Friend in need

The next morning, Meg was having lunch with Vanessa at Hoister's, a trendy café downtown.

"You look worried, Meg. Is something bothering you?" Asked Vanessa.

Meg, fiddled with her hands for a while. She bit her lower lip, and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. It was obvious something was wrong.

Vanessa placed a hand on top of Meg's. "You can tell me, you know. I won't tell anyone."

With a smile, she replied, "I know... And I supposed I shouldn't keep it all bottled up." She looked around. "Last night, I was going to meet Ben... For like, dinner or something."

"Oh."

"But I chickened out and didn't go through with it." She hurridly added. "I had planned to go, I guess, but when I saw him... Eh, Ben, that is, fear just overwhelmed me and I ran."

With a soft smile, Vanessa tried to soothe Meg. "Was it like a date, or what? I thought you had sworn you'd never speak to again." Vanessa clearly remembered the day Meg had come to her, crying, and saying that Ben and her were all over, and she was never going to see him again. Apparantly Maria and Ben still had feelings for one another.

"I wasn't... But a few weeks ago, Ben sent me a letter saying how he really wanted to talk to me about something. And I don't know... Something awakened in me. I kinda felt like I was over being upset, now that everything is going so well, and I just though, you know, why not? So we arranged to meet, and we didn't say it or anything, but we both knew it was a sort of reconciliation."

"And how do you feel now?"

"I'm regretting it. Oh, Vanessa, I feel like I've betrayed Casey. After all that he's done for me..."

"But you didn't do anything." Vanessa reminded her friend.

"I know. But still... It's like, I knew what I was doing. Ben and I had been talking a lot on the phone too. I feel so guilty."

"But is he... You know, with Maria?"

Meg shrugged. "No, I don't think so. I don't think they have been for a long time."

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but just remember what Ben did to you, okay? You guys were a perfect couple, and you beated all the odds... Until Maria, but I've never seen anyone so in love. It's a difficult choice, and you've got everything to lose. Casey loves you, Meg. He always has, it's so visible. And I don't know Ben very well, I haven't talked to him for almost years. But don't forget what you had. And don't forget what you have with Casey."