Chapter 19

Selena’s pov

I realized something.

Oh my God. I never told them about Cullen.

Cullen quickly took his hands off me like he had touched fire. He kept his hands away, into his pockets. Then he looked away from us. I just stood there, blowing my nose with the tissue he gave to me earlier. I was trying not to look like I was the most awkward human alive right now. 

Ava’s voice cut through the silence. 

“I’m talking to you, Selena.” 

Her voice was sharper this time. Not playful, not soft—sharp. She had caught me. She knew that I was trying so hard to skip her question.

I froze where I was standing, and my eyes were looking at the floor. My lips trembled. 

“Uh… since Jake did what he did, I and Cullen… umm…”

I was stammering like a child. The things that I was saying didn’t even look like it was going to make sense. Ava did not let me finish. 

“You fucked?!” she screamed, her eyes opening so wide I swore I could see her soul.

“No!” I shouted at the same time Cullen shouted.

We both looked at each other like we were shocked at how we said it together. Then we looked back to Ava. We were acting like we were children who were caught stealing cookies. 

“No Ava,” I said quickly. I waved my hands in her front like I wanted to slap the thoughts away from her. “It’s not like that.” 

But my face gave me away. My body was stiff. My voice came out shaking so much. The more I tried to explain myself, I was looking even more suspicious. 

Ava folded her hands on her chest, as it was rising and falling like she wanted to scream and she was trying not to. Her brows pulled together. And her lips were pressed into a thin line. She looked very angry. 

“Selena,” she said, her voice breaking, “do you know how it feels when your best friend hides so much from you? You keep things in, and then you expect me to just read your mind. First Jake. Then Jasmine. Now Cullen. Do you think I’m dumb?”

Her words hit me like stones. I dropped my eyes again, guilt burning my throat. She was right. I had kept too much in.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Ava,” I said louder this time. My chest became very tight as I said the words out. “I didn’t mean to hide things. I was just really scared, because everything had started to become very heavy and I don’t want to drag you guys into my own mess.”

Ava stared at me for a moment. I couldn’t read her face. I thought maybe she’d walk out. Maybe she’d slap me even. But then… she sighed. She smiled.

“At least you finally said it,” she muttered.

I blinked at her. “You’re… not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad,” she said, pointing at me. “But I’m also happy for you.”

“Huh?”

She curved her lips into a sly smile. She leaned close to me so Cullen would not hear, and she whispered. “I see you had a little operation. You cut out Jake and replaced him with Cullen who is even hotter.” 

I burst out laughing. Like actual belly laughs. The way she said it killed me. “You’re insane!” I held my stomach.

Ava started laughing with me and we were both looking like we were clowns in a hospital room. Nia was still laying unconscious in the bed. Cullen was just standing and blinking at how fast we could settle our issue. He looked like he was watching a comedy show that didn’t have subtitles. Then like he could not take it anymore—

“What’s so funny?” he finally asked, looking between us.

“Nothing,” Ava said with an innocent smile. “Girl stuff.”

I wiped my tears of laughter and nodded. “Yeah, girl stuff.”

Cullen raised an eyebrow. He was clearly lost but he did not try to push more into asking. He just looked at me softly. Then he held me around my waist again like that was where he belonged. I froze for a moment and slowly became calm as he held me steady in his warmth. 

Ava noticed. Her smile turned gentler. She looked straight at Cullen, her eyes narrowing like she was measuring him up.

Then she said, “I approve of you.”

The room went still for a second.

Cullen looked… shocked. Like nobody had ever said that to him in his life. His lips parted, his throat bobbed, and then in a voice so soft it made me want to cry, he whispered, “Thank you.”

My heart almost burst.

He pulled me tighter into his chest, like Ava’s words had given him permission to hold me without fear. I closed my eyes for a second and let myself breathe in his cologne, calm but heavy, the kind that stays with you even after he leaves.

Ava, of course, ruined the moment by clapping her hands once. “Alright, lovebirds, sit down before you make me puke.”

I laughed and pulled Cullen with me to the long metal chair by the wall. The seat was cold, but his arm around me kept me warm. Ava sat on the other side, crossing her legs, and we just… talked.

We talked about random things. About how the nurses were too strict. About how Nia was always stubborn. About how Cullen didn’t know how to laugh at girly jokes. About how I still owed Ava a full explanation about Jake.

It felt… normal. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

But then—

A voice cut through the room. Rough. Dry. Like someone had dragged sandpaper over their throat.

“What… did I miss?”

We all froze.

My eyes shot to the hospital bed. Nia’s lips had moved. Her swollen face turned slightly, her cut lip cracking as she tried to smile.

Ava gasped so loud I thought she’d faint. “Nia!”

She ran to the bed, almost tripping over her own shoes. I stood up so fast Cullen’s hand slipped off me.

Nia blinked weakly, her eyes heavy but alive. Alive.

“You scared me to death,” Ava cried, holding Nia’s hand carefully. “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me?”

Nia’s cracked lips parted again. “I… look bad, huh?”

I let out a shaky laugh, my tears spilling all over again. “You look like a tomato that fought a blender,” I said, my voice breaking.

Even Nia laughed a little, though it made her wince. “Still cute though,” she whispered.

We all laughed through our tears.

Cullen stood behind me quietly, his eyes soft as he looked at Nia. He didn’t know her well, but I could see it in his face—he respected her. He knew she had risked herself for me.

Ava stroked Nia’s hand, whispering something I couldn’t hear. I just stood there, my heart a storm of guilt and love.

Because Nia had risked it all. And now she was lying here broken because of me.

And Jasmine? Jasmine was still out there laughing.

My fists clenched at my sides.

She would pay.

I swore on my life.