Mistakes Were Made(60)

She was sprawled across Cassie’s couch, clicking through Facebook on Cassie’s computer. Cassie was looking in her fridge, deciding if she was hungry enough to make something or if she should just wait till the caf opened for dinner.

She didn’t take her head out of the fridge to ask: “You mean your actual–Valentine’s Day date?”

“It’s not a date,” Parker sighed. “Her friend Gwen’s gonna be there.”

That got Cassie’s attention. “Your girl is friends with Gwen? Like, looks-like-she-could-kill-you-but-you-might-enjoy-it Gwen?”

“She’s not my girl,” Parker said. “And yeah, the same Gwen you hit on at a party that you were so drunk at I had to pick you up.”

Cassie refused to engage on that particular subject. “You and Sam made out in public months ago, how is she not your girlfriend yet?”

Parker took a minute to respond. “You know how shitty I felt after Seth.”

“After Seth fucked us both and fucked us both over? And you broke your hand punching him when you found out?” Cassie said, reliving the only good part of that story. “Sure, but the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”

“Look who’s talking,” Parker said. “Have you even had sex since Seth?”

Cassie blushed and didn’t hide her grin. “Of course I have, princess. Just because Gwen can resist my charms doesn’t mean everyone can.” It was true—there had been a few weekends in a row of one-night stands after Seth. Erin had been supposed to be another. Cassie headed to her bathroom, because being in the same room as Parker while thinking of fucking her mom was too much. “I gotta pee.”

The flowers were supposed to be delivered earlier. Erin should have gotten them by now. Cassie wondered if she liked them.

“I’m just saying you should come,” Parker said, raising her voice to carry on their conversation.

“I’m saying if I don’t, maybe you will come.”

Parker let out a noise of exasperation. “You’re so annoying.”

“You love me,” Cassie called.

Her phone buzzed in her hand. Speak of the devil.

Erin [Today 4:23 PM]

Babe. You got me flowers?

Erin [4:23 PM]

They’re beautiful.

Cassie’s stomach did this swooping thing that was really dumb, but she couldn’t help her smile.

Cassie [4:24 PM]

You like them?

She flushed the toilet and washed her hands, singing the chorus of “Truth Hurts” under her breath to count the requisite twenty seconds. When she got back to the living room, Parker stood in the middle of it, looking—shocked, or something.

“What’s up?” Cassie asked.

“I gotta go,” Parker said.

“I thought we were doing dinner?”

“I can’t.” She looked at the ground.

Cassie guffawed. “Oh my God, are you having dinner with her, too? This is obviously a date, Parker.”

“Whatever, Cassie. Shut up,” Parker said, and left.

Cassie laughed at the closed door. Parker was so whipped for someone who wasn’t even her girlfriend yet.

Cassie’s phone buzzed in her hand.

Erin [4:26 PM]

I love them.

Cassie swallowed, grinning.

Cassie [4:27 PM]

It’s okay that I sent them to work?

Erin [4:28 PM]

It’s great that you sent them to work. Everyone is jealous of my “secret admirer”

Erin [4:29 PM]

You kicked up the gossip mill here. Everyone is offering guesses for who it is. Most are suggesting an intern in cardiology. Apparently he has an obvious thing for me

Cassie [4:30 PM]

Intern? You’re a hit with all the young’uns I guess

Erin [4:30 PM]

Don’t sass your elder like that;)

Erin [4:31 PM]

Anyway I have to get back to work. I just wanted to say thanks.

Cassie [4:31 PM]

You’re welcome

Cassie’s stomach kept doing the swooping thing. She decided she must be too hungry to wait for the cafeteria and went about making her own dinner.

She definitely didn’t spend the entire time she was cooking thinking about how Erin had never called her babe before.

Avoiding the cafeteria was probably a good decision. No one wanted to be in their school cafeteria on a Friday night, especially not when it was Valentine’s Day. It seemed pathetic. Sitting in her dorm alone seemed pretty pathetic, too, so she decided to tag along on Parker’s stupid date after all.

Cassie [6:07 PM]

Okay fine I’ll come. Where are you watching movies?

Ten minutes went by without Parker texting back, and the only reason Cassie didn’t send another text telling her to stop making moon eyes at Sam and pay attention to her phone was that then Parker would not text back out of spite. Cassie considered venturing from dorm to dorm—but there were too many possible lounges they could be in, plus the sun had already set. Cassie had no interest in wandering around in the dark cold. Eventually she texted Acacia instead.

Cassie [6:42 PM]

I know you’re probably out with Donovan, but do you know where Parker’s having her movie night? I’m boooored

She played around on her computer for a while, waiting for someone to text her back. She didn’t have Sam’s number, and she was maybe too intimidated by Gwen, whose number she still had from when she was Cassie’s RA, to text her.