feelings are going away, because — her heart now understands that the feelings it holds for Lando won't be reciprocated. Her mind understood a long time ago. "Me? Did I... do something?" Yuxin asks.
"I know you're in love with Lando."
Yuxin looks at Camila with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. "I..."
"Yuxin, I've listened to your songs. You can't deny it any longer." Camila says, and Yuxin sighs. "Those songs... were written a long time ago. I don't feel that way any more, I can assure you." she explains.
"So you admit it? You love him?"
"I... not anymore," she says softly. This is the first time she's ever confirmed it to anyone who she didn't consider as a close friend. "It was before he met you — those feelings are long gone."
She lies. They haven't been gone for a long time. They still linger, slightly. But they're starting to fade.
"It's just... you're close with Lando. And now knowing that you used to have feelings for him, I just can't help but feel uneasy. I'm sure you understand what I mean." Camila explains, and Yuxin nods.
"Yes. I get it. But Lando and I are strictly friends now — there's nothing to worry about. He loves you a lot, Camila. I can see it in his eyes."
"I understand. But that doesn't change how I feel."
Yuxin nods. "So... what would you like me to do about it?"
"Could you perhaps... back off, a little? Sorry if that's a little blunt, I don't know how to word it better. You two are just a... little too close for my liking, considering that he is my boyfriend, and you're just... a friend, to him."
Right. Just a friend. Those are the words Yuxin hates the most. She takes a deep breath, eyebrows knitted together in frustration.
"What do you mean as in back off?"
"Just don't talk to him at all."
This was not the Camila she thought she knew. But then again, she didn't really know Camila at all.
Yuxin simply just looks at the girl. "We have been friends for years, Camila. What you're asking is unreasonable."
"Yes, but your friendship with him is getting in the way."
"How? Tell me how." Yuxin replies.
Camila crosses her arms, glaring daggers at Yuxin. She can't possibly say that Yuxin and Lando's friendship is a little too close for her liking, because there's no way Yuxin would agree to backing off.
Sometimes not exactly the best, since she'd rather be upset instead of having someone else be upset. Lando's words ring in Camila's mind.
"Lando and I both agree that you need to back off. Your friendship with him is getting in the way, and he's not that happy." she lies.
Wow, Yuxin thinks that might be the deepest wound to her heart.
She's getting in the way of their relationship, and even Lando thinks that? She doesn't know if she's telling the truth or not, but those words are a knife to her heart.
"Oh," Yuxin mumbles. "I see."
"Yeah. He's upset over it."
She doesn't want to jeopardise Lando's happiness — so, Yuxin agrees. No matter how much her heart aches in the moment. Camila finally smiles at her, but Yuxin knows that it's not a genuine one.
"Thanks. I'll see you around." she says, before leaving Yuxin at the table, alone. Yuxin watches as Camila walks off, slowly disappearing into the distance.
What the hell did she just agree to? she thinks. She's really going to have to leave Lando confused about why she's suddenly not talking to him, and he's going to just have to figure it out on his own — or perhaps he won't be confused, if Camila is telling the truth about him being upset.
Yuxin's mad at herself for agreeing. It's a stupid request from Camila. Why did she agree?
Yuxin blinks away a few tears that she didn't even know had welled up in her eyes. Her heart hurts. Losing a friendship hurts a hell of a lot more than a relationship, and losing someone like Lando would be absolutely devastating to her.
She takes her phone out of her purse, calling Carlos.
"Hey, Xinnie. What's up?" he asks, and Yuxin just sighs. "Is something wrong?"
"Camila just told me to stop talking to Lando."
"What the fuck?" Carlos says, surprised and angered at the audacity of Lando's girlfriend. "You didn't agree, did you? That's such a stupid thing to tell someone to do — it's not like you're still head over heels for him — unless you are, which would be a problem. But then again, you're not trying to break them up."
"I..."
"You agreed."
"You idiot." Carlos says in Spanish. "Why?"
"She makes Lando happy. I want to see him happy."
"He's happy when he's with you, Xinnie!" Carlos says, and Yuxin sighs. "Camila — ah, I knew something felt a little off. She... she thinks this is what is best for their relationship, to make sure there's nothing getting in the way — but this is only going to drive a wedge in between them. You mean a lot to Lando. You can't just leave this friendship behind because his girlfriend told you to."
"But he's happy with her."
"He won't be happy anymore if he doesn't talk to you. Xinnie, please. Just talk to him about it. He really does care about you, I'm sure he'll believe you if you said something."
"I'm just going to mess things up more. I'm going to have to explain to him why Camila wants me to stay away, which means that I have to tell him that I'm hopelessly in love with him, and I don't want to do that."
"You're still in love with him?" Carlos asks.
"Slowly but surely, those feelings are going away. But they're still there, so... perhaps they still count."
"Xinnie. Just talk to him."
"What if this is for the better?"
"Xinnie, I can tell you right now this is definitely not for the better. You will be miserable, Lando will be miserable. It is a lose-lose situation."
Yuxin then receives another phone call, from Haeun. "Carlos, I'm going to have to call you back."
"Xinnie, think about what I said. Don't listen to Camila."
"I'll talk to you later, Carlos."
And Carlos thinks that what Yuxin said isn't a good sign at all.