Toxic ✔️

30 | say it already

chapter thirty: say it already

I sit under the tree alone, highlighting some notes and muttering them under my breath as I attempt to memorise them. I notice a bag drop down beside me and look up only to see Brooke.

I don't say anything as I continue to study my notes. She sits. Well then. I'll just ignore her. "Astrid," she says. Ignore. "I need to talk to you," Ignore. Brooke makes a little disgruntled noise next to me and the next thing I know, my highlighter is being whacked out of my hand.

Slowly, I turn my head to her, a sweet smile on my face, my eyes telling a different story. "Wow, Brooke. That was incredibly fucking rude, and you should stop being a turd, turd."

She swallows and blinks a few times, and I can't tell if she's annoyed or not. "I just wanted to tell you that I've...uh, broken up with Nick," she says.

"Okay. Good for you, I guess?" I reply, looking back down at my notes. She looks like she's expecting more of a reply, maybe even some sympathy, so I just laugh awkwardly. "I'm sorry, was I supposed to give a flying fuck about that?"

"That isn't what I meant," Brooke looks away. I can tell she's genuinely sad about it, but hey, she deserves it. Still, there's a small part of me that wants to comfort her, maybe the old best friend in me something. "I mean...I know I've never said it, but I'm really sorry, Astrid. About everything. I wasn't thinking, and I screwed our friendship up."

My jaw is clenched as I put down my pen and look a her properly. "Well. You should have thought about the consequences of stealing my boyfriend then. I've known you since we were four. Fifteen years. But hey. If you let someone we've known for two years can just come between us, that's on you."

"I know that. But I loved Nick," Brooke says, as if that's a valid reason. "I loved Nick from before you met him. I loved him when you did. I loved him before you did. I loved him when we met him. I loved him when I met him. Four years ago," My eyebrows raise. I didn't know they met four years ago.

"Wow," I breathe out. "That's an...awfully long time," I say with a short, fake laugh. "I don't know what to say about that. Except that you should have told me. Because if I knew that you were in love with him, do you really think I would have gone after him?" Brooke sniffles, but there's aren't actually any tears in her eyes.
"Yeah. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have intentionally tried to hurt you, Brooke. So I'm done talking here," I grab my notes and stand up, preparing to leave.

"I know," her voice breaks, making me pause. "I know. But God, I miss my best friend, Astrid. So please, talk to me," she says. I pause. This feels like a drama, and it kind of annoys me. So I sit back down again.

"Okay, we're gonna talk. Because honestly, I don't want to hate you, Brooke," It's true. Maybe it's just that I've worked things out with Kellan. Well, most things. But I'm in a forgiving mood. Heck, I may even forgive Nick. Ha, what a joke.

Brooke lets out a sigh of relief. I look away, then look back to her with a genuine smile. I don't know. Maybe fifteen years of friendship makes things more forgivable. And for some reason, I know she's still my best friend. So I can't just let it go so quickly.

And we talk.

And it's good.

•••

I had to explain everything that happened to Jade's boss, because apparently I got the job and the only problem was that I hadn't picked up. He had hired someone else, but was also willing to hire me as well. Maybe Jade said something. I'm not sure.