I WAS FRAMED

It wasn’t difficult to understand why both Seth and my sister wanted to be included so much. They were both concerned about me, something that I didn’t even deserve. That’s why it only worsened my opinion of myself whenever they expressed their desire to help me.

“I think I do include you in my matters significantly enough, don’t I?” I argued, only to have Seth place his hand over my hand.

Struggling to put his faith in what I had said, he asked me, “Why won’t you talk to me about the day of your sister’s wedding then?”

“It’s not something I’m comfortable sharing,” I answered, feeling a little hassled at being asked about the same damn thing again.

Besides that, I strongly felt that I could be making a mistake by offering Seth the details of that unfortunate day. He might blame me for everything and stop talking to me. Since he had always warned me about dating Noah, he mightn’t feel any sympathy for me upon learning what I had done, intentionally or unintentionally.

“It’s not that,” cribbed Seth. “It is just that you do not trust me enough. I can tell from your unwillingness to look into my eyes that you are not telling me anything because of your fear of being judged.”

That was indeed true. I was just terrified of being judged cruelly by my best friend. I lacked the courage to face the criticism that might ensue from the revelation. I, therefore, stayed mum about it and pleaded with him to change the subject of our discussion.

“I am not as clueless about things as you imagine me to be, Christie,” reminded Seth. “I have been your best friend since middle school.”

“What is it that you’re trying to imply?” I asked, looking into his suspecting eyes.

Convinced that he had great intuition, the guy suggested, “In order to escape the sadness that emerged from Noah’s marriage to your sister, you casually hooked up with somebody, didn’t you? Since you had blood on your thighs and marks on your body, I am certain that would’ve happened.”

The truth of that day was uglier than what he had imagined. A one-night stand with a stranger wouldn’t have been as humiliating as sleeping with my sister’s husband. That’s why I simply shook my head before stealing my hand away from him and requesting him to put an end to the interrogation.

“Just because you’re in the police’s special force, it doesn’t give you the right to conduct your investigation wherever you want,” I said, displeased with the sudden bombardment of questions.

I expected him to get upset about it. He, on the other hand, placed his right hand on my cheek and asked me the reason behind my distrust, “Why can’t you trust me, Christie?”

I could tell what he was trying to do. His chestnut-brown eyes rested on my face, expecting me to succumb in the name of friendship. Though the temptation of sharing the details of that cursed day was strong, I knew Seth might also struggle to understand the unfortunate circumstances that led me to Noah.

Confused, I simply stared, contemplating the next course of action. Weighing all the cons and pros of my situation, I asked, “Would you be patient enough to read instead of listening?”

“I will be fine with anything as long as I get to share the burden of your troubles,” assured Seth, keen on wanting to extend a helping hand.

I knew I was taking a huge risk by counting on him. It could’ve backfired, and I might’ve lost my best friend in the process. His assurances, however, regarding his unremitting support gave me the necessary courage to reveal it all.

Satisfied with the outcome, Seth offered me a warm smile before asking me, “When can I expect this written confession of yours?”

“As soon as I am prepared,” I answered before taking hold of my coffee. “If anything, I would like you to reconsider everything you’ve known about me before making an opinion about me after finding out the truth.”

Placing his hand tenderly on my cheek, he swore, “There is nobody who knows your heart more than me. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt anybody.”

For reasons unknown, Seth’s confidence in me brought tears to my eyes. What was worse was that I couldn’t hold them back like the other times, something that assured me that I could be vulnerable with my best friend. It was a privilege that I didn’t have in my other relationships.

Driven by his desire to help me, Seth began comforting me by dragging his chair closer to mine and whispering sweet words into my ears. Since we were among a lot of people, I quickly took charge of my emotions and wiped my eyes to get rid of any evidence that proved my distress.

“I thought I could handle life alone. I couldn’t have been more wrong,” I said, recognizing my inability to even take charge of my own life.

Being anything but sympathetic, Seth surprisingly grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it before promising, “I will always be there for you.”

Although I did not like to rely on other people, it was somehow comforting to have him confirm that he would watch my back. It somehow made me feel less lonely. I felt as if I had somebody to count on.

“I appreciate your support, Seth,” I spoke with a joyful expression on my face.

He finally let go of my hand and offered to drop me at university. Since I didn’t have much time on my hands, I didn’t refuse. I joined him in his car and let him drive me to my destination.

It all seemed to be going well until I received an image from Noah in which Seth and I were sitting in the café while he was kissing the back of my hand.