I didn't wait for the next night. I didn't even wait a ten minutes before I was in the elevator headed downstairs to knock on Phoebe's door.

I wasn't sure if she would still be awake, but I was going to try. She needed to know. She needed to know that I did care about her and wanted to hang out with her in a more romantic sense. I wanted to date her. I wanted to hold her hand in public and I really wanted to piss Eve off.

That last part really wasn't that necessary but it did feel good. I couldn't explain why.

I'd sent a quick text to Phoebe just saying that I was hoping to stop by and knock. I hadn't gotten a response by the time that I reached her door. I decided if she didn't respond after the first knock, I'd let it go and come back another time.

I knocked twice. Two strong beats against the door. And then I waited, gently wringing the edge of my sweatshirt as anxiety ran its course through my body.

I heard footsteps from the other side of the door. The soft padding that sounded familiar. I'd been here before. Waiting for her here.

Phoebe opened the door.

I could immediately tell something was wrong.

Her eyes were puffy and still seemed a bit red. Even as she took me in, she was sniffling. She wore an oversized band t-shirt, sports shorts, and very fuzzy socks.

"Hi," I said, softly, waving my hand a bit in an awkward greeting.

Her eyes narrowed at me and then, suddenly, and without warning, she slammed the door in my face.

Slammed it directly in my face. Didn't say hi back. Didn't even acknowledge me. Just shut me up behind this slab of wood. My heart dropped into my stomach, all of the adrenaline that had built up inside me at the thought of finally coming out and admitting everything to her dissipating in less than a minute.

I pulled my phone out quickly and typed a message.

Hello? Phoebe?

She was awake. She had probably seen my previous message. She knew I was coming but still...

Then, I texted Cassidy.

Something is wrong.

A bubble showed up, indicating Cassidy was working on a response. Before that response came through, Phoebe's door opened again.

She was still wearing the same outfit and she'd clearly been wiping at her eyes. She looked tired, and frankly done with my shit. I didn't even know what I had done.

"Hi, I'm sorry. Did something happen? I'm confused," I said, all in one burst.

She leaned against the doorframe, eyeing me like I was a threat she was trying to size up. "What do you want from me?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about something." My voice came out in barely a whisper.

"Okay. Explain," she said. She didn't move from the doorframe, though. She didn't bother letting me even an inch into her place.

"Okay," I started. This felt wrong. This wasn't at all how I had imagined this going down and I honestly felt like an idiot. But I'd come here for a reason and I wasn't going to back down. "Cassidy told me that you were hurt that I didn't speak up when she asked if we were dating. She told me that you kind of thought we were."

I could see the hurt return to her eyes as I spoke, as if she was expecting the worst. "And?"

"And I wanted you to know that I do feel the same way about you, and I want to date you. I want to be with you." I let the words hang in the air between us, an unsealed promise.

But rather than agree, or ponder what I said, Phoebe broke out in a horrid, strained laugh. She buckled over, clutching her stomach, and as she came back up to meet my eyes, I could see tears streaming out from hers. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, I swear. I'm not kidding. I'm sorry. I-" She cut me off before I could apologize any further.

"This has to be a prank. A joke. I swear. I bet Eve paid you to do this, right? You're one of her minions? Just another way to mess with my feelings, huh?" she responded, brassly.

"No. I would never." Where had all of this come from?

"Okay, well. Listen, I don't care anymore. I don't like you. I know where you were tonight. And I don't want to be with you. Sorry," she said. She gave an overdramatic shrug. "Not that you cared about me anyway."

I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she talking about? Where I had been tonight?

I'd been at Ember. I tried to pore through my drunk memories, still foggy and hard to reach. I remembered the margaritas. I'd gotten a few. I remembered talking briefly with the bartender who had been really nice to me.

My face went red as I remembered the red-haired girl. Our kiss. But I'd pulled away so quickly. I hadn't meant it. Why had I done that?

God, I was so dumb. I was so stupid. Phoebe must have found out. But I hadn't seen Phoebe there. I hadn't seen...

"Eve sent me a video," Phoebe announced, as though it were the missing piece of evidence in a dramatic court case. "I know you just mess around with people for fun. Right? I'm just another one of many. I mean nothing to you."

It wasn't true. None of it was true. I cared about Phoebe. I genuinely did. But I didn't know how I could get that across when clearly, Phoebe was convinced otherwise. And she had seen enough to prove it.

I didn't answer, just stood solemnly at the threshold of her apartment until she'd finally had enough of me and closed the door on me again.

I cared about Phoebe but she would never believe it. I'd messed up tonight because I'd been upset. I'd gone too far and I wasn't sure if there was any way back now.

I trudged back to the elevator, went back to my apartment, and promptly fell asleep before I could think too hard about what had happened.