2

Jennie's POV

Two days later

“And when I’m fucking done with that asshole. I will hand his sorry, pathetic ass over to his snobby parents!” my best friend, Cara yells, and I can tell she means every word.

“Cara, please don't do anything stupid” I say in a rough voice and burrow into the cold sheets.

I can't even remember how the hell I was able to coherently text Cara to come get me that night. My best friend drove all the way from her house, showed up for me, and brought me to her house.

I look like hell. Well, two days of disappearing from the world, non-stop crying, and hiding in your friend’s studio apartment can do that to you.

My hair is uncombed and my heart is all over the place. My nose is pink from crying too hard, my chest hurts and my stomach aches, I haven’t moved from the bed in two days, and my brain keeps replaying what my boyfriend did to me.

I can still smell the sex in the air, still see the shock in his face, and still hear him telling that woman that she's better than me.

“Jennie?” Cara calls my name softly and I look up. Her face is blurred through the tears. It's not easy to get over something like that.

It hurts like hell.

“I hate that this is happening to you, you are the sweetest girl in the world” she says softly, and the tears flood my eyes again, I turn around to press my face into the damp sheets.

Sweetest girl.

‘You’re the sweetest girl, Jennie, I can’t imagine being with anyone but you’ the memory of Oliver's gentle voice says in my head.

“He is such a liar” I say out loud and Cara pats my head. “You can’t remain this way. He doesn't deserve to make you hide like this, Jennie” she says and I shake my head, I want to stay this way.

“We are going to get you to forget his sorry ass, I bet he doesn’t even fuck that good” Cara says sassily and I almost laugh despite my tears, “Jesus Cara” I mutter and sniffle.

“I mean it’s true! You cried about everything else but never said his dick was good” she says with a shrug.

“Oh my god” I toss a pillow at her, and she moves to the side to dodge it.

“You can’t stop me from speaking facts” she gets out of the bed and puts her hands on her waist.

“Also!” she says loudly and opens her arms to show me her dress, “I have just the cure for you” she says and I make a face.

She's dressed so sexy and I don't feel like I can match her allure with how heartbroken I am.

“No, I’m not going” I say and she grins, “you have to. You're young and you're hot and deserve to have fun” she says confidently.

“Really Cara, I don't think I can handle it. What if I break down crying in public?” I ask and she ignores me. She whistles as she moves around and tosses clothes out of her wardrobe.

“Cara Leon” I call her name and she gives me a side eye, “what?” she asks and I pull myself up to look at her.

“I promise I’m fine now, look, I’m not crying anymore” I say but she doesn’t stop raiding her wardrobe till she pulls out a small black dress, “for God's sake” I mutter as she twirls.

“Girls’ night out” she announces and holds the dress. It's a very pretty dress, it looks simple yet complicated at the same time.

It's flimsy and pretty. There are gold accents on the dress, making it look like it was made for an empress, not for everyday life or heartbroken twenty-year-olds.

“I'll do your makeup and hair in twenty minutes. Go shower and shave down there” she says with a playful roar and pulls me by my leg out of the bed.

I love my best friend so much. I don't see myself getting out of this without her. And Cara being Cara, she succeeds in getting me to wash up.

While I sit and wait for her to return for my hair and make up, I go through my phone, listening to the voice mails my mom left me.

‘Jennie, love, I don’t know why you feel comfortable leaving home for so long, your dad is worried sick about you’ the first one says.

‘Jennie, dearie, it’s been four hours, at least place a call, poor Oliver can’t sleep because he's waiting up for you, he might be having insomnia again’ she says and my heart clenches.

How dare he contact my mom after what he did to me?

I click the next recording, I know it's going to be pure torture waiting for me, but I do it anyways.

‘Darling, do you enjoy bothering us? It's been over a full day now, Oliver was here again to look for you. Are you safe? Remember you resume school in two days with Oliver by your side’ mom's voice says and I press my lips together.

She doesn't even care about me.

“Oh my god, drop that damn phone” Cara yells as she snatches the phone from my hand and slams it face down on the vanity, “Cara!” I protest but she stops me from picking it up again.

“No!” she says firmly, “but I have to—” I try to argue but she places her hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes.

“No phone, no family, no stupid responsibility, and Ogliver—” she says.

“Oliver” I whisper the correct name and she gives me a funny look before speaking again.

“Ogliver” she repeats herself and I almost laugh. Oh my warrior best friend. Every girl needs a Cara by her side.

“Now shut up and let me curse him out for you” she says with a dramatic roll of her blue eyes, “Tonight will strictly be about you. You are your own woman, get out there and tell them fuck you!” she says.

I don’t feel like my own woman right now, I don’t want to get out of here, I don’t feel strong enough to tell anyone fuck you, but in less than three hours, we both end up in a nightclub surrounded by strangers and an alluring mix of scents.

Maybe I can give in and have fun…