😛

Khyson

The morning after-

I woke with a smile, ready to engulf Ariya into my arms. I licked my chapped lips and rolled onto my side. Cracking my eyes open, I reached my arm out until it fell forward. I could only feel the sheet.

"Ariya?" I whispered. Fully opening my eyes and sitting up. The bed beside me was neatly made up, like she was never there.

I whipped my head in the direction of the bathroom, the door was open and the lights were off. My boxers and shirt folded at the end of the bed. Her dress and gown gone.

"No, no, no, no, no." I mumbled while jumping off the mattress. I stumbled into the bathroom and looked for any evidence of her.

One black hair tie on the counter behind the sink. I walked up to it and held the fabric between my fingers. I brought the object up to my nose and inhaled.

It smelled exactly like her strawberry shampoo.

I rolled it onto my wrist and walked back out into the room.

I picked up my shirt and held it to my nose. Her candy perfume inhaling my nostrils.

I rummaged around my room for any note, any evidence, any piece of her that could remind me that she was here.

I walked up to my side table and picked up the framed picture of us.

We were around ten or eleven. My grandma took us to an amusement park as my grandfather watched her brothers.

I was holding a candy apple out to her as she took a bite out of it. I was laughing while her eyes squinted in happiness.

I set it down and walked into the hallway, down and stairs and opened the front door. Glancing out at the sunny day, the sun shined and the grass was green.

"Oh, Ariya." I brought my arm up so the hair tie touched my face.

"Ariya." I watched William drop his flowers and tuck the black box into his pant pocket, I wonder if Ariya had seen it?

"So this is who you're fucking!? I knew it!"

"Shhh! William, please Rylan is sleeping." She begged as her arm left my wrist and she rounded the corner to near his body.

"Ariya, we were on a break. A break! I love you." He spoke.

"William, why didn't you call? Text? Knock?"

"I did knock, and buzzed. I thought you were sleeping, I thought I'd surprise you? But you were clearly just fucking your boss."

"William it's not wh-"

"Did you ever love me?" I watched Ariya's body tense as she looked up at him.

"Of course I did." She spoke.

"I knew this relationship was one sided. I tried so hard but you never loved me. You know why I was here?" He pulled out the black box and her eyes widened.

"William I-"

"You're a terrible person, Ariya."

"I didn't me-"

"No, you always loved him and you still led me on." He laughed as I stood there uncomfortably.

"I thought you were the one, I wanted to marry you, Ariya." I could tell she broke at his words, every time he said her name.

"I loved you."

"Loved?" She mumbled.

"Me or him?" He spoke.

"What?"

"It's me or him make a fucking choice?" He seethed through his lips.

"William-"

"If you love me so much choose, me or him?"

I watched her chew on her nail before glancing back at me then him. Tucking her hair behind her ear with a quivering lip.

"You know I can't do that-" she shook her head.

He eyed her before she shrugged and shook her head.

"I hope he finds out the truth, I hope he finds out everything, everything you're hiding from him." He threw the flowers towards the wall as we watched them hit the ground.

"William how did y-"

"Oh I know more than you think, in that little Diary of yours-non-diary should I say."

Her body was physically shaking as she clutched her hands together and bit her lip.

"You read it?"

"Or maybe I should just spill it all, make you feel all the pain you caused me?" He teased her.

"William, please, please I'm sorry, just go."

"I hope he finds out everything." Those were his last words before he stormed out the door and left her there.

Her head dropped into her hands as she sobbed out the pain, gasping for air.

I rushed towards her and wrapped my arms around her body, embracing her.

I couldn't ask her what it was now.

"I'm a terrible person." She gasped as I watched her chest tendons contract. He chest rose and fell at a faster and faster rate every second.

"No you're not." I spoke softly.

"Can you stay? Tonight, just.. lay with me." I watched her wet eyes eye me pleadingly, my heart ached for her as she gripped my waist.

"Of course, come one." I walked her limp body down the hall and into her room. Sitting her down on the edge of her blue sheets. I walked over to her dresser and pulled her sleep shorts out along with a tank.

I helped her stand and pulled her sweats down her legs, keeping my head to the side. I slipped on her shorts before gripping the tank. But her hand grasped my wrist, her other hand tugged on the hem of my shirt. She glanced up at me, her eye practically begging.

She wanted my shirt. I nodded with a sympathetic smile and helped her pull her shirt off. I pulled off my black shirt and helped her arms through the large arm holes.

Pulling the covers as she climbed under. I walked to the door and closed it, making sure to leave it unlocked incase Rylan needed anything.

I peeled the covers back and slipped myself under the covers with her, the moment my back hit the mattress Ariya planted her body on top of mine. Her arms wrapping themselves around my torso, her head on my chest with her feet tucked between my calfs.

Her hair pressed into my nose as the nostalgic smell of her strawberry shampoo invaded my nostrils. I smiled to myself, remembering when the smell wore away from her hair tie.

I waited until her breaths became uneven and she was asleep.

Taking my finger and brushing her hair away from her face, I brushed my thumb over her forehead and pressed my lips lightly on her skin.

"I love you so much." I whispered.

-

Ariya

I felt a shake at my arm before forcefully pulling my eyes open. I realized my arms had been around Khyson and quickly removed myself off him before seeing Rylan at the end of the bed. I sat up and nodded.

"Yeah, baby, what's wrong, are you okay?" I asked, bringing his face in with my hands.

"I threw up."

"What? Where?" I asked, peeling the covers off and standing up, rubbing my eyes. I followed Rylan through the dark apartment as he led me into his room. I flipped the light on and spotted the vomit on his bed.

Motherhood is great.

I walked him back into my room and under my covers. Shaking Khyson awake he groaned before nodding.

"Rylan's not feeling well can you just make sure he's okay I need to go clean off the vomit off his sheets." I squinted down at him due to the immense light of the room.

"Yeah of course." He nodded.

"Here, go lay down, okay? You need to throw up again?"

He shook his head as I felt his forehead with the back of my palm.

He's warm.

"I'll stay with him, go."

I remember Khyson's grandmother telling me this trick to get the smell of vomit out of sheets, using some vinegar with the wash water. I remember when Khyson got the stomach flu and he threw up all over me. My clothes retched for days.

I wrapped the sheets up and slid some flip flops on before heading down into the basement. Considering it was two in the morning I don't think anyone would be down here. I stuffed the load into the machine and turned it on the highest setting.

I made my way back up and unlocked the door.

When I rounded the hall into my room I took in the sight of Rylan laying his head on Khyson's chest, a wet rag laid over his forehead.

"He's burning up." Khyson whispered.

"I'm gonna run out to the drug store and pick up some kids Benadryl for him, okay?"

"Stay with him, I'll go, it's late." Khyson nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

I watched him stand up before awkwardly turning to me before I realized I was wearing his shirt. I quickly apologized before pulling it off.

Until I was standing there in my bra and shorts. I rushed over to my dresser and pulled a tank on. He grabbed his wallet and left before I got into bed with Rylan.

"My stomach hurts." He complained.

"It's okay, here drink some water."