23. SUBJECT: LAST NIGHT

to: weston.maguire@baderu.com

from: cassandra.belford@baderu.com

subject: Last night

sent: April 1, 2017 at 12:18pm

Weston,

I want to apologize for the way things ended last night. I'm sure you're confused, and your confusion is valid. I acted bizarrely. I wish I had a good reason for you... but I've got nothing. You deserve better, and I should have called you back. Please believe me when I say that I'm sorry.

The thing is, I think I bit off more than I could chew with us. You did nothing wrong. I had fun. It was all perfect; I'm just not cut out for the romantic stuff, you know?

It isn't about moving fast or slow; it's about staying still.

I know it's strange, but my life works for me the way it is right now. My writing, school, Simon... it's limited, but it's comfortable. You're a good guy, Wes, and our time together meant a great deal to me, but it's too much.

I know you might not see it right now, but this is for you, too. You're bigger than I am, and not just physically. You've got so much to give, and you should get the same back. You deserve someone who's in the same place. Someone as good as you. And I'm not.

I hope you understand.

Cassie

. . .

to: cassandra.belford@baderu.com

from: weston.maguire@baderu.com

subject: Re:Last night

sent: April 1, 2017 at 1:38pm

Cass,

Please don't say shit like that, and definitely don't apologize.

It was a great night until I pushed too far. I should have known better, and it's killing me that I upset you like that. I hate myself for making you cry.

I rushed things. I know I did. But please, believe me when I tell you that there's no pressure.

Let me take you out again. I want to prove that this isn't all about sex for me. Not at all. Cass, I think you're beautiful, but my interest in you is based on you---not just the physical stuff. I want to keep talking and I want to make you laugh again. I want to read more of your writing.

That last email felt like a goodbye, and you can't expect me to be okay with that. Please call me back.

Wes

. . .

to: weston.maguire@baderu.com

from: m.onesi@kasiriwelsman.com

subject: Wonderful work!

sent: April 2, 2017 at 3:20pm

Dear Mr. Maguire,

I hope you don't mind that I retrieved your contact information from Cassie. I just wanted to thank you, personally, for your contribution to her edits. I've followed her rewrites closely and can see your combined efforts in her progress.

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when she first brought us the idea of using another college student for research, but I'm certainly satisfied with the results.

You've improved the content of her work significantly, and we at K&W appreciate the time and effort you put into this project.

Now that your work together has ended, I wanted to extend my congratulations. Please forward me your mailing address so that we can send you a few copies of Stamp of Approval upon its release in November 2017! Should you ever need a reference or recommendation, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Take care,

Mike Onesi

Editor

Kasiri & Welsman Publishing House

. . .

Texts sent April 4, 2017 at 3:27pm:

Weston Maguire: Cass, please answer the phone.

Weston Maguire: It's been days, and I haven't heard anything from you. I'm worried.

Weston Maguire: I left a bunch of voicemails. But I guess you already knew that.

Weston Maguire: Just let me know that you're okay?

. . .

Texts sent April 7, 2017 at 5:50pm:

Simon Idzik: Guess who came by the apartment today?

Cassie Belford: Seriously? How is he not getting it? I'm. Not. Interested.

Simon Idzik: Cut that shit out, Cass. You're not fooling anybody. Not him, and definitely not me.

Simon Idzik: He deserves an explanation and you deserve closure.

Cassie Belford: You're the one who kept telling me that it was a terrible idea to get involved with him. Now you want me to call him up and give him everything?

Simon Idzik: What I said before was wrong.

Cassie Belford: It went badly, just as you predicted.

Simon Idzik: Not entirely. And if he'd known the whole truth going into the date, it probably would have been fine.

Simon Idzik: Weston's a good guy. And he's looking for answers.

Simon Idzik: He sounds miserable.

Cassie Belford: What, are you two bffs now?

Simon Idzik: He came by to see you when you were with Julie. I invited him in for a bit and we talked over a couple of beers. It was less than an hour, nothing to get angry about. Hank seemed to like him.

Cassie Belford: Hank likes everybody.

Cassie Belford: You shouldn't have done that. You have enough friends.

Cassie Belford: You're making things more complicated. I'm handling it.

Simon Idzik: He said you fired him and won't take his calls. Does 'handling it' mean icing him out until graduation?

Cassie Belford: He wasn't fired. I've finished rewriting the character. So, we're done.

Cassie Belford: And he leaves for his week in Edmonton in less than two weeks, so I just need to stay out of his way until then.

Cassie Belford: I want a clean break, Simon.

Simon Idzik: It isn't clean, it's cowardly.

Cassie Belford: Harsh.

Simon Idzik: I wasn't fair to you before. I was too worried about you getting hurt to notice how good it was for you to talk to him.

Simon Idzik: You were doing better. You were less rigid. You and Sarah got closer. You were doing more on your own. I think he's at least part of the reason why you seemed happier.

Cassie Belford: I'm not saying it wasn't nice. It was good, even great, when we were writing. But he wants a relationship.

Cassie Belford: I'm not capable of that.

Simon Idzik: I know the physical stuff is tricky, but you're capable of trusting someone. You're capable of loving someone.

Cassie Belford: Don't be stupid.

Cassie Belford: I like him, sure. But I don't love him.

Simon Idzik: Well, I'm fairly sure that he's in love with you.

Cassie Belford: That's ridiculous.

Simon Idzik: You should have heard him today. He's confused, sure, but he also loves every smug, defensive, bitchy, funny, caring part of you.

Cassie Belford: One or both of you is delusional.

Simon Idzik: No. You said it yourself: he's good. And you deserve someone good.

Cassie Belford: Do you really believe that he'd look at me with the same admiration, the same respect, if he knew?

Simon Idzik: Do you really believe that he wouldn't?

Cassie Belford: I'm scared to find out.

Simon Idzik: Oh, fuck that. Cassandra Belford is scared of nothing.