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Chapter Fifteen

I was on my first date with Phoebe after we had mutually decided to pretend to be a couple for both of our sakes.

My thoughts were still all over the place from the things I'd seen at Calvin's football practice. Those images were permanently seared into my mind. Too much leg exposed. My chest was captured in a photo without me asking for it. At least I was clothed.

I kept telling myself that, but it wasn't easing the worry I felt. Sure, I wasn't actually nude, but the photos still showed me in a light I was not comfortable with. It wasn't like I'd never taken a saucy photo - I had. It was just an entirely different story to know someone else had saucy photos and was freely doing whatever they wanted with them.

I'd screenshotted the photos and now had them on my phone. I had to restrain myself from checking them constantly, making sure nothing was showing. My insecurities began to crawl out of their hidey holes that I'd shoved them into, telling me I looked bad in the photos regardless.

I was so distracted that it was difficult to keep a conversation going with Phoebe. We'd gone to a nice restaurant just a five minute walk from our apartment. She'd dressed rather conservatively in a black turtle neck and jeans. I'd grabbed a black skirt and wore a long-sleeve top.

Thankfully, my panicked thoughts about David had been a good distraction from my sweaty palms and racing heart on the way here. I didn't know why I was so anxious about this date. We'd already gotten coffee together. We were friends. Right? And we were getting closer because of this.

Cassidy didn't ask any thing about me and Phoebe, despite Phoebe's post to Instagram that might insinuate we were a bit closer than just BFF's. I was terrified for the moment she actually approached me because I wasn't sure what I would say.

I could tell her the truth. I trusted her not to tell other people. But I was also afraid she might think it was a bad idea: that I was making myself a target for Eve.

It was true. I'd received another text from Eve just that morning, but hadn't opened it. I'd simply deleted it immediately and blocked her number. She was kind of terrifying.

Phoebe twirled a small bit of spaghetti around her fork and glanced up at me nervously. Her brown eyes were wide and curious. Her fingers nimbly spun the fork again as she slurped up the pasta.

I'd touched my plate, but only a bit. There was still so much left. "Do you want some of mine?" I offered.

She nodded. "Sure." She immediately leaned forward and plucked a noodle off my plate before shoving it in her mouth. "That's kind of good."

I poked at another noodle with my fork. It was a basic rigatoni with some pesto sauce. "Yeah. I'm just not that hungry."

Phoebe chewed and then swallowed another noodle before leaning back in her chair. "I can tell," she replied. She tilted her head slightly to the side, watching me. "Are you okay? You haven't said much."

It was so loud in the restaurant that I doubted anyone would be able  to hear me. I'd already opened up to Phoebe about the other things David had done. I knew she wouldn't be surprised that he was being a dick again. But I didn't want to be a burden and bring up such horrid topics at what was supposed to be a nice date night.

We could have just come to the restaurant, taken the photo for Insta, and left. We didn't need to actually get dinner. I didn't mind the food, though. It was just...

I was just confused.

I sighed. "I don't know."

"Hm, that sounds like a no," Phoebe commented. She refrained from taking another bite and instead lay her fork down on the little white napkin beside her plate. Then, she rested her chin in her palm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"David just did something stupid again," I replied. And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I'd reported the photos to the dating app, but I doubted they would care or take them down. They probably got millions of requests a day. And there were plenty of other men who already had those same photos.

"Stupid or horribly mean and unacceptable?" Phoebe countered.

"The latter." I wrinkled my nose. "He sent some photos of me to someone else."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "Photos? Like... bad photos?"

I knew what she meant. "Not exactly. I was covered but it was just... it was too much."

"Can you report them?"

I nodded. "I did. But I'm worried that a lot of people already have them."

"Yeah, that's concerning. I'm sorry." She seemed so genuinely apologetic I almost felt bad for bringing it up. "Do you want to leave now, then? We definitely don't have to continue dinner if you aren't in the mood..."

I didn't want to leave. I knew that. "I think it's okay." But I didn't want to think about David anymore. "How have things been for you?"

She let out a heavy breath. "Not amazing."

I perked up. I mean, I knew things were rough, but she was so good at holding herself together that I didn't even think that she was also having a horrible day. "Why's that?"

"Um...," she started, and then went quiet. She ate another noodle. "Eve sent me a bunch of texts over Instagram."

Oh god. That didn't sound good.

"She saw the photo I posted of you and I at the coffeeshop." My face went red and guilt ate at me.

"What was she saying?" I leaned forward, completely ignoring my noodles.

Phoebe frowned. "Probably exactly what you would expect. She was telling me that I was a bitch and that I must have never loved her to move on so quickly."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to read all that. It's definitely not true."

Phoebe looked down at the table. "Sure."

"She also moved on fast. She had someone else at that party. She has no right to talk."

Phoebe shrugged. "I guess. But can I tell you something?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"I do feel bad," she said. "Even before Eve cheated, I felt like I wanted to end things. She just wasn't super good to me."

It didn't surprise me, especially seeing how Eve was acting now. But there was nothing I could do about what happened to Phoebe in the past. And I couldn't really stop Eve now. We both had to just hope she would move on and leave both of us alone.

And if things did get pretty bad, perhaps we could try to report it somewhere. Despite how much of a failure my first attempt at reporting had been, this was definitely a different situation. Phoebe had the texts. There had to be an office or something that could offer some protection.

"Regardless of what Eve thinks, I think you're really cool," I stated. "You're far nicer than she will ever be. And far nicer than she deserved."

Phoebe's cheeks darkened and she went back to eating her own spaghetti. "Thank you," she said quietly.

The waiter suddenly came up with the check. I put my card down and started to put on my coat as the waitstaff took Phoebe's near empty plate and my half finished one away. We'd already taken a photo with our food. Phoebe had advised that I also post on my Instagram. Especially since I think David was sending people there after they met him on the dating app as another way to intimidate me.

But if I created a recent post claiming to be taken... I would hope it would give some of these guys a hint before they even considered reaching out to message me.

We left the restaurant while chatting about things not related to David or Eve. Phoebe told me about her sticker collection. She had a bunch of flowers, but also stickers from random TV shows that she put on her water bottles and her laptop. I told her about a crappy reality TV show that was my guilty pleasure.

As we reached our apartment, I realized that I felt calm for the first time that day. It was easy to talk to her. And even though I knew things were going to be really rough with David from this moment forward, I had hope. He would also have to get tired at some point. Nobody could hold a grudge forever.

I parted with Eve at her floor and gave her a small hug. Then, I headed upstairs to my apartment. Oddly, the door was slightly cracked when I arrived.

Carefully, I pushed my way in. It wasn't the biggest worry since I knew there were heavy locks to even get into the building, but I knew Cassidy would never leave it open. I took a few steps inside and shut the door behind me.

I slipped off my shoes, hung up my coat, and then froze right beside the living room couch.

From Cassidy's room, I  heard a soft whimpering.

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