Chapter 9
The sun barely peeked through the blinds of Ariana's room as she sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at her hands. Her mind was in turmoil, the events of the past few hours swirling around like a storm she couldn't escape.
Caleb. His name echoed in her head, over and over. He had been the stranger from that night the night she had tried so hard to forget. The weight of that realization was crushing her. She hadn't wanted to know. She had hoped that whoever it was would stay a faceless memory, buried in the depths of her mind.
But now, everything had changed.
Her hands trembled slightly as she thought about what he had said. The look in his eyes when he'd told her the truth, the guilt, the frustration she couldn't shake it. How could she? Caleb had been searching for her, and when he found her, he had chosen to stay. To tell her.
A sharp knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts. She didn't answer at first, hoping whoever it was would go away. But the knock came again, louder this time.
"Ariana, open up," Jessie's voice called from the other side of the door. "I know you're in there."
Ariana hesitated, then slowly got up and opened the door. Jessie pushed her way inside, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
"You didn't come home last night," Jessie said, eyeing Ariana closely. "I tried calling, but you didn't answer. What happened?"
Ariana shut the door and leaned against it, trying to gather her thoughts. She hadn't told Jessie anything about that night, not about the stranger or the one-night stand. Now, she wasn't sure how to explain any of it.
"I… I ran into someone," Ariana said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Someone? Who? Did something happen?"
Ariana swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. "It's complicated."
Jessie frowned, stepping closer to her. "Complicated how?"
Ariana's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to find the right words. She could feel Jessie's eyes on her, waiting for an explanation, but how could she explain something she barely understood herself?
"I " Ariana's voice faltered, and she looked away, unable to meet Jessie's gaze. "I need to tell you something, but I don't even know where to start."
Jessie's expression softened, and she reached out, placing a hand on Ariana's arm. "Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me. We've been through everything together, right?"
Ariana nodded, her throat tightening with emotion. Jessie had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. She had always been there, through the good and the bad. But this? This was different.
Taking a deep breath, Ariana forced herself to speak. "Remember that night… the night I got really drunk, a few months ago?"
Jessie's eyes widened slightly, and she nodded. "Yeah, you disappeared for a while. You told me you went home, but I never really believed you."
Ariana swallowed again, her chest tightening as she prepared to drop the bombshell. "I didn't go home. I I slept with someone that night. Someone I didn't even know."
Jessie's mouth fell open in shock. "What? Ariana, why didn't you tell me?"
"I was ashamed," Ariana admitted, her voice cracking. "I didn't even know who he was. I just wanted to forget that night ever happened."
Jessie stared at her, speechless for a moment. Then she shook her head slowly. "Ariana, that's not something you just forget. Did you ever see him again? Or "
"I saw him last night," Ariana interrupted, her voice shaking now. "He found me."
Jessie's eyes widened even more. "He found you? Who is he?"
Ariana took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "His name is Caleb. He… he's been looking for me ever since that night."
Jessie sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, clearly struggling to process everything. "So, wait, he knew who you were this whole time? And he just showed up?"
"No," Ariana said quickly. "He didn't know who I was that night. He found out later, and… now he's here."
Jessie frowned, her expression turning from shock to concern. "What does he want? Why did he come looking for you?"
Ariana felt a lump form in her throat as she thought about the answer to that question. Why had he come looking for her? Was it just guilt? Or something else?
"I don't know," Ariana admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But it's more complicated than that."
Jessie gave her a long, searching look. "Ariana, what's going on? You're scaring me."
Ariana bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been avoiding the truth, even to herself, but now, faced with Jessie's concern, she couldn't run from it anymore.
"I'm pregnant," Ariana blurted out, her voice trembling. "And… it's his."
Jessie's eyes went wide, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. "Oh my God, Ariana…"
Tears welled up in Ariana's eyes as the weight of her confession settled over her. She had been keeping the secret for so long, trying to deal with it on her own, but now that the words were out, it felt like the walls were closing in around her.
"I didn't know what to do," Ariana whispered, her voice cracking. "I thought I could just ignore it, but now… now he's here, and I don't know how to handle any of this."
Jessie stood up, pulling Ariana into a tight hug. "You should've told me," she said softly, her voice full of empathy. "You shouldn't have had to deal with this alone."
Ariana buried her face in Jessie's shoulder, the tears finally spilling over. She had been holding it all in for so long the fear, the confusion, the guilt. But now, it all came rushing out, and she couldn't stop it.
Jessie held her for a long time, letting her cry, offering silent comfort. Finally, when Ariana had calmed down a little, Jessie pulled back and looked her in the eyes.
"What are you going to do?" Jessie asked gently. "About Caleb, I mean. Does he know about the baby?"
Ariana shook her head, wiping her eyes. "No, I didn't tell him. I don't even know if I should."
Jessie frowned, her expression serious. "Ariana, he's the father. He has a right to know."
"I know," Ariana whispered, her voice barely audible. "But I'm scared, Jessie. What if he doesn't want anything to do with me? What if he thinks I'm just trying to trap him?"
Jessie sighed, sitting back down on the bed. "You don't know that. He came looking for you, didn't he? That has to mean something."
Ariana nodded, though her heart still felt heavy with doubt. Jessie was right Caleb had come looking for her. But that didn't mean he would want to be a part of her life, or the baby's life.
The consequences of that night were spiraling out of control, and Ariana felt like she was drowning. She had no idea what to do next.