Nova was sufficiently calmer now as she called her best friend, she knew that Stella would have a reasonable explanation for why Levi had said what he said. Stella knew Levi even longer than she did and they had been dating for three years.
It was reassuring to have Stella pick on the second ring, Nova's heart was filled to the brim, she had a lot to say to Stella. There was so much that she silently endured and kept to herself but now that Levi had done this, she deserved to get her own pound of flesh back and she knew her best friend would have her back.
"Nova! Hi, What's up?" Stella cheery voice came through the phone and Nova was immediately overcome with an urge to cry.
"I-" She tried to speak, her voice trembling. She wanted to say a lot but she just couldn't get her words out.
Stella immediately picked up on this and Nova could picture her best friend's pretty face scrunching up in concern, "Nova? What's wrong?" She asked in a worried tone, her voice sounder closer like she cupped her hand around her speaker to better hear.
"It's Le-Levi, he broke up with me," She managed to say, her voice teary.
Stella's reaction was so unexpected it made Nova's tears nearly dry up, the very last thing she expected her best friend to do was to burst out laughing. It wasn't one of disbelief either, rather her laughter was mocking and derisive.
"Fucking finally, it took him for fucking ever," Stella sneered.
Nova had to take her phone away from her ear to make sure she wasn't hearing things, "Stella… What? I don't understand-"
"Of course you don't, you're too stupid to. Too stupid to see that Levi is in love with me and has been cheating on you for years, only using you because you're stupid." She went on a rant like she had waited so long to say it.
Each insult drove a knife through Nova's already bleeding heart. She just couldn't understand it, Stella and Levi were the only ones she had, she would literally do anything for them so why would they do this to her…
"Why?" She whispered, not realizing she had said the question out loud.
"Because you're stupid," Stella said flatly, "Now come get all your ratty stuff from my house and then lose my number." She rounded off, hanging up.
Nova listened to the phone beep, her phone falling out of her hands. The old and cracked phone didn't stand a chance, shattering on the polished wooden floor but Nova didn't even seem to notice, tears brimming out of her eyes and spilling down her face.
Why?
WHY!?
Why her?
Even as that question kept repeating itself in her head, Nova could hear Stella's response to it as well.
…Stupid.
She wasn't stupid, she just wanted someone to want her, she just wanted a little love.
Nova was 24 and had nothing to her name because her supposed best friend and boyfriend had completely played her.
She should have known something was wrong when all the things they had built and bought together were in Levi's name but the first time she questioned it, he told her that if she loved and trusted him, she wouldn't question it.
And she did so she didn't question it anymore and where did that leave her? Homeless and penniless.
She didn't even have any home to go back to because she was an orphan, her mother died when she was young and she never knew her father. She had met Stella in college and Stella had introduced her to Levi.
So was this all a cruel plan hatched by them from the very start? She couldn't even think, hearing Stella confirm it made it feel too real.
Nova didn't realize that she had slid down the bed to the ground and was currently rocking herself to and fro, her hands on her hair. She was completely ruined, she had quit her decently paying job that had been really difficult to get, she literally had nothing else in life.
If Roan hadn't insisted on bringing her to his home, she would be wandering the streets somewhere.
Like the thought of him brought him, there was a knock on the door, startling Nova upright. She had completely forgotten that Roan promised to return and she really didn't want to see anyone at the moment but his knocking was insistent, it pushed her to her feet.
Nova felt her vision swim when she rose to her feet, if she had still been wearing her heels, she would have fallen; the shock was simply too much for her. Although she was a mess, she still pushed herself to the door, she had to give Roan an excuse at least.
"Nova?"
The sound of her name in his mouth felt unreal, it was also strange to hear the worry in his voice.
"Are you alright? Nova?"
"I- I'm fine," She choked out, her own voice giving her away.
"You don't sound that way, I'm coming in," He quickly countered.
Nova panicked at this, "No, wai-" The door swung open before she could get all her words out, Roan standing in front of her.
His usually slicked-back hair was tousled like his hands had been in it, his tie loosened, expensive suit jacket off.
Nova wanted to hide her face but there was no reason to, Roan had already seen what a complete wreck she was, maybe this would help him get over his brief fascination with her and he wouldn't trouble himself for her sake anymore.
"Do you want someone to listen?" He offered, standing respectfully at the door instead of cringing away or kicking her out of his pretty mansion.
Nova didn't realize she was holding back tears until Roan made that offer, and before she knew it, she had dropped to her knees on the carpet crying, not at all put together.