Happy Everly After

Chapter 16

Cassie sucked her teeth, making an irritating tsk tsk sound that seemed to pierce the air. I could feel her disapproval without even looking at her.

"I didn't know you'd be here", she said with a dismissive tone, still refusing to look at me.

"Why wouldn't I be here, Cassie? These two are my friends, and you're just an acquaintance".

She gave me an icy stare, a smirk playing on her lips. "You haven't spoken to either of them in months, Everly. We'd almost forgotten all about you".

I wanted to slap the look off her face. I stepped toward her with the intention to do so when both Charlotte and Owen walked in, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

What was I thinking? Obviously, I wasn't thinking at all. Stop letting this bitch get under your skin.

"Everything okay in here, ladies?" Owen asked, his eyes darting between us.

"Just peachy", I replied through gritted teeth as I sank into the couch.

He naturally went to sit next to me, but Cassie pulled him over to the one-seater recliner where she gestured for him to sit.

How nauseating.

He obliged, and she attempted to seductively lower herself onto his lap, draping her arm around his neck. I gave Charlotte a look of disbelief and she returned it with equal confusion. Closing my eyes tightly, I rubbed them in frustration. I certainly wasn't staying all night for this shit show.

The film was boring, and I'd almost inhaled all the truffles within minutes. That's how desperate I was for a distraction. At one point, I even contemplated eating Charlotte's disgusting tuna and cream cheese bagel concoction to escape this awkward situation

I couldn't help but watch them, hoping they wouldn't catch me since all the lights were off. I found myself more interested in their interactions than the film itself, and I had to constantly remind myself to stop. The few times I'd tried to talk to Owen, he had given me one-word answers and seemed disinterested. It made my blood boil with anger.

He wanted to fix things between us, to get back on track. But not only was he being dismissive, he brought that bitch with him!

As the credits rolled, I glanced at Charlotte, who clearly thought this was the best movie ever made. She had been on the edge of her seat throughout, completely engrossed in the story. She always picked these bad films that she loved.

"There's a part two to this—" Charlotte began excitedly.

"No", we all said in unison. At least I wasn't the only one bored to tears.

"So", Cassie said, crossing her legs over Owen's thighs and giving him a seductive look.

I couldn't deny it, she did have amazing legs. They were long and toned in all the right places, always perfectly tanned.

"When are we busting out the booze?" She purred, trying to lure Owen into joining her.

Charlotte's gaze went from me to Owen, searching for support.

"We're not drinking, we never do. We're literally just hanging out", Owen replied firmly.

"Yeah", I chimed in. "This isn't one of your trashy parties where you get drunk and let any guy take a turn".

Cassie sat up abruptly and almost slipped off Owen's lap in her rage. She was practically frothing at the mouth with fury.

"Everly, you really don't want to go there. How about you say that to my face?" she spat.

Challenge accepted.

My voice came out in a low, tense whisper. "Gladly", I responded. My hand clenched into a tight fist as I fought the urge to reach out and grab Cassie by the arm.

In an instant, Charlotte was between us, her movements swift and purposeful as she held both of my arms down by my sides. "Everly, don't even think about it", she warned. I focused on her, trying to ignore the burning rage inside of me. "She's not worth it!" she continued, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Can you both just calm down?" Owen interjected; his voice strained.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself as Owen and Cassie also stood up from their seats. He positioned himself in front of her protectively, giving me a warning look. But I didn't care anymore.

With Charlotte's guidance, I made my way to the kitchen, but not before shooting Cassie a fuck around and find out look before I left.

"We're going to leave", I heard Owen say behind us.

When did they become a "we"? I thought. As Charlotte began to lecture me, snapping me out of my thoughts, I couldn't help but feel betrayed by Owen's sudden change in allegiance.

"What was that all about? You were ready to fight Cassie over Owen...really?" Charlotte said disapprovingly.

My expression remained stoic. "You're joking, right? Why was she even invited here? She's been nothing but awful to me, and yet you've treated her like a good friend".

Charlotte's expression softened with understanding. "You are right. I'm sorry, I didn't invite her though. I was just as surprised as you when she showed up".

Confusion swirled inside of me. "Then why was she here?"

"I don't know. Owen asked last minute if he could bring someone, and I was hoping it would be Riley. But it turned out to be Cassie".

I cringed at the mention of his name and the disappointment in Charlotte's eyes when she mentioned him not being here tonight. So, Owen had just decided to bring her along.

"Are they together now or something?" I quizzed.

"Honestly, I don't know. Cassie has always had a thing for Owen, but he never seemed interested until now", Charlotte explained.

Owen had dated other girls before, and I was fine with it. They had all been kind and made an effort to get to know me and Charlotte. But he chose to bring Cassie, knowing how she had treated me for months.

The realisation stung more than I wanted to admit.