Chapter 64

Bella.

"What are we going to do about this situation, Bella?" Nelly inquired, and I looked back at her, puzzled.

"We? Who do you mean by 'we,' and what situation are you referring to?" I responded genuinely, as her words were unclear to me.

"For goodness' sake, Bella, don't act like that. I know you're upset, but the issue with Nina is still quite serious, and we can't simply ignore it and pretend it's not affecting us," she said, and a frown appeared on my face.

I couldn't believe she was suggesting that we should find a solution to Nina's problems when she knows very well that only Nina herself can address the situation. Nelly and I didn't do anything wrong, and she understands that Nina's behavior is irrational and stubborn for some foolish reasons, beyond our ability to change her mind or guide her sensibly.

"Are you really suggesting that I involve myself with someone who just called me a whore? Do you expect me to talk to her or help her despite all the nonsense she spewed at me last night? And let's be honest, do you think there's anything we can do to bring her back to her senses?" I asked, genuinely wondering if Nelly believed there was any way she could assist.

I could comprehend her concern, though, because, since the incident between the three of us last night, the atmosphere in the house had become even more toxic and uncomfortable. Both of us avoided encountering Nina for our own reasons – for me, it was to prevent myself from doing something regrettable, as merely seeing her face irritated me.

Nelly, on the other hand, was avoiding Nina out of disappointment. She couldn't believe Nina had become like this and had made things so uncomfortable. Moreover, Nina showed no signs of remorse for her actions.

"I understand your perspective, and honestly, I don't think it will be easy to bring her back to her senses. However, I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the current situation, and I don't want to let it linger and become even more challenging to resolve. We need to break free from this and remember that we've been friends for a long time, and situations like this shouldn't come between our friendship," she replied, and I let out a sigh.

"Nelly, I get that you're upset, and I won't pretend that I'm completely okay with how things are right now because I'm not. I genuinely wish it hadn't come to this, but there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. Nina's anger is unreasonable, and nothing we say or do will convince her or make her realize she's in the wrong," I stated calmly.

I felt terrible for Nelly because she didn't deserve to be caught up in this situation. The whole issue started because of my friendship with Daniel, and Nina despised the fact that I didn't end my friendship with him despite her dislike for him. Nelly had no role in this, and yet, she was dragged into the situation, and I couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it must be for her.

"Even though the situation seems hopeless, I still believe we shouldn't give up on our friend just like that. Moreover, if things continue like this, none of us may be able to live together anymore. Nina might end up moving out, and if she doesn't, I will," Nelly said, leaving me in disbelief.

I couldn't understand why she was bringing up moving out in this situation. I hadn't even considered the idea of moving out yet, and I hadn't lost all hope of having a conversation with Nina in the future.

I simply didn't want us to rush into anything because I believed we should give Nina some time to sort out her feelings. Additionally, I thought that keeping some distance from her, at least for now, would be the best option.

"So, you're considering moving out because you feel uncomfortable around Nina? Seriously? I'm the one caught in this messy situation with her, and yet I haven't even thought about moving out for a second because it's just not that extreme to me. I understand that you're uncomfortable due to the issues between Nina and me, but the idea of moving out shouldn't even cross your mind because it doesn't make any sense," I chided.

"Okay, Bella, if you think my plan to move out doesn't make sense, then what do you suggest as the next best option? Do you believe that everything will be fine if we simply wait for Nina to snap out of whatever is going on with her? You seem to forget that Nina hasn't spoken to us in over two weeks now, and last night's fight only happened because we didn't address the situation in time," she argued.

"If we keep avoiding the issue like this, it will never be resolved, and things will only worsen over time. I'm not saying I don't understand your anger or why you choose to avoid her, but I don't think we should stoop to her level and act childish in return," she continued.

I let out a frustrated sigh because I honestly didn't buy into Nelly's idea, and it seemed like she would keep arguing until I agreed with her opinion.

For now, I don't want any interactions with Nina because every time I see her, I'm reminded of the hurtful words she said last night, and it only fuels my anger because of how unnecessary her comments were.

"Nel, let me be honest with you. I agree that we eventually need to talk to Nina because things can't continue this way. But don't you think I should also be given time to process my emotions and heal?" I rhetorically asked.

"I don't hate Nina, and I still want to be friends with her, but at the moment, I prefer to stay away and give her the space she wants. I also need time to forgive her for what she said last night. I've never felt so humiliated and insulted in my life, and her words are not something I can easily forget overnight," I expressed.

"You know I would never resort to aggression or violence for any reason, but her words pushed me to become someone I'm not. I need time to process everything and find it in my heart to forgive her because, right now, I'm genuinely upset with her," I added.

I hoped she could understand where I was coming from because I truly didn't want it to come to this between Nina and me. However, her words went too far, and I needed time to forgive her and think about how we could resolve this issue once and for all.

Nelly rested her face in her hands, deep in thought.

I truly wished it hadn't come to this, but since it had already happened, there was nothing I could do except see how things would unfold and give myself time to heal and move on.

She sighed. "I understand what you mean, and I completely respect that. Nina said hurtful things to you, and I apologize on her behalf because she shouldn't have said those things. For now, I think I'll have to look into Nina's relationship with Daniel because understanding what happened is the only way we can approach her and grasp what she's going through," she said, and I nodded in agreement.

"I've been thinking about it too, and I agree that we need to find out what happened. That's the only way to understand her reasons for reacting this way. Daniel may not tell me anything, but I can ask him for a clue on who we can talk to," I suggested, and Nelly nodded.

"That's a good plan. If you find out anything, let me know, and I'll do the same," she said. I assured her that I would.