VALERIE HADN'T LEFT HER BED ALL DAY. the weight of everything odessa had said was crushing her, and every time she closed her eyes, she heard those words again. billie never cared. she called me after your date, whining about how she wished you were someone else. she begged me to kiss her.
it felt like the walls were caving in.
beside her, olivia was scrolling through her phone silently, a steady presence in the chaos that had become valerie's mind. olivia hadn't left her side since the party, and valerie was grateful for it. she didn't think she could handle being alone right now.
"you need to eat something," olivia said softly, breaking the silence.
valerie shook her head, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. "i can't."
olivia sighed, setting her phone down. "val, you can't just... shut down like this. it's not good for you."
"what am i supposed to do, liv?" valerie snapped, her voice cracking. "pretend like everything's fine? pretend like the girl i... the girl i trusted didn't just tear me apart?"
olivia's jaw tightened. she didn't argue. instead, she moved closer, wrapping an arm around valerie's shoulders. "i don't know what to say. but i'm here. okay? i'm here."
they stayed like that for a while, the room heavy with unspoken words. eventually, olivia broke the silence.
"i invited everyone over," she said cautiously. "danah, sabrina, conan, gracie. i thought... maybe it'd help, being around people who love you."
valerie hesitated but nodded. she didn't have the energy to argue.
a knock at the door signaled the arrival of their friends. olivia got up to let them in, and soon the small apartment was filled with familiar voices. sabrina hugged valerie tightly, murmuring something about how worried she'd been. gracie brought snacks, which valerie couldn't even look at, but she appreciated the gesture.
"what happened?" danah asked softly as they all settled in the living room.
valerie shook her head, tears threatening to spill again. she didn't want to say it. didn't want to relive it.
olivia, however, had no such hesitation. "odessa told her the truth," she said, her voice sharp.
everyone turned to look at her, confused.
"the truth?" conan asked, frowning.
olivia's eyes darkened. "about billie. about how she never cared about val. how she lied about everything, called odessa after their dates, complaining, wishing val was someone else. how she begged odessa to kiss and sleep with her after every-"
"stop," valerie whispered, her voice trembling.
the room fell silent.
"sorry," olivia muttered, looking away.
danah looked stunned, exchanging a glance with gracie. "are you sure? i mean, billie seemed so-"
"don't," olivia interrupted, her tone ice cold. "don't defend her. she hurt val, and that's all that matters."
valerie buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed by the tension in the room. she could feel everyone's eyes on her, could feel their concern, but it only made the weight in her chest heavier.
"let's not talk about it anymore," sabrina said gently, breaking the silence. "val doesn't need to relive it. let's just... let's just be here for her."
the mood lightened slightly as they turned on a movie. conan cracked a few jokes, trying to get valerie to smile. gracie and danah argued over snacks, their banter familiar and comforting.
valerie stayed quiet for most of the night, letting the noise of her friends fill the void billie had left behind.
but even as she sat there, surrounded by people who loved her, she couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. it clung to her like a shadow, refusing to let go.
as the group settled in, danah's phone buzzed on the couch. she glanced at it, her brow furrowing when she saw billie's name.
with a hesitant glance back at the others, she grabbed her phone and stepped into the guest bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.
"billie?" she answered, keeping her voice low.
"danah, what's going on?" billie's voice was frantic. "is valerie okay? i'm worried sick."
danah hesitated, guilt swirling in her chest. "billie, i... i can't really say anything. it's not my place."
"what do you mean it's not your place?" billie sounded hurt now. "danah please, just tell me what's happening."
"i'm sorry," danah said softly, hating how strained billie sounded. "but you need to talk to val. it's between you two."
"i tried," billie insisted. "but she won't answer me. she blocked me on everything. please, danah, tell me what i did wrong."
danah swallowed hard, her heart heavy. "i wish i could help, billie. i really do. but i can't."
there was a long pause on the other end, and then billie sighed, defeated. "okay. thank you anyway."
the line went dead, and danah leaned against the wall, exhaling shakily.
when she returned to the living room, everyone turned to look at her expectantly.
"who was that?" gracie asked.
danah hesitated, glancing at valerie. she didn't want to upset her more. "no one important," she said finally, forcing a small smile.
but the tension in her shoulders told a different story.