07-18-2015, 04:53 PM
Noah could barely contain himself as he hurried to get dress so he could have breakfast. The night before Tristan and Aven had arrived home, but he was too proud to go down and greet them since they arrived late. He decided to wait until morning and welcome them back calmly and coolly at the table.
Making his way down the stairs, he gave the woman he hadn't seen in months a slight nod before sitting down. Ayanna was happily making breakfast and looked quite content. He had heard her squealing in the kitchen when they had arrived back home and knew exactly how she felt. During the evening he decided that he would attempt to renew a friendship with Aven but nothing that could be construed as romantic. He missed having her around to talk to and the last few months had made him realize how very different he and Ayanna were. He didn't really understand how he had come to that conclusion, but little moments here and there had added up, he decided.
Sitting down at the table, he tried his best not to toss every question that came to mind at Aven. He wanted to seem like he hadn't been bored without her around and that he didn't miss her. After all, he didn't want her to believe that he held any feelings for her outside the realm of friendship.
When he lifted his head to look at Aven, he noticed that while she stared at her cereal bowl she would briefly look at Tristan out of the corner of her eye. When he turned to look at the other man in the room, he found the blonde doing the same. There was something going on, he concluded, but he couldn't be certain as to what. The atmosphere between them seemed tense, and he could only think of a few things that could drastically change their relationship like that.
“How was it?” Noah thought it would be better if he engaged Tristan in conversation first. “Filming that is.”
Tristan shrugged as Ayanna placed a plate with three pancakes on it in front of him. “It was different.”
“Do you think it will be a big hit?” Ayanna asked as she hurried back over to the stove.
“Not really.” He poured syrup on his meal and began to eat it.
“Maybe a classic among certain circles?” Noah asked.
Tristan once again shrugged. “I doubt any of the mainstream media will discuss it.”
Aven was sitting quietly as she crunched away at her cereal; oblivious that Noah was sitting beside her hoping she would join in. Though, she couldn't ignore the fact that he was there, but as awkward as she felt around him, it was Tristan's tension that occupied her mind in those moments.
“How about for you, Aven?” Ayanna asked which caused Noah to secretly cheer that someone had spoken to her. “Was being an assistant something you liked doing?”
Looking up from her bowl, her eyes caught on the dark haired man's next to her briefly, before she located her sister. “It was different.”
Placing another plate full of pancakes in front of Noah, Ayanna sighed dramatically. “You two just aren't going to give us all the juicy details, are you? We've been here waiting for you to come back so we can hear all about being on a set and in the movies, and you two won't give us anything?” She placed her hand that was holding her utensil on her hip.
“It wasn't like it was a big set or anything.” Aven continued. “It was a few tents with fans on the beach with a shitty hotel suite to sleep in. We went on better vacations as kids. Not to mention that Tristan slaved away all day long, while I was locked away in a tent because I supposedly got in the way.”
“Was it an awful experience?” Noah asked.
She looked at him and frowned. “It was different. Not good, not bad, different.” She turned her attention to Tristan. “Right?”
“Right, different. Nothing happened.” He spoke nervously before stuffing more food passed his lips in hopes he wouldn't have to talk anymore. The action caught the astute Noah's eye.
Tristan had locked his apartment door the night before so he wouldn't be bothered by the younger sister. He wondered why he hadn't thought of that before as Ayanna wasn't rude enough to use her keys and just come in. This time however he had left the door unlocked as he was certain that he was prepared to talk to her, and that he would lay everything out in no uncertain terms.
As he sat on the couch, he found himself listening for the stairs to make their familiar creak to announce the arrival of his guest. It didn't take her long after finishing cleaning up the kitchen to appear. When he stood up to greet her, she smiled widely and moved to hug him, but Tristan was quick to push her away.
Looking up at him, Ayanna's eyes were filled with confusion. “What's wrong?” She had hoped that the locked door the night before was simply because he was tired, but his attitude now verified a fear she had before falling asleep.
“I do not want to continue our relationship.” He was going to speak plainly and true in hopes that she would understand since she seemed willingly ignorant before. “I have no feelings toward you.”
“I know, but that's alright, you can...”
“No.” He interrupted. “You are in the way of the one that I want, and I will no longer allow you to be.”
She knew he meant her sister and tears began to fill up in her eyes. “Tristan, this is so not fair! I waited for you to come back. I was so lonely here without you and I was constantly trying to find ways to talk to you. The entire time you ignore me and now you are doing this?” Reaching out her hands, she wrapped them around his waist and desperately clung to him. “She doesn't love you! I do! Why do you want the person that doesn't want you?”
“Couldn't the same question be asked of you?” He tried to pull her off, but decided that he would hurt her if he really made an attempt with all his strength.
Ayanna sniffled as her tears soaked into his t-shirt. “Please, Tristan. Don't do this to me. Give me another chance, I promise I'll...”
“No!” He snapped. “Do you know how pathetic you sound right now?”
Stepping back she glared up at him. “I don't care! I love you! I don't want us to end this! I want us to try harder!”
“The only one ever trying was you. I have no interest in you.” He folded his arms across his chests in hopes that it would prevent her from grabbing hold of him again.
“I love you.” She thought that perhaps somehow those words alone would melt his heart, but he remained as cold as ever.
“I don't love you. I love Aven.” The words that were spoken were devoid of any normal emotion one might expect to hear with them. If she didn't know that Tristan had a difficult time expressing himself through tone, she would have thought he was lying.
“No!” Ayanna screamed at the top of her lungs which caused Tristan to hope that no one upstairs could hear them. “I don't care! I'll do whatever you want!” She grabbed onto his folded arms and seemed to want to hang from them.
Tristan gently pushed her away which caused her to stumble back and catch herself. “If you continue with this, I will move out.”
“If you move out, you'll never see Aven!” Ayanna's darker side came out to play momentarily. “Besides if you break up with me, I'll just throw you out anyway.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, Aven and I are friends. I can just call to see her. I don't need to live in the same house.”
Yanking a pillow from the couch, Ayanna threw it at him. The soft item hit his chest and folded arms before falling to the ground at his feet. “Fuck you!”
“Please, leave.” He motioned toward the stairway. “We can no longer continue this conversation in the state you are in.”
“Fuck you!” She screamed again before flipping around and heading up the stairs.
Noah was surprised when he heard the door to the stairway open then slam followed by hurried footsteps. He stood from the sofa to see who was coming half hoping it might be Aven, but knowing it was probably the other sister. Ayanna soon appeared and stood with panic in her eyes but as soon as she made eye contact with Noah she became frozen.
“Ayanna?” He finally broke the silence.
“Tristan broke up with me!” She whaled the words and moved across the room to thrust her face into his chest.
Noah felt uncomfortable holding the woman and all he could think was what would happen if Aven saw this situation. He thought she would push her off, but decided that was too cold even for him. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, he tried to console her.
“Did he say why?” He asked when her cries became more of a sob.
She nodded her head with her face still against his chest. “He says he is in love with Aven and that I'm in the way.”
The words made his heart begin to race and the thought of going down into that basement to beat the hell of Tristan crossed his mind. Of course, that hadn't worked out too well the last time and Noah was still unsure why he felt that way. “Aven has no feelings for him.”
“I told him that. It seems he doesn't care.” She stepped back to look up into his face, but her fingers clung to his black dress shirt. Ayanna's cheeks were covered in tears and her eyes were red. “He just wants me out of the way so he can have her.”
Noah felt sympathy for the woman in front of him, but he was at a loss of what he could do for her. It wasn't something that could be a simple fix and he also wondered if his reasons for his sympathy weren't just selfishness in disguise. “Would you like to have a glass of wine with me then? I'm sorry that's the only thing I can do to comfort you.”
“Take her back.” Ayanna sniffled and stepped away completely from him.
“Excuse me?”
She attempted to clean up her face as best she could with her hands. “You missed her, didn't you? All those nights spending time with me, you were lonely and missed my sister.”
Noah opened his mouth to deny it, but the words that would protect his pride didn't seem to want to be spoken. “Look, I can't just go back to Aven to prevent Tristan from taking her. That's not something that I would cruelly do, especially if I am... not certain if I want her or not. Could you imagine if I just hurt her a second time? Don't you think I've done enough damage?”
Ayanna's puppy eyes stared at him. “Please.”
“I'm sorry, Ayanna. I know this is partially my fault. I'm no longer standing in Tristan's way either, but I have to figure out how I feel about Aven before...”
“You want her and you miss her. All this time you barely left the house, you didn't see other women, and you never once tried anything on me. Haven't you felt any jealousy or worry that she was with Tristan?” She didn't wait for his answer. “I think it's pretty clear to me how you feel about her. I don't know why you so stubbornly refuse to see it. I know the two of you became very close. Didn't you say you are having trouble writing without her around?”
He folded his arms and frowned. “If I choose to go after your sister again, it won't be because I am throwing myself on the sword for you or her.”
She glared at him for a moment. “Very well, but know that Tristan isn't your only competition. Our friend, Jeremy, has returned and he wants to tell her how he feels about her. I know him, he will take whatever opportunity that is given to him. He isn't the type to wait, especially since he has been gone all these years.”
Noah inhaled deeply to hold back the annoyance and jealousy that was swelling in his chest. “If you are done...” He motioned toward the stairs with what he hoped was a grin.
Aven quickly ate her lunch and then disappeared into the living room. Noah thought it was him, but found her looking toward Tristan's door from time to time. He was certain now that something had happened between them and once again Aven was practicing her avoidance. He didn't know what bothered him more; that something happened between them or that Aven seemed oblivious to his presence now.
The basement door opened and Tristan appeared. He looked at Aven's spot at the table before sitting down and looked toward Ayanna who was making them sandwiches. His eyes then moved to Noah who was also watching him.
“She ate and left already.” He informed the other man.
Even Tristan wasn't socially awkward enough that he couldn't feel the tension in the room. Something told him that Noah had some sort of thoughts on what was going on, that was if Aven hadn't already told him. Though he didn't know how badly their relationship had been broken or even if it had been fixed.
Ayanna placed the two sandwiches on the table and looked at Noah. “I am going to spend the night at my friend's. Would you mind ordering pizza or something for dinner tonight?”
“Not at all. Take your time.” Noah thought it might be helpful to have her gone, but he wasn't entirely certain why.
Without another word, Ayanna grabbed a bag she had by the door and her keys. She quickly exited the house, leaving the two men alone in the kitchen.
“You've caused quite the mess.” Noah spoke before standing up to get the potato chips that Ayanna had left on the counter in their bag but forgot to serve. Sitting back down, he opened the bag and pulled out some chips to put on his plate. “At least I only had one of them upset with me. How you managed to get both to avoid you...” He chuckled. “well, I am almost curious to find out. You know, in order to do it myself.”
Tristan frowned. “This is none of your business.”
“Ayanna seems to think it is.” He bit into his sandwich. “Did you confess to Aven and she rejected you?”
The blonde said nothing.
“Kiss her?” He asked when he didn't seem to get any reaction from the other man. He didn't like the way the anticipation of the answer made him feel, as if his chest was in knots. “Sleep with her?” The second question was asked when the response from Tristan remained cold.
“What happened between Aven and I is between Aven and I. You are not...”
Reaching across the table, Noah grabbed Tristan's collar. “Listen you little shit. You can't just fuck one sister and then jump to the next. The nuances of the sisterly relationship doesn't allow it. Forever in Aven's eyes, you belong to her sister and no matter what she won't touch you anymore. As far as she is concerned she has betrayed her sister.”
“Release my shirt.” Tristan's tone of voice seemed to carry a warning.
Letting him go, Noah sat back. “You fucked yourself over with Aven the moment you shoved your dick in her sister.”
He stared at the shorter man sitting across the table for several moments. “Ayanna threw herself on me, I...”
“Still fucked her and allowed her to think she was your girlfriend. Not to mention that she believes she is in love with you.” Noah smirked. “You have no chance with Aven. I don't care what happened between you while you were gone. You are harboring an empty fantasy that will surely sink in the next few days, if not sooner.”
Standing up from the table, Tristan had barely taken two bites from his sandwich. He looked down at it briefly before deciding he wasn't hungry and marching downstairs. He was pissed; not only with Noah but with the fact that he feared the nosy writer was right.
Aven paced back and forth in her bedroom as she tried to figure out what she could do to fix what she had done. She had left with Tristan to hide from Noah, but now that she returned she was still in the same position except now with the other tenant. Not only was the man someone that her sister loved and slept with, but she had been asked to ensure he didn't cheat.
She knew that something like this would devastate her sister and all she could do was beat herself up inside. In truth, she didn't even know what prompted her to sleep with him and she knew she initiated it. It had to be loneliness and despair coupled with the fact that she had learned that sleeping with someone eases the pain, but it didn't this time.
The entire time she was with Tristan that evening all she could think about was her sister and Noah. It just created more guilt for her. Sleeping with Tristan was nothing like with Noah either. It wasn't that Tristan was any less skilled or passionate as he really seemed eager to please, but that it wasn't someone she was attracted to. It made her question how long she had actually liked Noah before realizing it. Was it even the day he moved in that it started? Was that why she fought him off so much when he first moved in?
Aven startled when the phone rang and she walked around her bed to the nightstand to look at the caller ID. She smiled gently when Jeremy's name showed up and answered it. “Hey, I was hoping you would call.”
“Were you?” There was a smile in his voice. “How is everything now that you are back? Noah isn't bothering you anymore, is he?”
“No, he and I haven't really spoken.” She swallowed. “Jeremy, I have to talk to you. I think... no, I know I really screwed up big time.”
He was quiet for a moment before answering. “I was thinking of inviting you over for dinner. We could talk then. I have something I need to say to you, anyway.”
She took a deep breath. “Ok, great, I'll see you around six then?”
“Can we make it five?”
She agreed with a mumbled and took a deep breath. “Actually, let me tell you now so you can think it over between now and then.”
“Uh, alright.”
Aven swallowed, “I slept with my sister's boyfriend while I was with him for that filming. They've broken up now as well, and I don't know if he told her or whats going on. I just know that I betrayed my sister and I have no idea why I even slept with him. It's like I am an evil sick bitch who just wants to spread misery.”
Jeremy had trouble keeping up with the speed that the woman was talking, but he had gotten the gist of what she had said. “Do you have feelings for him?”
“No! I mean we are friends and I wanted it to remain that way, but I don't find him attractive in any way.” She was trying to hold back tears. “That wouldn't matter anyway. I betrayed my sister. Ayanna has been so good to me and has taken care of me, and I repay her like this. I am such scum.”
“You don't know if she knows about this?”
Aven shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see her. “I don't think she does, because there is no way she wouldn't confront me. She is just depressed that he broke up with her and then left to stay at Scott's for the night.”
“Alright, let's not jump ahead of ourselves here. She may not know and honestly I don't think she needs to know, but we will discuss all of this when I see you. Until then, take a nice hot bath and relax.” Jeremy was chewing on his pen as he spoke.
Nodding her head, Aven took a deep breath. “Fine, I'll see you in a while then.”
“See you then. Relax, Aven. Ok?”
“You should slow down.” Scott warned as he watched Ayanna chug down her sixth glass of Pinot Noir. He didn't drink it himself, but always kept it on hand for the woman that was with him now. Reaching out his hand, he took the glass from her and set it on the table. “Are you trying to make yourself pass out?”
Ayanna's face was blank as she looked into his eyes, she had cried herself out the moment she had arrived. “I told him the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
She turned her eyes toward the wine bottle on the table and poured herself another drink. He thought to stop her, but decided to just let her have her way. “About what Carlin did to me.”
Scott felt annoyed that she would tell this jerk what had happened but as a long time friend he was left in the dark. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. He doesn't care about me or what happened to me.” She downed the newly poured glass, when she finished she turned her attention back to him. “I told the fucker that I was raped, and he didn't give a shit!”
This was not how Scott wanted his fears validated, but there was no turning back time. Drunk Ayanna had admitted to him what he always thought in the back of his mind. “I'm sorry.”
Putting the glass down, she didn't have the coordination to set it down properly and it fell over before rolling on the soft carpet. “Oops.”
Picking it up, Scott set the unharmed glass on the coffee table. He picked up his own glass of bourbon and took a large swig. Ayanna leaned forward and rested her chest on her legs with her arms dangling to the floor. Scott gently stroked her hair like he often did before when he was comforting her. “You are staying here tonight?”
“Yep.”
Standing up, he straightened out his shirt. “I'll make sure the guest room is set up.”
Ayanna managed to grab his hand and forcing him to look down at her. “I don't care. Just stay with me, please.”
He sat back down and leaned back on the couch as Ayanna laid her head on his chest. Wrapping one arm around her, he waited for her to get sick as was the usual course of events when she drank this much.
Tossing her head back some, she tried to make eye contact though their faces were close. “You're a good friend.”
“I know.” Scott sighed and tried to hide his disgust with the word friend. Now wasn't the time to be bothered by the fact that Ayanna was more than that to him.
“I love you.” She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips briefly before pulling back and smiling. “I don't think I've ever kissed you before.”
“And you shouldn't start now.” Scott warned and tried to push her head back onto his chest, but she resisted.
Sitting up, Ayanna stared at him for several seconds before she leaned forward once more and kissed him again. This time it lasted longer though there was very little motion. When she pulled away she smiled once more.
“You're very drunk.” Scott sighed as he stood up. “Come on, time for bed before you do something you'll regret tomorrow.”
“I won't regret it.” She told him as he pulled her up by her upper arms. When she was standing, she leaned against his chest for support. “I really love you.”
“I know you do.” He began to help her toward the guest bedroom, but when they got down the hall he opened the door and found that the bed was without any linens. “Alright, pit stop. Do you have to pee or throw up?”
“You said pee.” She giggled.
Another deep sigh left his lips, “Then you can wait in my bedroom. Let me know if you need to get sick.” He walked her into the dark bedroom and when he laid her on the bed, Ayanna wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his own refusing to let go.
Sitting in the kitchen, Noah played with the cork to his wine bottle and stared into the dark red liquid in his wine glass. He knew that Ayanna was gone so there was no one he could spend time with. Aven was in her part of the house and Tristan was downstairs, he thought about joining the male house mate but decided it would only lead to an awkward situation. He had said some things earlier that put distance between them, not that they were very close before.
The door to the girl's apartment opened and Aven stepped into the kitchen as she flung the strap of her purse over her shoulder. Noah was uncertain of how he should react and soon found himself standing up to greet her.
“Heading out?” He asked as Aven walked toward the door.
“Ayanna said you'll be ordering pizza for dinner, so I am going to a friend's house.” She didn't make eye contact with him.
Noah moved to prevent her from leaving by simply standing in front of her. “You and I... we're alright now, aren't we?”
Turning her head up slightly, she glared. “What do you think?”
There was a moment of silence as Noah chewed on his bottom lip nervously. “If it makes you feel any better; it was incredibly boring around here without you.” He didn't know what he was doing as his normally confident demeanor seemed to have abandoned him.
Aven sighed in annoyance and adjusted her purse. “What do you want, Noah?”
“Started carrying around a purse, did you?” He looked her over for a moment. “Doesn't really seem like you.”
“I had to carry around a bag with me while I was working with Tristan. It seems natural to have one now.” She frowned and wondered why she would even bother to tell him that. This was the first time they had talked since she arrived back. “I have to go.”
Noah stepped in front of her once more. “I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
Slowly shaking his head, he seemed to be thinking of an answer. “I don't know. I just am. I put you into this situation and I took things too far.” He watched her cold exterior begin to melt. “Tristan told me what happened between you.”
“He told you?” Her tone carried anger and shock.
“Well, I guessed and he doesn't ever bother to lie.” Noah smirked and allowed his eyes to briefly turn to the basement door. “Your sister is already hurt pretty badly about Tristan dumping her, so make sure she doesn't find out about that.”
“I don't need you to tell me that.” She tried to shove past him but he held his ground. “I have to leave, Noah.” Aven snapped.
“Why'd you do it?”
She didn't really know why she answered his question, perhaps it was the look of honest concern in his eyes. “I don't know. I was stupid and I was lonely. I felt ignored while I was down there and my feelings were hurt. I just did what you taught me to do and didn't even think that this was my sister's boyfriend.”
Aven's eyes didn't hide their emotions as usual, and Noah felt the pain that she was barring. Leaning forward he kissed her lips gently only to be violently shoved away.
“What the hell, Noah?” She shouted.
Without giving an answer, he allowed her to push past him and exit the house. Standing silently with his back against the counter, Noah thought over what had just happened. He decided that this occurred because he felt bad for Ayanna and decided to fall on the sword to prevent Tristan from having her. He also felt bad for Aven and wanted to make her feel better.
With that conclusion in mind, he grabbed his wine and gulped it down before pouring himself another glass. “Going batshit crazy in this house.” He mumbled to himself.
The house was newly built and the design didn't resemble that which Aven thought a bachelor would live in. Many of the rooms felt like they had a feminine touch to them. The kitchen while it had dark cabinets, black counter tops, and stainless steel appliances also had pot holders with little chickens on them. The living room that she found herself in had an open feeling with a light beige leather couch, and flowers were set up on the end tables. The television was stationed next to the stairs in front of the couch and coffee table.
Jeremy placed some appetizers on the coffee table while the rest of their meal finished up in the oven. “What do you think?” He asked referring to the house.
“Do you have a girlfriend living with you?” Aven's eyes turned to the flowers.
Sitting down on the couch beside her, he shook his head. “No, but I told the interior decorator that I wanted a house that's for a family not a bachelor.”
She looked unconvinced.
“I want to get married eventually so I figured it wasn't worth the effort to have to redecorate later.” He shrugged. “Does it really look like I have a woman living here?”
Aven smirked. “Yes, and I would be upset if you didn't tell me that there was some one in your life.”
“Scout's honor. There is no girlfriend.” He sighed. “I haven't had time for one and I was moving around so much that it wouldn't have been fair to her anyway.”
“Alright, I believe you.” She teased then picked up a small egg roll from the plate in front of her.
“Didn't you want to talk to me about what happened with your sister?”
Aven slowly shook her head. “Surprisingly enough, I ran into Noah as I was leaving. He knows what happened with Tristan and he said some things that got my head on straight. I'm not going to tell Ayanna. It would hurt her too much since she cares so much for him.”
Jeremy nodded his head in agreement. “I think that would be for the best. So, it's settled then?”
“Yes.” She grabbed another egg roll. “Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?”
“I do.” Reaching out his hand, he grabbed his bottle of beer from the table and took a large gulp from it before putting it down. “Look, I don't know how to say this in any way but as bluntly and honestly as possible. I don't have a way to make it sound like some flowery admission that will be remembered forever and besides I have no idea how you will react anyway.”
Aven felt nervous the moment he began to speak as her mind went over several possibilities of what the conversation might entail.
“So, here it goes.” He turned on the couch to face her. “Aven, I care for you deeply as more than a friend. I have for a very long time. I know that I abandoned you after the accident and I also know that you have feelings for someone else, but if you could forgive me and give me a chance I would really... uh, appreciate it, I guess.”
She sat silently for several seconds looking down at the egg roll in her hand, before she raised her eyes to meet his own. “I don't think I ever thought about you in that way, Jeremy.”
“That's ok.” He scooted closer. “It's not like I am asking you to marry me or anything, I just want you to start thinking about me in that way. If it doesn't happen then we can just return to where we started with no hard feelings. There is no pressure and I expect nothing from you. I just want a chance even if it's very small.”
Aven swallowed. “I suppose it couldn't hurt.”
“Really?” He tried not to sound too excited or desperate. “That's great. That's...” A loud ding came from the kitchen to announce the food was done. “Dinner's ready. Let's count this as a date, alright?”
She smiled softly and gave a nod as her response.
Grabbing her head, Ayanna sat up in the bed only to have the blanket fall and reveal her bare chest. Disoriented, she tried to remember where she was and what had happened to bring her to this point. In the darkness, she was able to make out a lamp on the nightstand next to her and reached out to turn it on.
When the light illuminated the room, she was able to clearly see that this was Scott's guest room and next to her was Scott. He was asleep with his head on the pillow and a bare shoulder peeked out from the blanket. It took all the will power she had not to scream into the night.
Jumping from the bed, she grabbed her clothes from the floor, turned off the lamp, and hurried into the living room to dress. “Oh, no. Oh, no. Please, no.” She chanted as she quickly dressed herself.
When she was fully dressed, she smacked herself in the forehead three times. “You fucking bitch.” She mumbled to herself.
“Ayanna?” Scott's voice called from the bedroom and she ran toward the front door. “Ayanna? Are you sick?”
Opening the door, she shut it quietly after she stepped out so he couldn't hear that she had left. She hoped that in the time it took for him to look around the house she would make it to her car.
The plan worked well, she made it to the elevator and to her car parked on the side of the road. However she had forgotten her purse and realized it as soon as she reached for her keys. Looking up at the window she knew belonged to Scott's apartment she could see that all the lights had been turned on.
“Son of a bitch!” She kicked the car. All of her money was in that purse, so she couldn't take a cab home nor could she call for one without her cell phone.
Taking a deep breath, she headed back to the elevator and up to Scott's apartment where he greeted her at the door with her purse in hand. “Let's talk.”
“No.” She reached for her purse and snatched it away.
He wasn't wearing a shirt and only had his slacks on that he had been wearing earlier. “Ayanna, I...”
“You asshole! You took advantage of me in that state?” She screamed. “You knew I was drunk and emotional! I never want to see you again!” Turning around, she hurried down the hall with Scott close behind her.
“Ayanna, listen to me.” He grabbed her upper arm as she pressed the button to signal the elevator. It opened right away since it was late at night and few people were using the elevator.
“I don't want to listen to you! I don't care!” She shoved him away and stepped into the elevator before quickly pushing the button followed by the close door button.
Scott stood in the hallway and watched the elevator shut while Ayanna tried not to look at him. As she walked to her car, her cell phone rang and she looked at the caller information. It was Scott and she sent him to voice mail, but no message was left.
She quickly unlocked her car door and sat in the driver's seat before she began to wonder if she was sober enough to drive home. Her phone continued to ring as she began to cry onto the steering wheel. “What have I done?” She wept.
“Ayanna.” Scott appeared at the window of the car and knocked several times. “I need to talk to you, besides you shouldn't drive in this state.”
Grabbing her keys, she put them in the ignition and started the car. Scott stepped back when he realized she was going to drive away. Ayanna looked in her rear view mirror a couple times as she drove away to get her last glimpse of her close friend. She was pissed that he would dare take advantage of her, but also saddened that the one person she thought she could trust had not been worthy of it.
Through the tears and the haze of a hung over mind, she tried her best to concentrate on her driving and not worry about the emotions she was feeling. At least, not until she got home.
“Aven, I need to talk with you.” Tristan stood up from the kitchen table when she entered in from her date. She had come home late mostly because she didn't want to come home and partially because she was having a good time with Jeremy.
“Not tonight.” She quickly hurried to the living room, but that didn't stop Tristan from following her.
“Yes, tonight.” He grabbed her hand. “Something happened between us and we should discuss it.”
Aven turned to look at him and swallowed. “Nothing happened between us. Forget about it and don't you ever let Ayanna find out, or I swear I will beat you within an inch of your life. You hurt her enough anyway.”
Grabbing her shoulders, he pinned her against the wall when she tried to walk away again. “I... I love you.” His eyes told her that he was telling the truth and how painful it was for him.
“I was feeling emotional that night. I didn't sleep with you because I have special feelings for you, I did it to forget about how secluded I was and how much pain I was in. It was wrong of me, but I did it. I'm sorry.”
“So, just sleep with me like you did in the beginning with Noah.” He leaned forward to kiss her, but Aven stretched out her arms between them despite being pinned to the wall.
“Don't, Tristan. I can't be with someone like you even if I did have feelings for you.” She was released from his hold. “You and I are too similar in a very bad way and we would only make each other stagnant. The two of us would never grow, and besides I don't care for you that way.”
“I can grow.” Tristan mumbled. “You made me change and take that movie. How is that being stagnant?”
“It wasn't for you that I convinced you to do that movie. I just wanted to get away from here. I'm sorry, Tristan, but... I'm just sorry. I know you are very sensitive and I used you in that way. It's cruel to sleep with someone for your own selfishness, and honestly I think I always knew you had a crush on me. I just...”
“You slept with Tristan?” Ayanna's voice came from the doorway. “You fucked my boyfriend?”
Aven quickly turned her attention to the silhouette behind Tristan. “Ayanna, listen, I...”
“You fucking whore!” She raced toward her sister and pounced upon her.
Tristan tried to break them apart and Aven wasn't really attacking her sister in return, but Ayanna was scratching and yanking hair. After what felt like an eternity, Noah appeared after hearing all the screaming and Tristan begging them to stop. He grabbed Aven under her shoulders and helped to slide her out from under her sister, while Tristan pulled Ayanna away.
“You bitch! I asked you to make sure he didn't cheat on me, not to be the one he cheats with!” Ayanna was being held back by the very man she was speaking of.
Noah looked at Aven's face to ensure that she was alright, but the room was too dark. “Are you alright?” He asked still holding her up as she was a bit shaken by the experience.
“I'll fucking kill you!”Ayanna screamed. “I am going to beat you into a bloody pulp and then burn this place to the ground!”
“That's enough, Ayanna.” Noah warned.
Ayanna spit towards the two of them. “I fucking give up my life to come here to take care of a fucking emotional zombie, and this is how you repay me? Do you know how many guys I had to fuck to keep the lights on in this house! I hate you! I hate you, Aven!”
Aven's fingers clung to the cloth of Noah's shirt. “I'm sorry. It's all my fault.” She spoke softly before turning her attention to Noah. “I think my face is bleeding.”
“Come upstairs, I think you'll be safer up there tonight.” He motioned for Tristan to pull the hysterical woman out of their way. Noah helped walk Aven into the kitchen and up to his apartment, while allowing Tristan to deal with the problem he had created.
Making his way down the stairs, he gave the woman he hadn't seen in months a slight nod before sitting down. Ayanna was happily making breakfast and looked quite content. He had heard her squealing in the kitchen when they had arrived back home and knew exactly how she felt. During the evening he decided that he would attempt to renew a friendship with Aven but nothing that could be construed as romantic. He missed having her around to talk to and the last few months had made him realize how very different he and Ayanna were. He didn't really understand how he had come to that conclusion, but little moments here and there had added up, he decided.
Sitting down at the table, he tried his best not to toss every question that came to mind at Aven. He wanted to seem like he hadn't been bored without her around and that he didn't miss her. After all, he didn't want her to believe that he held any feelings for her outside the realm of friendship.
When he lifted his head to look at Aven, he noticed that while she stared at her cereal bowl she would briefly look at Tristan out of the corner of her eye. When he turned to look at the other man in the room, he found the blonde doing the same. There was something going on, he concluded, but he couldn't be certain as to what. The atmosphere between them seemed tense, and he could only think of a few things that could drastically change their relationship like that.
“How was it?” Noah thought it would be better if he engaged Tristan in conversation first. “Filming that is.”
Tristan shrugged as Ayanna placed a plate with three pancakes on it in front of him. “It was different.”
“Do you think it will be a big hit?” Ayanna asked as she hurried back over to the stove.
“Not really.” He poured syrup on his meal and began to eat it.
“Maybe a classic among certain circles?” Noah asked.
Tristan once again shrugged. “I doubt any of the mainstream media will discuss it.”
Aven was sitting quietly as she crunched away at her cereal; oblivious that Noah was sitting beside her hoping she would join in. Though, she couldn't ignore the fact that he was there, but as awkward as she felt around him, it was Tristan's tension that occupied her mind in those moments.
“How about for you, Aven?” Ayanna asked which caused Noah to secretly cheer that someone had spoken to her. “Was being an assistant something you liked doing?”
Looking up from her bowl, her eyes caught on the dark haired man's next to her briefly, before she located her sister. “It was different.”
Placing another plate full of pancakes in front of Noah, Ayanna sighed dramatically. “You two just aren't going to give us all the juicy details, are you? We've been here waiting for you to come back so we can hear all about being on a set and in the movies, and you two won't give us anything?” She placed her hand that was holding her utensil on her hip.
“It wasn't like it was a big set or anything.” Aven continued. “It was a few tents with fans on the beach with a shitty hotel suite to sleep in. We went on better vacations as kids. Not to mention that Tristan slaved away all day long, while I was locked away in a tent because I supposedly got in the way.”
“Was it an awful experience?” Noah asked.
She looked at him and frowned. “It was different. Not good, not bad, different.” She turned her attention to Tristan. “Right?”
“Right, different. Nothing happened.” He spoke nervously before stuffing more food passed his lips in hopes he wouldn't have to talk anymore. The action caught the astute Noah's eye.
---***
Tristan had locked his apartment door the night before so he wouldn't be bothered by the younger sister. He wondered why he hadn't thought of that before as Ayanna wasn't rude enough to use her keys and just come in. This time however he had left the door unlocked as he was certain that he was prepared to talk to her, and that he would lay everything out in no uncertain terms.
As he sat on the couch, he found himself listening for the stairs to make their familiar creak to announce the arrival of his guest. It didn't take her long after finishing cleaning up the kitchen to appear. When he stood up to greet her, she smiled widely and moved to hug him, but Tristan was quick to push her away.
Looking up at him, Ayanna's eyes were filled with confusion. “What's wrong?” She had hoped that the locked door the night before was simply because he was tired, but his attitude now verified a fear she had before falling asleep.
“I do not want to continue our relationship.” He was going to speak plainly and true in hopes that she would understand since she seemed willingly ignorant before. “I have no feelings toward you.”
“I know, but that's alright, you can...”
“No.” He interrupted. “You are in the way of the one that I want, and I will no longer allow you to be.”
She knew he meant her sister and tears began to fill up in her eyes. “Tristan, this is so not fair! I waited for you to come back. I was so lonely here without you and I was constantly trying to find ways to talk to you. The entire time you ignore me and now you are doing this?” Reaching out her hands, she wrapped them around his waist and desperately clung to him. “She doesn't love you! I do! Why do you want the person that doesn't want you?”
“Couldn't the same question be asked of you?” He tried to pull her off, but decided that he would hurt her if he really made an attempt with all his strength.
Ayanna sniffled as her tears soaked into his t-shirt. “Please, Tristan. Don't do this to me. Give me another chance, I promise I'll...”
“No!” He snapped. “Do you know how pathetic you sound right now?”
Stepping back she glared up at him. “I don't care! I love you! I don't want us to end this! I want us to try harder!”
“The only one ever trying was you. I have no interest in you.” He folded his arms across his chests in hopes that it would prevent her from grabbing hold of him again.
“I love you.” She thought that perhaps somehow those words alone would melt his heart, but he remained as cold as ever.
“I don't love you. I love Aven.” The words that were spoken were devoid of any normal emotion one might expect to hear with them. If she didn't know that Tristan had a difficult time expressing himself through tone, she would have thought he was lying.
“No!” Ayanna screamed at the top of her lungs which caused Tristan to hope that no one upstairs could hear them. “I don't care! I'll do whatever you want!” She grabbed onto his folded arms and seemed to want to hang from them.
Tristan gently pushed her away which caused her to stumble back and catch herself. “If you continue with this, I will move out.”
“If you move out, you'll never see Aven!” Ayanna's darker side came out to play momentarily. “Besides if you break up with me, I'll just throw you out anyway.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, Aven and I are friends. I can just call to see her. I don't need to live in the same house.”
Yanking a pillow from the couch, Ayanna threw it at him. The soft item hit his chest and folded arms before falling to the ground at his feet. “Fuck you!”
“Please, leave.” He motioned toward the stairway. “We can no longer continue this conversation in the state you are in.”
“Fuck you!” She screamed again before flipping around and heading up the stairs.
---***
Noah was surprised when he heard the door to the stairway open then slam followed by hurried footsteps. He stood from the sofa to see who was coming half hoping it might be Aven, but knowing it was probably the other sister. Ayanna soon appeared and stood with panic in her eyes but as soon as she made eye contact with Noah she became frozen.
“Ayanna?” He finally broke the silence.
“Tristan broke up with me!” She whaled the words and moved across the room to thrust her face into his chest.
Noah felt uncomfortable holding the woman and all he could think was what would happen if Aven saw this situation. He thought she would push her off, but decided that was too cold even for him. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, he tried to console her.
“Did he say why?” He asked when her cries became more of a sob.
She nodded her head with her face still against his chest. “He says he is in love with Aven and that I'm in the way.”
The words made his heart begin to race and the thought of going down into that basement to beat the hell of Tristan crossed his mind. Of course, that hadn't worked out too well the last time and Noah was still unsure why he felt that way. “Aven has no feelings for him.”
“I told him that. It seems he doesn't care.” She stepped back to look up into his face, but her fingers clung to his black dress shirt. Ayanna's cheeks were covered in tears and her eyes were red. “He just wants me out of the way so he can have her.”
Noah felt sympathy for the woman in front of him, but he was at a loss of what he could do for her. It wasn't something that could be a simple fix and he also wondered if his reasons for his sympathy weren't just selfishness in disguise. “Would you like to have a glass of wine with me then? I'm sorry that's the only thing I can do to comfort you.”
“Take her back.” Ayanna sniffled and stepped away completely from him.
“Excuse me?”
She attempted to clean up her face as best she could with her hands. “You missed her, didn't you? All those nights spending time with me, you were lonely and missed my sister.”
Noah opened his mouth to deny it, but the words that would protect his pride didn't seem to want to be spoken. “Look, I can't just go back to Aven to prevent Tristan from taking her. That's not something that I would cruelly do, especially if I am... not certain if I want her or not. Could you imagine if I just hurt her a second time? Don't you think I've done enough damage?”
Ayanna's puppy eyes stared at him. “Please.”
“I'm sorry, Ayanna. I know this is partially my fault. I'm no longer standing in Tristan's way either, but I have to figure out how I feel about Aven before...”
“You want her and you miss her. All this time you barely left the house, you didn't see other women, and you never once tried anything on me. Haven't you felt any jealousy or worry that she was with Tristan?” She didn't wait for his answer. “I think it's pretty clear to me how you feel about her. I don't know why you so stubbornly refuse to see it. I know the two of you became very close. Didn't you say you are having trouble writing without her around?”
He folded his arms and frowned. “If I choose to go after your sister again, it won't be because I am throwing myself on the sword for you or her.”
She glared at him for a moment. “Very well, but know that Tristan isn't your only competition. Our friend, Jeremy, has returned and he wants to tell her how he feels about her. I know him, he will take whatever opportunity that is given to him. He isn't the type to wait, especially since he has been gone all these years.”
Noah inhaled deeply to hold back the annoyance and jealousy that was swelling in his chest. “If you are done...” He motioned toward the stairs with what he hoped was a grin.
---***
Aven quickly ate her lunch and then disappeared into the living room. Noah thought it was him, but found her looking toward Tristan's door from time to time. He was certain now that something had happened between them and once again Aven was practicing her avoidance. He didn't know what bothered him more; that something happened between them or that Aven seemed oblivious to his presence now.
The basement door opened and Tristan appeared. He looked at Aven's spot at the table before sitting down and looked toward Ayanna who was making them sandwiches. His eyes then moved to Noah who was also watching him.
“She ate and left already.” He informed the other man.
Even Tristan wasn't socially awkward enough that he couldn't feel the tension in the room. Something told him that Noah had some sort of thoughts on what was going on, that was if Aven hadn't already told him. Though he didn't know how badly their relationship had been broken or even if it had been fixed.
Ayanna placed the two sandwiches on the table and looked at Noah. “I am going to spend the night at my friend's. Would you mind ordering pizza or something for dinner tonight?”
“Not at all. Take your time.” Noah thought it might be helpful to have her gone, but he wasn't entirely certain why.
Without another word, Ayanna grabbed a bag she had by the door and her keys. She quickly exited the house, leaving the two men alone in the kitchen.
“You've caused quite the mess.” Noah spoke before standing up to get the potato chips that Ayanna had left on the counter in their bag but forgot to serve. Sitting back down, he opened the bag and pulled out some chips to put on his plate. “At least I only had one of them upset with me. How you managed to get both to avoid you...” He chuckled. “well, I am almost curious to find out. You know, in order to do it myself.”
Tristan frowned. “This is none of your business.”
“Ayanna seems to think it is.” He bit into his sandwich. “Did you confess to Aven and she rejected you?”
The blonde said nothing.
“Kiss her?” He asked when he didn't seem to get any reaction from the other man. He didn't like the way the anticipation of the answer made him feel, as if his chest was in knots. “Sleep with her?” The second question was asked when the response from Tristan remained cold.
“What happened between Aven and I is between Aven and I. You are not...”
Reaching across the table, Noah grabbed Tristan's collar. “Listen you little shit. You can't just fuck one sister and then jump to the next. The nuances of the sisterly relationship doesn't allow it. Forever in Aven's eyes, you belong to her sister and no matter what she won't touch you anymore. As far as she is concerned she has betrayed her sister.”
“Release my shirt.” Tristan's tone of voice seemed to carry a warning.
Letting him go, Noah sat back. “You fucked yourself over with Aven the moment you shoved your dick in her sister.”
He stared at the shorter man sitting across the table for several moments. “Ayanna threw herself on me, I...”
“Still fucked her and allowed her to think she was your girlfriend. Not to mention that she believes she is in love with you.” Noah smirked. “You have no chance with Aven. I don't care what happened between you while you were gone. You are harboring an empty fantasy that will surely sink in the next few days, if not sooner.”
Standing up from the table, Tristan had barely taken two bites from his sandwich. He looked down at it briefly before deciding he wasn't hungry and marching downstairs. He was pissed; not only with Noah but with the fact that he feared the nosy writer was right.
---***
Aven paced back and forth in her bedroom as she tried to figure out what she could do to fix what she had done. She had left with Tristan to hide from Noah, but now that she returned she was still in the same position except now with the other tenant. Not only was the man someone that her sister loved and slept with, but she had been asked to ensure he didn't cheat.
She knew that something like this would devastate her sister and all she could do was beat herself up inside. In truth, she didn't even know what prompted her to sleep with him and she knew she initiated it. It had to be loneliness and despair coupled with the fact that she had learned that sleeping with someone eases the pain, but it didn't this time.
The entire time she was with Tristan that evening all she could think about was her sister and Noah. It just created more guilt for her. Sleeping with Tristan was nothing like with Noah either. It wasn't that Tristan was any less skilled or passionate as he really seemed eager to please, but that it wasn't someone she was attracted to. It made her question how long she had actually liked Noah before realizing it. Was it even the day he moved in that it started? Was that why she fought him off so much when he first moved in?
Aven startled when the phone rang and she walked around her bed to the nightstand to look at the caller ID. She smiled gently when Jeremy's name showed up and answered it. “Hey, I was hoping you would call.”
“Were you?” There was a smile in his voice. “How is everything now that you are back? Noah isn't bothering you anymore, is he?”
“No, he and I haven't really spoken.” She swallowed. “Jeremy, I have to talk to you. I think... no, I know I really screwed up big time.”
He was quiet for a moment before answering. “I was thinking of inviting you over for dinner. We could talk then. I have something I need to say to you, anyway.”
She took a deep breath. “Ok, great, I'll see you around six then?”
“Can we make it five?”
She agreed with a mumbled and took a deep breath. “Actually, let me tell you now so you can think it over between now and then.”
“Uh, alright.”
Aven swallowed, “I slept with my sister's boyfriend while I was with him for that filming. They've broken up now as well, and I don't know if he told her or whats going on. I just know that I betrayed my sister and I have no idea why I even slept with him. It's like I am an evil sick bitch who just wants to spread misery.”
Jeremy had trouble keeping up with the speed that the woman was talking, but he had gotten the gist of what she had said. “Do you have feelings for him?”
“No! I mean we are friends and I wanted it to remain that way, but I don't find him attractive in any way.” She was trying to hold back tears. “That wouldn't matter anyway. I betrayed my sister. Ayanna has been so good to me and has taken care of me, and I repay her like this. I am such scum.”
“You don't know if she knows about this?”
Aven shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see her. “I don't think she does, because there is no way she wouldn't confront me. She is just depressed that he broke up with her and then left to stay at Scott's for the night.”
“Alright, let's not jump ahead of ourselves here. She may not know and honestly I don't think she needs to know, but we will discuss all of this when I see you. Until then, take a nice hot bath and relax.” Jeremy was chewing on his pen as he spoke.
Nodding her head, Aven took a deep breath. “Fine, I'll see you in a while then.”
“See you then. Relax, Aven. Ok?”
---***
“You should slow down.” Scott warned as he watched Ayanna chug down her sixth glass of Pinot Noir. He didn't drink it himself, but always kept it on hand for the woman that was with him now. Reaching out his hand, he took the glass from her and set it on the table. “Are you trying to make yourself pass out?”
Ayanna's face was blank as she looked into his eyes, she had cried herself out the moment she had arrived. “I told him the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
She turned her eyes toward the wine bottle on the table and poured herself another drink. He thought to stop her, but decided to just let her have her way. “About what Carlin did to me.”
Scott felt annoyed that she would tell this jerk what had happened but as a long time friend he was left in the dark. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. He doesn't care about me or what happened to me.” She downed the newly poured glass, when she finished she turned her attention back to him. “I told the fucker that I was raped, and he didn't give a shit!”
This was not how Scott wanted his fears validated, but there was no turning back time. Drunk Ayanna had admitted to him what he always thought in the back of his mind. “I'm sorry.”
Putting the glass down, she didn't have the coordination to set it down properly and it fell over before rolling on the soft carpet. “Oops.”
Picking it up, Scott set the unharmed glass on the coffee table. He picked up his own glass of bourbon and took a large swig. Ayanna leaned forward and rested her chest on her legs with her arms dangling to the floor. Scott gently stroked her hair like he often did before when he was comforting her. “You are staying here tonight?”
“Yep.”
Standing up, he straightened out his shirt. “I'll make sure the guest room is set up.”
Ayanna managed to grab his hand and forcing him to look down at her. “I don't care. Just stay with me, please.”
He sat back down and leaned back on the couch as Ayanna laid her head on his chest. Wrapping one arm around her, he waited for her to get sick as was the usual course of events when she drank this much.
Tossing her head back some, she tried to make eye contact though their faces were close. “You're a good friend.”
“I know.” Scott sighed and tried to hide his disgust with the word friend. Now wasn't the time to be bothered by the fact that Ayanna was more than that to him.
“I love you.” She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips briefly before pulling back and smiling. “I don't think I've ever kissed you before.”
“And you shouldn't start now.” Scott warned and tried to push her head back onto his chest, but she resisted.
Sitting up, Ayanna stared at him for several seconds before she leaned forward once more and kissed him again. This time it lasted longer though there was very little motion. When she pulled away she smiled once more.
“You're very drunk.” Scott sighed as he stood up. “Come on, time for bed before you do something you'll regret tomorrow.”
“I won't regret it.” She told him as he pulled her up by her upper arms. When she was standing, she leaned against his chest for support. “I really love you.”
“I know you do.” He began to help her toward the guest bedroom, but when they got down the hall he opened the door and found that the bed was without any linens. “Alright, pit stop. Do you have to pee or throw up?”
“You said pee.” She giggled.
Another deep sigh left his lips, “Then you can wait in my bedroom. Let me know if you need to get sick.” He walked her into the dark bedroom and when he laid her on the bed, Ayanna wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his own refusing to let go.
---***
Sitting in the kitchen, Noah played with the cork to his wine bottle and stared into the dark red liquid in his wine glass. He knew that Ayanna was gone so there was no one he could spend time with. Aven was in her part of the house and Tristan was downstairs, he thought about joining the male house mate but decided it would only lead to an awkward situation. He had said some things earlier that put distance between them, not that they were very close before.
The door to the girl's apartment opened and Aven stepped into the kitchen as she flung the strap of her purse over her shoulder. Noah was uncertain of how he should react and soon found himself standing up to greet her.
“Heading out?” He asked as Aven walked toward the door.
“Ayanna said you'll be ordering pizza for dinner, so I am going to a friend's house.” She didn't make eye contact with him.
Noah moved to prevent her from leaving by simply standing in front of her. “You and I... we're alright now, aren't we?”
Turning her head up slightly, she glared. “What do you think?”
There was a moment of silence as Noah chewed on his bottom lip nervously. “If it makes you feel any better; it was incredibly boring around here without you.” He didn't know what he was doing as his normally confident demeanor seemed to have abandoned him.
Aven sighed in annoyance and adjusted her purse. “What do you want, Noah?”
“Started carrying around a purse, did you?” He looked her over for a moment. “Doesn't really seem like you.”
“I had to carry around a bag with me while I was working with Tristan. It seems natural to have one now.” She frowned and wondered why she would even bother to tell him that. This was the first time they had talked since she arrived back. “I have to go.”
Noah stepped in front of her once more. “I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
Slowly shaking his head, he seemed to be thinking of an answer. “I don't know. I just am. I put you into this situation and I took things too far.” He watched her cold exterior begin to melt. “Tristan told me what happened between you.”
“He told you?” Her tone carried anger and shock.
“Well, I guessed and he doesn't ever bother to lie.” Noah smirked and allowed his eyes to briefly turn to the basement door. “Your sister is already hurt pretty badly about Tristan dumping her, so make sure she doesn't find out about that.”
“I don't need you to tell me that.” She tried to shove past him but he held his ground. “I have to leave, Noah.” Aven snapped.
“Why'd you do it?”
She didn't really know why she answered his question, perhaps it was the look of honest concern in his eyes. “I don't know. I was stupid and I was lonely. I felt ignored while I was down there and my feelings were hurt. I just did what you taught me to do and didn't even think that this was my sister's boyfriend.”
Aven's eyes didn't hide their emotions as usual, and Noah felt the pain that she was barring. Leaning forward he kissed her lips gently only to be violently shoved away.
“What the hell, Noah?” She shouted.
Without giving an answer, he allowed her to push past him and exit the house. Standing silently with his back against the counter, Noah thought over what had just happened. He decided that this occurred because he felt bad for Ayanna and decided to fall on the sword to prevent Tristan from having her. He also felt bad for Aven and wanted to make her feel better.
With that conclusion in mind, he grabbed his wine and gulped it down before pouring himself another glass. “Going batshit crazy in this house.” He mumbled to himself.
---***
The house was newly built and the design didn't resemble that which Aven thought a bachelor would live in. Many of the rooms felt like they had a feminine touch to them. The kitchen while it had dark cabinets, black counter tops, and stainless steel appliances also had pot holders with little chickens on them. The living room that she found herself in had an open feeling with a light beige leather couch, and flowers were set up on the end tables. The television was stationed next to the stairs in front of the couch and coffee table.
Jeremy placed some appetizers on the coffee table while the rest of their meal finished up in the oven. “What do you think?” He asked referring to the house.
“Do you have a girlfriend living with you?” Aven's eyes turned to the flowers.
Sitting down on the couch beside her, he shook his head. “No, but I told the interior decorator that I wanted a house that's for a family not a bachelor.”
She looked unconvinced.
“I want to get married eventually so I figured it wasn't worth the effort to have to redecorate later.” He shrugged. “Does it really look like I have a woman living here?”
Aven smirked. “Yes, and I would be upset if you didn't tell me that there was some one in your life.”
“Scout's honor. There is no girlfriend.” He sighed. “I haven't had time for one and I was moving around so much that it wouldn't have been fair to her anyway.”
“Alright, I believe you.” She teased then picked up a small egg roll from the plate in front of her.
“Didn't you want to talk to me about what happened with your sister?”
Aven slowly shook her head. “Surprisingly enough, I ran into Noah as I was leaving. He knows what happened with Tristan and he said some things that got my head on straight. I'm not going to tell Ayanna. It would hurt her too much since she cares so much for him.”
Jeremy nodded his head in agreement. “I think that would be for the best. So, it's settled then?”
“Yes.” She grabbed another egg roll. “Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?”
“I do.” Reaching out his hand, he grabbed his bottle of beer from the table and took a large gulp from it before putting it down. “Look, I don't know how to say this in any way but as bluntly and honestly as possible. I don't have a way to make it sound like some flowery admission that will be remembered forever and besides I have no idea how you will react anyway.”
Aven felt nervous the moment he began to speak as her mind went over several possibilities of what the conversation might entail.
“So, here it goes.” He turned on the couch to face her. “Aven, I care for you deeply as more than a friend. I have for a very long time. I know that I abandoned you after the accident and I also know that you have feelings for someone else, but if you could forgive me and give me a chance I would really... uh, appreciate it, I guess.”
She sat silently for several seconds looking down at the egg roll in her hand, before she raised her eyes to meet his own. “I don't think I ever thought about you in that way, Jeremy.”
“That's ok.” He scooted closer. “It's not like I am asking you to marry me or anything, I just want you to start thinking about me in that way. If it doesn't happen then we can just return to where we started with no hard feelings. There is no pressure and I expect nothing from you. I just want a chance even if it's very small.”
Aven swallowed. “I suppose it couldn't hurt.”
“Really?” He tried not to sound too excited or desperate. “That's great. That's...” A loud ding came from the kitchen to announce the food was done. “Dinner's ready. Let's count this as a date, alright?”
She smiled softly and gave a nod as her response.
---***
Grabbing her head, Ayanna sat up in the bed only to have the blanket fall and reveal her bare chest. Disoriented, she tried to remember where she was and what had happened to bring her to this point. In the darkness, she was able to make out a lamp on the nightstand next to her and reached out to turn it on.
When the light illuminated the room, she was able to clearly see that this was Scott's guest room and next to her was Scott. He was asleep with his head on the pillow and a bare shoulder peeked out from the blanket. It took all the will power she had not to scream into the night.
Jumping from the bed, she grabbed her clothes from the floor, turned off the lamp, and hurried into the living room to dress. “Oh, no. Oh, no. Please, no.” She chanted as she quickly dressed herself.
When she was fully dressed, she smacked herself in the forehead three times. “You fucking bitch.” She mumbled to herself.
“Ayanna?” Scott's voice called from the bedroom and she ran toward the front door. “Ayanna? Are you sick?”
Opening the door, she shut it quietly after she stepped out so he couldn't hear that she had left. She hoped that in the time it took for him to look around the house she would make it to her car.
The plan worked well, she made it to the elevator and to her car parked on the side of the road. However she had forgotten her purse and realized it as soon as she reached for her keys. Looking up at the window she knew belonged to Scott's apartment she could see that all the lights had been turned on.
“Son of a bitch!” She kicked the car. All of her money was in that purse, so she couldn't take a cab home nor could she call for one without her cell phone.
Taking a deep breath, she headed back to the elevator and up to Scott's apartment where he greeted her at the door with her purse in hand. “Let's talk.”
“No.” She reached for her purse and snatched it away.
He wasn't wearing a shirt and only had his slacks on that he had been wearing earlier. “Ayanna, I...”
“You asshole! You took advantage of me in that state?” She screamed. “You knew I was drunk and emotional! I never want to see you again!” Turning around, she hurried down the hall with Scott close behind her.
“Ayanna, listen to me.” He grabbed her upper arm as she pressed the button to signal the elevator. It opened right away since it was late at night and few people were using the elevator.
“I don't want to listen to you! I don't care!” She shoved him away and stepped into the elevator before quickly pushing the button followed by the close door button.
Scott stood in the hallway and watched the elevator shut while Ayanna tried not to look at him. As she walked to her car, her cell phone rang and she looked at the caller information. It was Scott and she sent him to voice mail, but no message was left.
She quickly unlocked her car door and sat in the driver's seat before she began to wonder if she was sober enough to drive home. Her phone continued to ring as she began to cry onto the steering wheel. “What have I done?” She wept.
“Ayanna.” Scott appeared at the window of the car and knocked several times. “I need to talk to you, besides you shouldn't drive in this state.”
Grabbing her keys, she put them in the ignition and started the car. Scott stepped back when he realized she was going to drive away. Ayanna looked in her rear view mirror a couple times as she drove away to get her last glimpse of her close friend. She was pissed that he would dare take advantage of her, but also saddened that the one person she thought she could trust had not been worthy of it.
Through the tears and the haze of a hung over mind, she tried her best to concentrate on her driving and not worry about the emotions she was feeling. At least, not until she got home.
---***
“Aven, I need to talk with you.” Tristan stood up from the kitchen table when she entered in from her date. She had come home late mostly because she didn't want to come home and partially because she was having a good time with Jeremy.
“Not tonight.” She quickly hurried to the living room, but that didn't stop Tristan from following her.
“Yes, tonight.” He grabbed her hand. “Something happened between us and we should discuss it.”
Aven turned to look at him and swallowed. “Nothing happened between us. Forget about it and don't you ever let Ayanna find out, or I swear I will beat you within an inch of your life. You hurt her enough anyway.”
Grabbing her shoulders, he pinned her against the wall when she tried to walk away again. “I... I love you.” His eyes told her that he was telling the truth and how painful it was for him.
“I was feeling emotional that night. I didn't sleep with you because I have special feelings for you, I did it to forget about how secluded I was and how much pain I was in. It was wrong of me, but I did it. I'm sorry.”
“So, just sleep with me like you did in the beginning with Noah.” He leaned forward to kiss her, but Aven stretched out her arms between them despite being pinned to the wall.
“Don't, Tristan. I can't be with someone like you even if I did have feelings for you.” She was released from his hold. “You and I are too similar in a very bad way and we would only make each other stagnant. The two of us would never grow, and besides I don't care for you that way.”
“I can grow.” Tristan mumbled. “You made me change and take that movie. How is that being stagnant?”
“It wasn't for you that I convinced you to do that movie. I just wanted to get away from here. I'm sorry, Tristan, but... I'm just sorry. I know you are very sensitive and I used you in that way. It's cruel to sleep with someone for your own selfishness, and honestly I think I always knew you had a crush on me. I just...”
“You slept with Tristan?” Ayanna's voice came from the doorway. “You fucked my boyfriend?”
Aven quickly turned her attention to the silhouette behind Tristan. “Ayanna, listen, I...”
“You fucking whore!” She raced toward her sister and pounced upon her.
Tristan tried to break them apart and Aven wasn't really attacking her sister in return, but Ayanna was scratching and yanking hair. After what felt like an eternity, Noah appeared after hearing all the screaming and Tristan begging them to stop. He grabbed Aven under her shoulders and helped to slide her out from under her sister, while Tristan pulled Ayanna away.
“You bitch! I asked you to make sure he didn't cheat on me, not to be the one he cheats with!” Ayanna was being held back by the very man she was speaking of.
Noah looked at Aven's face to ensure that she was alright, but the room was too dark. “Are you alright?” He asked still holding her up as she was a bit shaken by the experience.
“I'll fucking kill you!”Ayanna screamed. “I am going to beat you into a bloody pulp and then burn this place to the ground!”
“That's enough, Ayanna.” Noah warned.
Ayanna spit towards the two of them. “I fucking give up my life to come here to take care of a fucking emotional zombie, and this is how you repay me? Do you know how many guys I had to fuck to keep the lights on in this house! I hate you! I hate you, Aven!”
Aven's fingers clung to the cloth of Noah's shirt. “I'm sorry. It's all my fault.” She spoke softly before turning her attention to Noah. “I think my face is bleeding.”
“Come upstairs, I think you'll be safer up there tonight.” He motioned for Tristan to pull the hysterical woman out of their way. Noah helped walk Aven into the kitchen and up to his apartment, while allowing Tristan to deal with the problem he had created.