Too Scared to Love Again

“B, I’m fucking worried about her!” Cynthia announced underneath her breath, her long fingers holding unto a cup of hot tea, meanwhile she looked over at the redhead, who was placed in the armchair in their living room.

“I am too, babe, but I have no idea how to get to her,” Blair sighed, dragging a hand through her wavy hair. “You know Lynn. She isn’t exactly easy to read.”

“No, but something’s obviously wrong!” Cynthia claimed.

“Do you think it has something to do with Brian?” the other woman suggested.

“How come? She’s hardly acknowledging his existence…” Cynthia let out.

“Oh, please! They’ve been talking!” Blair insisted. “Lynn doesn’t tell us, but Zack has gotten it out of Brian!”

“Seriously? Are they connecting?” Cynthia’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.

Just as Blair was about to open her mouth and answer the question, tired steps emerged from the hall and into the room. Lynn had her hair tangled up in a messy bun and was dressed in only an old t-shirt she’d gotten from her father. The article covered her upper thighs and hung loosely over her chest.

“Good morning.” Cynthia smiled, despite the fact that it was nothing but morning at this time of the day.

“Morning,” Lynn sighed back. “I’m just gonna grab something to eat and go back to my room.” she announced.

“No, you’re not!” Blair insisted and then got to her feet.

“B, I’m not feeling well…” the brunette argued.

“Bullshit,” Cynthia shook her head. “You’ve been locked up in that fucking hell-hole for almost a week!” the blonde protested.

“And?” she cocked her eyebrows at her two friends.

“We’re worried about you, L,” Blair sighed. “This isn’t normal at all. You gotta talk to us!”

“I’m fine. I’m just tired.” Lynn reassured them.

“You’re way more than tired,” Cynthia pointed out. “You haven’t showered for days, and I bet you’re not even done with the assignment you were supposed to hand in. Your father even texted me because you don’t answer his messages, which you always do. What the hell is going on, sweetie?”

Lynn glanced over at her roomies. The two of them knew her all too well. They had seen the break-up between her and Carter, and followed her down the rough path that followed. The two women had seen their friend drown her own sorrows in her bottle after her relationship with Jason came crashing down, and they had promised one another that they would never let any of them go through that again.

“It’s nothing.” Lynn promised.

“You can’t bullshit your way through this.” Blair responded rather sternly.

“Yeah. We’re fucking family, Lynn. Don’t lie to us.” Cynthia added, just as sternly as her friend.

“Guys, I really don’t wanna talk about this.”

“So something is going on!” Cynthia announced.

“Now there’s no way you’ll get away!” Blair said, and then jumped to her feet. “Come on, L!”

Lynn sank her teeth into her bottom lip. The brunette was looking at her two friends. She’d known them for decades, and during all those years the three of them had learned everything about one another. There was no way she would be able to hide or cover up this bad mood in front of Blair and Cynthia, and she also knew there was no way they wouldn’t find out.

“Brian met Gerard.”

Blair and Cynthia suddenly widened their gazes at their friend. Cynthia’s mouth was barely open, and for a brief second it looked like her chest had stopped moving as well. Blair started chewing on her bottom lip, unsure what to say as she folded her hands in her lap.

“How?” Blair was the first to speak as she looked up at Lynn.

“He was at the bar.”

“Our bar?” Cynthia cocked her eyebrows, anger swirling in her eyes.

“Yes.” Lynn confirmed.

“There’s no fucking way! Corey wouldn’t!” the blonde half-snarled. “How the hell did that fucking insect get in?”

“I don’t know,” Lynn shrugged. “Rebecca sent me away meanwhile he was there. I didn’t know until…” she trailed off, unable to say it out loud, before she started rubbing her temple with her fingertips.

“Until?” Blair asked.

“Until Brian told me.”

“And how do you feel about that?” Cynthia voiced softly.

“I don’t wanna see him again.” Lynn confessed.

“Lynn…” Blair sighed. “Did Brian know?”

“I bet he knows now.”

“So you don’t know? You’ve just assumed that he knows what happened with you and… that poop.” Cynthia asked, somewhat lost for words.

“C, he definitely knows! The only reason he’s been nice to me is because he feels bad for me. I’m so embarrassed!” Lynn protested.

“Why would he do that? The guy genuinely likes you!” Cynthia suddenly uttered, outing the words that no one had said yet.

“Are you mental?” Lynn frowned at her. “He doesn’t like me, he feels bad for me, and that’s the last thing I want!”

“Lynn…” Blair shook her head. “I think you’re overreacting.”

“No, I’m not!” Lynn objected. “Brian’s just like the other guys I’ve had in my life!”

Cynthia and Blair exchanged a look, somewhat unsure what to say, before Cynthia once again cleared her throat.

“He really isn’t though! I know it hurts and I know it’s difficult for you to believe a man after everything that’s been going down, but you seriously can’t do this to him!” the blonde announced.

“And why not? He couldn’t tell me himself that he’d talked to Gerard. A drunk Rebecca told me!”

“Maybe he was scared? It’s obviously a sensitive topic and seeing how Rebecca reacted when she saw him, maybe he didn’t want to bring it up.” Blair stated thoughtfully.

“He could’ve asked!”

“You know that wouldn’t work!” Cynthia pointed out. “It would definitely make things worse!”

“No, it wouldn’t! I just wanted some honesty, and he couldn’t give me that! I’m out!”

Those were the last words that appeared from Lynn’s lips, before she stormed out of the living room again, avoiding the sound of Cynthia’s voice that was calling for her.

“Lynn Cornelia Evans!” Cynthia all but screeched after the brunette, soon listening to the sound of her door shutting behind her.

“Damned it!” the blonde hissed underneath her breath, as she sat down in her couch again and laced her fingers into her locks.

“Okay, I have a plan,” Blair said after a while. “But if this doesn’t work, it’ll be a major monkey business.”

“We don’t really have anything to lose at this point. Hit me the fuck up.”