It was almost six in the afternoon and I realized I had spent most of my days hibernating like a squirrel in winter. It's not long before Sarah storms into my room. Aunt Cheri is on another work trip, another wedding. Sarah practically flies through my door while I'm sitting on the edge of my bed. It distracts my grief from the window and I look at her. I stand up.
"Sarah? Why are you here?" I ask.
She's practically out of breath. "Because.." she tries to catch up. I hand her an extra water bottle I have in my room. She chugs it. "Thank you." She sighs. "As I was saying, because you guys need to fix this shit. I've never seen my boy so sad and I'll be damned if you're both at the wedding and not as dates!" Wedding?
"Wait you guys are getting married, for reals?" I ask in shock. I knew Aunt Cheri said "my future wife" when she referred to Sarah the other day but I just thought they were dating or banging. I never thought it would be serious. We'd be this weird family if Josh and I were together, or ever got back together. Besides I would never forget how Sarah behaved to me. She treated me like some moocher trying to mooch everything and anything from Josh. To hell with her.
"Your aunt didn't tell you?" She asks, offended. Most save Cheri.
"She mentioned you'd be her future wife the other day. I just thought it was a joke." I sigh and sit back on my bed. "You fought so hard for me to stop him from ruining his life." I cross my arms and look at the window again just to look away from her.
She sits next to me and sighs. She grabs my left hand and squeezes. I hope she loathes in regret.
"He loves you, you know?" She begins to say. "He's so heartbroken over losing you and your friend. Both at once. For gods sake he murdered some fuckin creep to keep you safe. He saved your life and he's crying every single day," she starts to tear up. "I've never seen my boy so heart-broken and felt so guilty all at once." She shakes her head in disbelief. "You gotta help me out. I won't cut him off and he has to go to Arizona." She sighs.
"I don't know.." I start to say but she interrupts.
"Please Ariel?" She makes puppy eyes. I sigh. Uprooting my life for love? That's some simpy romantic ass shit.
"I think you should go," I say after a few moments of silence.
"What?" She scoffs in disbelief. I ignore her and just hope she leaves but she doesn't. Instead she adds, "are you fuckin serious?" She stands and gets in front of me so I look at her. She claps her hands in my face and I stand.
"You've got some nerve," I scoff at her. "You've done nothing but bitch and beg for me to not ruin," I use air quotes on 'ruin' "his life. That I would drag him down if he did." I point in her face. "And to make matters worst, you threatened to cut him off. Knowing I loved him too, maybe just as much as he loved me. God if you're gonna be my aunt in law, I'll leave. Without a doubt!" I snap at her. She makes a hurt face and it looks like she might cry.
"Don't you think I already feel guilty and awful for that dinner? I'm trying to apologize." She pleads.
"I didn't hear no damn apology," I cross my arms. "Besides I don't want to be blamed my whole life for something by my mother in law. Wouldn't want to ruin your sons life either. You left me feeling guilty too so rot in hell." I smile. Truly I don't know what overtook me, I was just glad I made her feel like shit. I still dwelled on that night, I should've never broken up with Josh.
Before I know it, I feel a hard smack on my face. I gasp in shock and use my hand to try and relieve the sting.
"You're one spoiled little bitch!" Sarah says. She tries to storm out but I grab her arm.
"Too bad you left a mark, now that's assault." I let her hand go basically shoving her out the room. "You'll be charged for more since I'm pregnant." I shout as I hear her running down the stairs. Immediately I dial my Aunt Cheri.
She doesn't pick up because she's probably doing hair and makeup but I do leave a voicemail for evidence.
"I hope you know your future wife told me your secret, threatened me, and assaulted me with a slap on the face. I'll be gone by the time you're back. Have a great life Aunt Cheri." Then i snap a picture, messaging it to Aunt Cheri, Sarah, and Josh in a group chat. I send it with a beautiful message saying:
Thank you for showing me how unwelcome I would be in your new family Sarah.
I call the police as I pack my bags.
JOSH
It was a cloudy day. I hadn't eaten until four in the afternoon. I made myself a sandwich since my mom had disappeared way earlier. As I ate my sandwich on my living room couch watching cartoons I thought about Celeste. How much she loved my sandwiches and how her annoying comments always filled the silence. Then I thought about Ariel and her cute laugh every time Celeste said something wildly inappropriate. And how much I missed it. And how tired I was of moping around. And how deep down I knew I needed my girl back.
So I finally stood up from the couch where I was sitting until six, and rushed to the bathroom. I shaved off my facial hair that was slowly growing out and I hopped in the shower. Washed my hair with my vanilla mint shampoo and my body with peppermint scented soap. I decided to look basic but good enough to make Ariel desire me.
I looked through my closet as I had the towel hanging on my waist. I decided on wearing a blue t shirt with a black hoodie and some blue denim jeans. I matched it with a solid black hoodie and shoes. I rushed to the store and bought some white roses and some chocolate with nuts. Ariels favorite chocolates always consisted of some type of nut weather it was almonds or peanuts.
The lady at the register compliments me.
"She's a lucky lady," she grins.
"I think I'm the lucky one," I smile. It's felt like a while.
"Treat her right then." She smiles back and hands me a receipt.
"I intend on it." I grab my flowers and chocolates and go.
I drive to Ariels house and park my truck in her driveway. Cheri's car isn't here but I don't mind. I think it's better this way, we'll be alone and hopefully she can forgive and if not she can go off on me without witnesses.
When I ring the doorbell there's no answer but I notice the door is unlocked. I let myself in.
"Hello?" I say, closing the door behind me.
"Who's there?" I hear her yell from her room.
"Josh."
I hear Ariel shut her door and then she walks down the stairs hurriedly.
"Didn't you get my message?" She asks.
"Haven't seen my phone in a few days." I tell her. "These are for you." I inch closer and try to hand get the flowers and chocolate.
"Thanks but I can't take those." Ariel sighs. She gets closer to me and I see a mark on her cheek.
"What happened?" A worried look appears on my face. I go to touch her but realize that might be wrong to do so I step back.
"Your mom happened," she lets out a small chuckle. "She slapped me right across the face after I snapped at her."
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask. "I really want you to have these." I hand her the gifts and she accepts finally.
She walks over to the living room sofa and sets the gifts down on the coffee table. I sit next to her and she grabs my right hand.
"I'm heartbroken over you too," she begins. She lets out a deep sigh. "But I can't ruin your life."
"But you're not." I interrupt.
"Josh," she begins. "Please." She's getting sad again. I can tell. And for a brief moment I wonder if she'd been crying for me. "Do you know Sarah and Cheri are getting married?" She blurts, I nod. "Well I didn't."
"You don't understand how much I've missed you," I finally say. "God I love you Ariel and I can't imagine a life without you. Not even without being my friend."
"I want to be more," she confesses. "But your mom came in here, guns blazing, and we fought. She's loathing in guilt because you're pining over me and she begged me to take you back just because of her guilt. She got in my face, I told her off, and her response was to slap me." She sighs and squeezes my hand I was using to hold hers. "I took a picture for evidence and sent it to all three of you."
"Evidence?" I raise a brow. "Why do you need evidence?"
"Because I called the cops on her. She just left a little bit before you got here." She sighs. "I'm sorry Josh but i didn't deserve to be slapped because I told her to leave. I even said it nicely."
I'm shaking my head in disbelief. Now there's a choice to make.
"What about Aunt Cheri?" I sigh. "Don't you think this would hurt her?"
"Maybe," she stands. "But I won't be around to see it." I stand up immediately.
"What do you mean Ari?"
"I mean I'm going," she crosses her arms. She looks down. "I also was offered a full ride. I just never said anything because I knew I wouldn't have taken it without you in my life. Looks like you're about to stop being a part of it." She never looked up at me.
"So there's just no mending our relationship?" I sound disappointed. She shakes her head.
"I'm afraid not right now," she sighs and she finally looks up. Watery eyes. "I love you so much," her voice cracks.
"What about our friendship?" I grab her hand again. "Is it really so easy to let go?" I can't believe she's actually doing this. She's ending our connection.
"No." She starts to cry. "No it's not. This is so hard for me Josh." She sighs. "I've been pining for the last couple weeks over you. Tearing myself up. Reliving the moments. I lost Celeste too you know? And Anne. God I miss her. She could tell me what to do right now. I never thought I'd need her more." She wipes tears off her eyes with her blue long sleeved top.
"Tell me this isn't goodbye," I beg her. My eyes are getting watery and every bone in my body is telling me this can't be real.
"It's not," she lets a tear fall while she looks at me. "It's an 'I'll see you later'. I never want to lose you." She puts her hand on my cheek and caresses with her thumb.
~
Flashback:
It was a Saturday night. Ariel and I were in her bed, the house was empty. Aunt Cheri had left for a few days to plan a wedding. Ariel and I were cuddling, facing one another but both watching a movie. We were watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas since it was our favorite Christmas movie and it was finally starting to snow.
"What are we gonna do for your eighteenth?" I ask her.
"We're gonna get matching tattoos with Celeste, duh!" She smiles. "Or at least I am. I know you can't handle physical pain." She teases. I gasp, pretending to be offended by her words.
"That's rude. Now I have to get one to prove you wrong." I make a pouty face and it makes her laugh. God that's my favorite sound. Her laugh.
"Will it match at least?" She asks.
"Depends on what you're getting."
"Well they weren't going to be exactly matching but Celeste wants a mermaid to represent me and I'm going to get a skull to symbolize her." She smiles. "I think I'll put flowers too. I think her favorite are roses."
"Wow so you want me to match but not match?" I laugh at her contradicting self.
"You can always get flounder for me." She chuckles.
"Wow a fish? I'm offended," I fake gasp and pretend I was shot in the heart with my hand. She laughs.
"Oh quit it. He's the little mermaids best friend." She nudges on me on the shoulder.
"If I'm going to permanently mark myself I'd at least want it to be meaningful." I admit. I've always wanted a tattoo but I wanted any i got to be meaningful, not just random ink. "Like a picture without faces."
"That would be nice," she mumbles. She puts here fr hand on my right cheek and says "you know you're special to me right?" She caresses my cheek with her thumb. I feel her touching small bits of my facial hair that's growing out.
"You'll always be special to me," I place my hand on top of hers and I lean in and kiss her. She kisses me back and caresses my face at the same time. I loved her so much, I knew I'd do anything for Ariel.
"I never want to lose you," she adds before shutting her eyes as The Who's sing their Christmas song.
I whispered how I would never let go while she was sleeping.