IT WAS THE first time in the last week that she had a smile on her even when the moment had passed. All the way back to her apartment, she couldn't stop smiling. She thought of every single thing that had happened during the day—from the moment she entered Ryker's apartment to the time she left. Everything replayed in her mind like a movie.

But it felt like a dream.

The evening had eased into the day. She looked up at the sky as she got down the cab in front of her building. The stars were scattered in the clear sky and the moon was full. She smiled wider and walked inside. As she opened the door of her apartment and walked inside, Julie's chin was lifted. She analysed Laavanya's face. For a moment she didn't say anything until a smirk on her face. Laavanya ignored her and hung her coat behind the door

"You have a post-sex glow on your face," she said nonchalantly as she pulled out her round glasses and closed the book she was reading. "Whom did you bang?" Her eyebrow arched up and the smirk turned into a knowing mischievous grin.

"What are you talking about?" Laavanya's voice came out a lot more high-pitched than her actual voice. Julie's eyebrow arched upwards as she got out of the bed and started approaching Laavanya. To avoid looking at her best friend, she plopped on the couch. She buried her face in her hands and said, "I'm just tired. Must be the sweat," she added in a muffled voice.

She sat beside her and grabbed her wrists to pull her hands away. "C'monnnn, I took a break from reading a very hot BDSM scene. You know I hardly ever let someone interrupt a smut scene. Tell me," she urged. "Whom did you fuck?"

Laavanya gave up and shoved her hands between her thighs. Slowly she looked into Julie's eyes and mumbled something incoherent. Julie made a loud huh sound, making Laavanya pry her eyes away. "Your cousin."

"Ryker?" Laavanya nodded. "Holy shit!" Julie chortled. "That fucker did it."

"What?"

"Nothing. Give me the details. What was it like? No, wait. Don't be extremely specific. Summarise it." Julie pulled her legs onto the couch and sat cross legged. She picked up her phone from the centre table and checked the time. "I have to be home by eight so be quick."

"What's at eight?"

"Oh, um...just...Chores to do."

Liar.

"Jules..." Laavanya widened her eyes while holding back a grin. "Are you seeing someone?"

"No!" She scratched the back of her neck. "It's just no-strings-attached sex. He is a mutual friend and well, he is a doctor. He doesn't have much time to have a relationship. And you know me. I don't do the whole serious relationship thing."

"When did this happen?"

"Remember the reunion party our friend group had organised a few ago? The same one you didn't go to because you were busy with some project" Laavanya nodded at the faint memory of one of her high school best friends texting her on the same day she had brought Ryker to her apartment. "Yeah, well. It's Neel."

Laavanya knew Neel.

"The same Neel you bullied constantly?" She gaped at the revelation. Neel was a good guy, from what she remembered. He didn't like hanging out with their friend group much but his best friend liked one of the girls from their group so both of them would sit with them. Neel would mostly be occupied with doing extra credit work, studying or playing basketball. "He is a doctor now? It's not surprising."

"I did not bully him!" Julie cried out. "Calling someone a nerd isn't bullying."

"You teased him all the time."

She narrowed her gaze. "Anyway..." Julie changed the subject. "Neel and I are hooking up, that's all. But the smile on your face tells me that you and Ryker may have some feelings involved. Does that mean you're over He Who Must Not Be Named?" Laavanya drew a long breath. Her shoulders sunk and she leaned back on the couch. She looked at her hands and began pinching her skin. As soon as Julie noticed this, she put her hand over hers, stopping her from doing so. It was a nervous habit that she had picked up after her mother left and her father started drinking. She never told Julie much about it but she always noticed.

There are moments in your life when you want to be left alone. And some moments when you need someone without knowing it. Julie had been there for her. Always.

"Hey," Julie said and scooted closer. She put her hands around her and Laavanya rested her head on her chest as Julie rubbed her arms. "You never told me how you broke up. Do you want to talk about it? It always seems to help."

"I...um, I had stopped telling him that I loved him. He brought it up out of nowhere and I guess, I didn't hold back."

"Didn't hold back what?"

Laavanya sniffed and pushed herself away from Julie's embrace. She took a deep breath and met her best friend's eyes. "I have to tell you something," she said and started pinching her skin again. "I have to tell you the truth about why I quit my last job."

As she told her the truth—every detail that she never told anyone about–Julie listened carefully. Her green eyes had darkened as she tried to hide her anger. The muscles in her jaw twitched every time Laavanya mentioned anything close to an attempted assault. She told her how it was futile to file a complaint because it was simply he said, she said scenario, how everyone worshipped her Head, how everytime he said anything mildly provocative it was done in his cabin that conveniently had no security cameras.

When Laavanya had told the entire story, Julie got up from the couch. She picked up her phone and sent a text to someone. She moved towards the door and picked up her coat.

"Julie! Julie," Laavanya called out. Her voice was rushed. "What are you doing? Where are you going?" Julie opened the door and stood at the threshold. She looked at Laavanya as she panted softly. Her eyes burnt with a fire and that made her feel scared of her best friend. She had the look of I'm going to murder him written all over her face. "Whatever you're planning to do, don't. It's not going to help anyone."

"He is not getting away with this."

"What are you going to do, Jules? Tell the police?"

"Worse," she said through her gritted teeth. "I am going to make him regret everything."

"Jules!" She yelled but Julie had banged the door shut and walked away. Laavanya picked up her keys and rushed out of her apartment. She took the stairs instead of the elevator, hoping she could catch up with Julie before she made a mistake. She sped down the flight of stairs and rushed out of the building but Julie was walking so fast with determination that even when she was running, she didn't think she would catch up. A cab had stopped near Julie. She opened the door. "Julie! I need you!"

Julie stopped dead in the tracks. She turned to her side slowly. There was a seven feet distance between them but she could see her face crumble at Laavanya's words.

"I don't want revenge. I don't want to make Fred suffer. I want my best friend to hug me while I cry. I am trying to move on from what I had been through for the last two weeks before I quit and harming him is not going to help!"

"You are strong, Laav. You don't need any of that," she murmured.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe all I want is for you to lie to me and tell me it will be okay!"

"I can't be that best friend right now."

Julie got into the cab.

And Laavanya hugged herself to stop herself from shaking as she cried uncontrollably.