Lover

Chapter 3. The Art of Being Boring

Y/N'S POV

"Wait, she was fucking someone who looked like you?!" Kiara exclaims as she looks at me with disbelief.

"Yep..." I reply before scooping another bite of my brownie ice cream.

"And she did it on purpose?" She questions further, her hair slightly twisting in the wind from the soft breeze as we sit on the patio.

"Yeah..."

"Because she wanted to fuck you?!"

".....yeah..." I say quietly, struggling to process this myself.

She sighs and leans back into her chair, a moment of silence passing by before she speaks up.

"You know what I'm gonna say right?.... Because I refuse to believe my best friend is as oblivious as you're being." Key levels with me, eyeing me carefully.

I offer her a small shrug to continue as I sit back in my chair.

"Well, she's clearly in love with you and not as over you as you think she is" She gives it to me straight.

My eyes immediately snap up to meet hers however, her gaze is not hateful, but rather a calm neutral.

I think a small part of me knew that or might've been able to guess Dakota's still into me. I just didn't want to be right. I don't wanna break Dakota's heart any more than I already have by being with Taylor. 

"If she is, then what do I do? How do I let her down gently? I don't want her to hurt anymore than she already is" I ask softly.

Kiara shakes her head at me in disapproval before setting her cup of ice cream on the table and speaking up.

"Y/m/n, stop putting her feelings above yours right now. This isn't a discussion of how to make her feel better about what happened. It's about you. She slept with someone who looked like you and it made you uncomfortable. You have to decide what you want to do. You can try pretending that nothing happened, but it's my understanding that it's been almost a month since you've talked to her. You're still sending a message even if you aren't doing it intentionally." She levels with me, more than likely choosing her words carefully.

"I just wanna do the right thing..." I say more to myself than her.

"Good. But that means you have to do what's right for you. I'm tired of watching you twist yourself around to shape the needs of other people. Not once do they do the same for you. And yes, I know Dakota's a different story, but seriously, how many times do we need to go down this road?" She teases, but every part of me knows she's entirely serious.

A few moments of thoughtful silence pass before she speaks up again.

"But since you did call me over here for advice, here's some words from the wise; take some time to think about what you want from your friendship with her. I know you're technically already doing that, but actually tell her this time. Don't leave her wondering if you're ever going to talk to her again. As much as I am on your side, it's not fair of you to keep her hanging. But make sure you call her. Don't text... And be sure to explain why you're putting a pause on your friendship... Yeah, she'll probably have a billion questions, but it's important you're both on the same page. It's okay to not know when you'll be ready to talk to her again on a best-friend level, and if she has an issue with that, then that's fine too. You really just need to take time to focus on yourself and how you're feeling about everything. Dakota can wait." Key says sincerely.

I nod my head in agreement. Everything she's saying is valid and right, but it's also easier said than done. I just hate how I fold so easily for the people I love. I'm sure Dakota would be the same story.