Hailey kept her hand on Nana's back as the bluenette released her stomach contents into the toilet. She was sick and hungover, having quickly recovered once they got back home. Shine came upstairs holding a wet towel and placed it on Nana's forehead once she pulled her face out of the toilet.
In short, she felt like shit.
The drinking had pushed her to do something she never thought she would, and the guilt was etched so tightly into her stomach she didn't know what to do.
She cheated on Takabi, through and through.
No justification. No accidents. She got drunk and did something stupid.
Nana held the towel tightly against her forehead, dried tears coating her cheeks. "I can't believe I did that."
"No one can," Hailey said. "Seriously. YOU of all people. The most loyal I know in a relationship, did something like this."
Shine crossed her arms. "Give her a break, Hailey. She wasn't thinking straight."
"But I still kissed him. If you hadn't stepped in when you did, I don't think I would've stopped either."
"Don't tell us that," The girls said together.
Hailey sat back against the sink. "Takabi's gonna be heartbroken," She said.
Nana's eyes went wide and she looked at her twin. Hailey glanced down at her, a confused look on her face.
"What? Were you actually planning on not telling him?"
"How could I? Especially now! Who knows what he'd do!"
"Kill him. Kill you. Kill anyone who knew and chose to hide," Shine commented. Her violet eyes glanced between the girls' surprised faces and she shrugged in response. "I'm being realistic. Takabi gained some control over the mental instability, but this, AND the fact he's still dealing with the Dragons' death as well as his own depression, yeah there's no telling what he'd do."
Nana kept her back on the table, gripping the towel tightly. "I'm so fucked."
"Pretty much," Shine said. She stepped over Nana and Hailey's legs, turning at the door and moving down the hall. "Good luck," She said to them.
The front door opened, Nana and Hailey growing stiff at the sounds of it closing and keys hitting one of the tables downstairs. Takabi dragged himself towards the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and drinking deeply. The worst of his injuries healed, but the pain lingered.
Nana looked Hailey in the eye and the two stood up, moving towards the second floor banister and looking over. Not spotting him, Hailey led the way as they descended the stairs, and caught him at the counter with his back turned to them both. His head was low and breathing heavily. The air around him was frustration, defeat.
"Honey," Nana's voice came out smaller than it normally would.
"Hey," He replied, before turning around. "How was the party?"
"It was okay. Nana got shitfaced," Hailey said. Her twin's face heated up in a thin red shade. "Even vomited on Jewel's shoes."
"Gross. Well, at least you had a nice time."
"What about you," Nana asked, trying to avoid the subject. She cupped her hands together and kept her eyes locked on him. "You don't look too well."
"I've heard," He said. Takabi paused to drink from his bottle, before saying, "I saw Carlos."
"He was there?!"
Nodding, Takabi took a seat at the table. The girls moved around and sat on the other side. Nana avoided his eyes, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt or focused on other things around her.
"Simply put, it went about as well as you would expect. Broke some of my ribs and basically gave me a hint of what it was they were planning. He mentioned a Garden, but that was really it."
"Garden," Hailey repeated.
Nana slowly looked up at him. Her skin grew pale at the word, and throat was dry. Licking her lips and swallowing the lump that formed, she asked, "You said Garden… Right?" Takabi nodded and she stood up, running a hand through her blue hair. "Oh no. No, no no."
"What? Have any ideas," Hailey asked her.
Nana looked back at her sister, then at Takabi. Despite her heart ramming against her ribs at her previous actions, she did her best to avoid having a sudden mental breakdown. "I need to go check something." She said suddenly, reaching for her car keys on the table.
"This late?" Takabi asked, standing up and approaching her. "Let me come with you."
"No!" She yelled louder than she had meant to. Her brown eyes glanced at Hailey, but her twin merely looked away. "I… I hope I'm wrong. I really hope I am."
Takabi grabbed her shoulders softly then. His eyes were a little red, and most of the pain that had remained in his body on the way home faded by this point. "You're acting really odd. Take a minute. Breathe."
"I can't," She said, snatching herself out of his grasp. He went to hold her again, hands shaking faintly in the space between them. The closer he got, the more she moved back until she opened her mouth and screamed at him, "Don't touch me!"
Her words made him freeze in place. Many thoughts rushed through his mind, gnawing at the wall within his soul. The little demons he held back all this time constantly tug at the string in his heart and ripped at his mind. He never considered there was something wrong with Nana. Instead, he stepped back, retreating further into the house and his own brain.
She knew she must've hurt him in some way, but chose not to dwell on it. Nana rushed out the door and down the steps, opening her car and getting inside. Once the engine roared to life, she backed out, nearly hitting their mailbox, and raced off down the road.
Takabi took a seat on the couch, placing his face in his palm. A defeated sigh escaped his throat, echoing through the living room. Hailey watched him with sympathy, before standing and moving to the other side of the couch. She sat, placing a hand on his thigh and speaking low. "Don't let it bother you."
"How can I not?" His voice sounded choked. "She's fed up with me."
Hailey cocked her head aside. "What gives you that idea?"
"She literally told me not to touch her. Never, not once, has she ever done that." He looked at his palms. They held a thin layer of sweat. "I knew she was sick of everything lately."
"Takabi, it's not that. Stop thinking it's all your fault."
"Oh yeah? So what is it then?" His tone held a bit of irritation. "What else could be going through her head?"
Hailey opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Telling him wasn't her place, no matter how badly she may have wanted to. Instead, she closed her lips and let out a frustrated groan, leaning back into the couch. "Let's just… Let's just wait until she gets back, okay?"
Equally as frustrated, he kicked off his shoes and grabbed the remote. Switching on the TV, he glanced at Hailey and asked, "Do you think about it?"
"About what?"
"Our kid," He said bluntly.
She was silent for a moment then answered with a nod. "Every day. I wonder what kind of person Carlos is trying to groom him into, and it makes me worried. Artificial or not, it's awful for a child to grow up with hatred in their heart."
His thoughts immediately flashed to Kairas. Takabi wondered if his brother ever conquered the hatred he had for their father, Girston, but each time he asked Kairas changed the subject or outright ignored the question.
Hate is a plague in the hearts of Angels and Fallen Angels alike. It can cause them to do things they normally never would, change who they are and what they stand for. Angels are made pure. Fallen Angels have the CHOICE to be pure.
Choice.
Takabi touched his head. Choice… The word repeated in his head the remainder of the night, way until he fell asleep at the early hours of the morning.