“I'll be whatever you need me to be.”

At that moment, everyone was silent, no one was saying a word and it was killing me. Just when I thought I was going to fall, I felt hands touching me, steadying me. I closed my eyes as I smelled the scent coming from the person who had become my livelihood, and I mentally thanked him for it. I looked at Mandy and she was still smiling at me evilly, Kiley was no different either. How could I have been so blind and not seen that they were both friends, and that they were using each of us. I quickly looked at Austin and his face wasn't the best, my cousin was red with anger and he could explode at any moment, but I glanced over when Athalia grabbed his hand and her touch brought him back, but there was still anger there, he was disappointed in his girlfriend.

“What? Now everyone's going to judge me for telling the truth about that little bitch?” said Mandy and rolled her eyes

“Nobody ever wanted to know anything about the truth Mandy, you're the one who opened your bloody mouth and revealed something that was none of our business here,” said Harry, his hands still firmly on my back.

“For God's sake, Harry! Are you going to tell me that even you are enchanted by her? What's wrong with her?” said the blonde.

“Character.” said Hadija.

“Love.” Said Eleanor.

“Simplicity.” replied Ash, along with Liam.

“Sincerity.” says Sophie.

“And she's the best person I've ever met,” began Gabriel. ”After Cassy came into our lives, everything changed and became better. Even Zac.” he continued, and I thanked him with a smile. Knowing how important I was in those people's lives touched me, and my heart was warmed by the scene in front of me.

“I don't think so!” Kylie opened her mouth for the first time ”Come on! You all know that Zac was cheating on Cassy all over campus, and none of you told her because you felt sorry for her, being all in love and deluded by that bastard Zac.” says Kiley, at which point I pull away from Harry, turn towards him and look deep into his eyes, searching for the truth. He stands firm and stares back at me without saying anything. I swallow and look around at all my friends and they look away, but the only ones who are confused are Athalia and my cousin. Hadija was in shock at the news, I bit my lip and took a deep breath, after all, I should have known better, shouldn't I? What did I want by getting involved with someone like Zac, with a bad reputation and a dubious character? I myself had the experience of having bad times with him, when we fought before getting into a relationship, deep down I always knew that it would affect me in some way and I hated feeling that way, even more so in front of people, even more so in front of that viper Mandy.

“Why didn't you ever tell me anything?” I ask quietly and Els opens her mouth to speak, but remains silent.

“We didn't want to let you down Cassy, because even with all the shit he was doing, Zac was changing and he was happy like never before.” said Ash

“He was changing and I was being betrayed, mocked all over campus and without knowing why?” I said out loud and felt my eyes tear up ”You only thought about Zac's well-being, about having your little friend well, after he'd spent years suffering because of a manipulative bitch who abandoned him... And what about me? And what about me? How do I look in all this?” I said tearfully, I hated myself so much at that moment, how stupid I had been.

“It's not like that Cassy, we didn't want you to get hurt and he told us he'd stop.” Liam said and I laughed.

“You're worse than him,” I pick up my bag from the armchair ‘Excuse me, I need a break,’ I say and walk away from them, not even able to stay in the same room.

I walked as far away as I could, until I got lost in one of the corridors. Eventually, I came across a garden and realized that this was the back of the hospital. I took a deep breath and sat down on one of the benches, surrounded by trees and roses, and then I collapsed. I collapsed like I hadn't done for ages, not even when I saw Zac's betrayal had I cried like that, the betrayal I'd had from someone I considered my friend hurt much more, and I started to cry.

I don't know how long I stayed on that bench, but I had the feeling that hours had passed. I sighed deeply and as I leaned back on the bench, I dropped my bag, but as I bent down to pick it up, someone stepped forward and held it in their hands.

“Let me get that for you.” Even without looking, I could tell whose hoarse voice had been messing with me for a long time.

Harry sat down next to me and didn't say a word.

I confess that I didn't even know what to say, I had nothing to say, right? He knew about Zac's betrayals, he knew from the beginning and he never said anything to me... Maybe that's why he never felt any remorse for our stay, for having almost reached the limit. I look away from him and bite my lower lip, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to come down again, the damn tears that show how weak I am. I sigh loudly when I feel my body wanting to shake again, but this time Harry pulls me to him and hugs me like he's never done before. He squeezes me to his body, making me feel the warmth emanating from him, as well as his perfume, which I love so much... And then I fall apart, clutching his shirt in my hands, and I know that part will be completely crumpled and wet from my tears, but I don't care, nothing matters at that moment. Harry kisses the top of my head and starts singing a song softly, and just like his touch, his smell, his presence, his voice calms me down and little by little tranquillity takes over.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, still hugging me.

“Better, but still terrible,” I mumble and he laughs.

“I'm serious Cassidy, how are you really feeling?” he insists.

“Confused,” I say "Angry, ashamed, disappointed in everyone." I say it and he nods, as Harry walks away from me, I feel an emptiness fill me.

“I didn't know about Zac until a few days ago,” he begins. "I found out when I followed him to where he smoked, behind the campus, because I needed to talk to him," he says.

“Why wouldn't you know, when everyone else did?” I ask and he sighs.

“Have you forgotten that I'm crazy about you? Do you really think anyone would say anything to me, knowing that I'd kill him for being such a jerk to you?” he says and I feel my face heat up, even though I knew about his feelings for me, hearing him say it made me cringe.

“What happened when you followed him?” I asked to change the focus of the conversation.

“He was with Penelope,” he says and I squeeze my eyes shut tightly "They were," he scratches his throat ”They were having sex, and as soon as I saw it I pushed him and punched him. Penelope got ready and ran off, Zac tried to explain himself, but I know him well enough to know that it was just more bullshit, that it wasn't weakness or the girl who pushed him,” he wets his lips and continues “Zac is my friend, but I know when he wants to be low and that day, he was too low. You didn't deserve that, so I gave him a deadline to tell you, because that was something you needed to know from him, it was your feelings at stake...” he says I feel dirty remembering that a few days ago Zac came in with a bruise on his face and said he'd had a fight with some guy at college because he'd called me hot, I thought it was wrong for him to act violently, but I thought it was cute. But because of that, I remember having sex like crazy with him, and immediately feeling a strong nausea come over me, my stomach turned upside down when I found out that he was fucking someone else, and that same day, I gave myself to him and touched him with my lips. How pathetic, how stupid could I have been?

“He said he fought with a guy to defend me...” I say quietly.

“I'm sorry, Cassidy, for everything that's been happening over the last few hours,” he says and I shake my head in agreement.

“It's okay, I'll be fine,” I say and look into his beautiful green eyes, losing myself there for a while.

“You've been more than a best friend to me, Harry.” I say quietly and he smiles, touching my cheek.

“I'll be whatever you need me to be.”