07-18-2015, 05:02 PM
After breakfast, the doorbell rang as the two men hurried to their sanctuaries. Tristan upset that he had to start packing and Noah upset that Aven acted as if nothing had happened between them last night.
When Aven opened the door, she smiled at her youngest sister. "Azelea, you didn't call. Where is Deana?" She asked when she didn't see the baby in her arms.
"I left her with Ike for this trip." She stepped inside and looked around the kitchen as she recalled that the house had been renovated. It still irked her but she knew better then to say anything. "Aven, we need to talk."
With that Azelea, carrying a suitcase, walked into their area of the house and immediately deposited in Ayanna's room. "Where is Ayanna?"
"There was a fight and she hasn't been living here." Aven sighed. "I'll tell you about it later. What did you have to say?" She motioned for her to follow her into her own bedroom.
Azelea looked around the earth tone room and took a deep breath. "It looks like you changed your room up a bit." She smiled as she looked at their mother's old make-up stand. Running her hands over the top and adjusting the mirror. "You have been keeping this in good working order. The kitchen table at my house is my pride and joy. I flinch whenever Deana smacks it with a toy, but then I remember that mom wouldn't have minded."
She could tell that her sister was stalling and felt the gravity of what she wanted to say. It had to be serious for Azelea to be trying to avoid it. Azelea was always the type to tackle her problems head on without assistance from anyone.
"I was hoping to say this with Ayanna around, but I guess it's better one on one." Azelea sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her sister's hands pulling her to sit down beside her. She took a deep breath as she looked Aven in the eyes. "Aven, I have breast cancer."
The eldest sister stared at her for a long time before she finally asked. "Is it treatable?"
She nodded her head. "I have decided to have the lumpectomy and after that I will go through chemo. The doctor says that we caught it early enough that I have a high chance of survival."
"Have you cried yet?" Aven asked and when her sister hurriedly looked away from her eyes, she knew the answer. Reaching out her hand, she pulled her sister's head to her shoulder and put her arms around her. "Your big sister won't tell."
Those words that Azelea had heard hundreds of times when she was growing up destroyed her resolve and her tears began to pour out. She wrapped her arms around her sister and began to cry as hard as she could. "I don't want to scare Ike." She cried. "He acts so tough, but I know that this is killing him. I don't want to make him think he has to protect me or that I don't believe I can make it."
Aven stroked her hair. "I know, it must be very terrifying for you. It scares me and I am not the one that has to go through it." She kissed the top of her head. "If I could, I would change places with you."
It took a few moments to realize that Aven was acting like the sister of the past, but Azelea's heart was too heavy to make any mention of it. She didn't want to ruin the moment either as she needed Aven to be this way and almost wished she had told her sooner. Their big sister was always the one they could tell anything to and she would always make them feel better even if she couldn't fix it for them.
There were countless heartaches where Aven had soothed them, but she had become so different after Curtis and their mother died. It annoyed Azelea not because she had to see her sister lingering in sorrow, but that Aven wasn't her sister anymore. It was like someone else had taken over her body and that person was barely awake to begin with.
Sitting up, Azelea wiped the tears away from her eyes. She guessed that she had been in her sister's arms for over twenty minutes. "I hate you for always making me do that."
Aven smiled as she reached for some tissue paper that was on her nightstand to offer her sister. "I know."
"Let's change the subject for now. What happened between you and Ayanna?"
Ayanna finished up her breakfast with a smile and wanted to ask about Scott's date, but felt that she wasn't in a position to inquire. Getting up from the table, she announced that she was going to shower and try to play it off like she was completely fine that morning. When she finished her shower, she could tell that Scott was on the phone and was about to give him privacy when the subject caught her attention.
"Felice is wonderful." Scott sat at the breakfast bar as he talked to Joseph on the phone.
"I told you that I wouldn't let you down." Joseph teased from the other end though their eavesdropper couldn't hear his side.
"She has a great sense of humor. She comes prepared knowing the majority of my baggage and she doesn't care." He smiled to himself. "I've always had a hard time before with Ayanna and my job, but she doesn't seem bothered by it."
"She's very confident and she knows everyone has their own history." His voice held a great deal of pride for himself for setting them up.
"Did she mention me to you?" Scott hated how he worded that question like he was a teenage boy trying to get the scoop on the girl he liked.
"She called me last night after the date and told me that she liked you as well." His voice and choice of words sounded underwhelming.
Standing up from the stool, Scott's face looked disappointed. "That's all she said?"
Joseph realized his wording error and tried to correct himself. "Dawg, you know, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that she said she really liked you and wanted to see you again."
His face relaxed and he smiled once more to himself.
Ayanna had decided that she had heard and seen enough, and beside being a stalker in nothing but a towel was a bit too creepy for her. Heading off into her bedroom, she felt her heart sink in her chest. As she dressed herself, she took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down.
She had never seen Scott so interested in a woman before and she felt annoyed, guilty, jealous, angry, and happy in a span of a few seconds. Shaking the thoughts away she quickly dressed herself and as she did her thoughts returned to Scott.
A knock came to the door and she told him to enter. Scott peered around the door and smiled at her. "Ready for work?"
"I'm not going today."
That didn't seem to sit right with him and he stepped into the room. "Why not?"
"I just don't feel like it, okay?"
"You have been acting strange all morning. Hell, you were acting strange last night as well. What the hell is going on with you?"
Ayanna frowned. "I don't want to fight with you right now."
"Then just tell me what the hell is wrong!" He snapped.
She spun around to face him. "You tell me how you feel, don't let me process it, and then jump into bed with the very next girl that gives you a look."
He scoffed. "The very next girl? Do you know how long I waited for you? You kept rejecting me for your precious Tristan and frankly, I am sick of being your puppy."
"Well, you don't have to be my puppy anymore I have a real one." She pointed at the dog on the bed.
Scott nodded his head. "You've always been an obstacle for me and I am tired of trying to dance around it. Just stay out of my way." With that he flipped around the left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ayanna stared at the door and felt her heart ached more than she thought possible. Sitting down on the bed next to the knocked out Nyx, she began to speak to the sleeping dog. "I lost my chance, didn't I?" She scratched the dog's back. "I should leave. He's right, I'm just in the way."
At lunch a familiar but very different face sat in Ayanna's chair. Azelea had helped to make the meal and the two sisters had filled the house with laughter. It was a nice change of pace over what had been occurring over the last few weeks.
The sounds of happiness called to both the men above and below them, and they came to investigate. Azelea smiled at them and cracked jokes about her two sisters. She was a very different person than the woman who had come to visit once before. The other woman looked to be on edge, but this one seemed peaceful.
Noah sat in annoyance as Aven didn't even seem bothered by his presence. It made him second guess whether his kiss had been a dream or if the story was even worse where Aven didn't have any feelings for him. He could barely swallow his food at that final thought.
"I have an announcement." Noah stated before they began to eat. "I have decided to follow in Tristan's footsteps and find my own apartment. I think it would make me more comfortable." The words flew from his lips in a moment of anger and jealousy. He wasn't going to stick around while Aven fell in love with another.
There was some silence as Aven seemed to take in his announcement, but she simply nodded and partially smiled. "I should get to work on finding new tenants."
Noah could feel that he was reaching a boiling point and grabbed his sandwich. "Now that I have said that, I'll bring my plate down when I am done. I have a lot of writing to get done." He headed up stairs and sat down on his couch as he tossed the plate onto his coffee table.
She hadn't offered him any reaction whatsoever. It was almost as if she was pleased that he was leaving the house. Noah grabbed his chest as the pain deepened within his core. He was locked into leaving now and he cursed himself for being so impulsive.
"You forgot your drink." Aven's voice came over the intercom.
He cleaned up the look on his face and quickly made his way downstairs. Picking up his glass of tea, he began to head up the stairs when Azelea stopped him.
"Aven tells me that you are writing a story based on the four main characters of this house." She had grabbed his forearm gently to prevent him from leaving, so he was standing directly in front of her.
His eyes directed down into her face. "It's loosely based. Aven got me started on it since she was such an interesting character when I first arrived."
"She's changed a lot since you two moved in. You guys must have helped in bringing her out of her shell." It was a statement, but it carried the hint of a question.
"I doubt that I have any such influence over Aven." He spoke coldly and looked toward Tristan, who seemed to make up his mind to stay out of this conversation.
Aven smirked. "Actually, I would say Noah is one of the prime reasons I changed. All his interviewing for the book and trying to see what I was like in outside situations, really made me realize how much I missed my friendships and the outside world."
Noah didn't know whether to think if she was being sincere or condescending.
"Is that so?" Azelea seemed convinced as she smiled up at him. "Well, that's high praise indeed coming from Aven. She so rarely compliments people, or hell gives them credit for what they do. She's always had this attitude that it's what you are suppose to do, why should I thank you?" She and Aven laughed and Noah tried to pretend that he had any interest in it.
He excused himself and headed back upstairs, not noticing the look of concern that Aven offered him. Nor did he hear Azelea ask if he was alright and Aven explain that he is under a great deal of stress.
Sitting back upstairs in front of his coffee table, he took a drink of his tea then glared at it before reaching for his vodka bottle and pouring a couple shots inside. It didn't taste good but after a few more that wouldn't matter anyway.
Cathleen was sitting on the bed in her hotel room, drying her hair from her shower when her cell phone rang. Picking it up she smiled at the name that appeared and answered it.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She spoke giggly.
Tristan's voice came through clearly on the other line. "I wanted to call to see if you had talked to the director yet."
She was quiet for a moment as she thought over his question uncertain what he meant, but then it clicked. "Oh, yes, I did. He seems a little apprehensive, but I assured him that you would be great for the part. It's not the lead role, but it's an important role nonetheless. You'll play my best friend. Doesn't that sound great? There is a lot of funny banter and it also inspires jealousy from the main male lead at how close we are."
"Do I need to do an interview?" He seemed to ignore the majority of what she had said, but in truth he was a bit embarrassed by how excited she was to see him again.
"Probably, they should get a hold of you when they start casting that role. I gave them your contact information. That was alright wasn't it?" Cathleen began to play with some strands of her moist hair.
"Yes."
The curt answer cut through her heart somewhat and she cleared her throat. "Well, I am sure you are busy so I should let you go." As she was about to pull her phone away from her ear and hang up since Tristan never said goodbye, she heard him call for her to wait. Placing the phone back to her ear, she responded. "Yes?"
"How... how are you? Where are you now?"
Her heart began to flutter that he would take any interest in her even if it was simply for a role in a movie. "In Sacramento, California at a dinky hotel. I was shooting a short for a friend of mine for his film class. What about you? Are you doing alright?"
"I have decided to move out of Aven's house into my own apartment, but I don't think I want to live around here anymore. Where is your apartment? Do you like it?"
These words were becoming more than she could bare. Was he actually taking some sort of interest in her? "I live in a small apartment in Los Angeles. The city is great, but it's expensive to live there. If you moved there, we could be roommates!" She rolled her eyes at herself for saying the last part.
"It would save money."
Falling back onto bed, Cathleen was excited at his response, but she suddenly got a vibe like the universe was pulling a prank on her. "My place is just a studio, but if you are serious about it, we could find a two bedroom together. Probably not in the best neighborhood."
"I am planning to make a comeback, so if you help me a long the way I'll make sure to repay you for your kindness." Tristan's words sounded unreal.
"This is Tristan, right? Tristan Patel?" She sat up on the bed in a rush while she asked the question.
He actually chuckled on the other end. "Yes, this is him."
Her silence made it seem like she was unconvinced.
"Every one has been a little shocked by me lately. I am trying to become a better person and not stay stagnant. It's a lesson an important person taught me." His voice carried a heavy tone that was all too clear.
"Are you serious about becoming roomies? Wouldn't it bother you to be one with a girl?" She stood up from the bed and began to pace while continuing to play with her hair.
"I am roommates with two women now. I doubt it'll be a difficult change, and besides I don't want to go back to being alone all the time. That's counter productive to my goals and though I could probably find a guy in LA, I would rather move in with a friend."
Aven asked through the intercom if she could come upstairs. It took a couple moments, but Noah eventually told her that the door was open. Heading up the stairs, she found Noah was already packing some of his knickknacks and other items he wouldn't need in his final days in this house. Her heart sunk when she realized that he really planned on going through with this.
"I understand why Tristan is leaving, but I can't figure out why you made this decision as well." Aven told him as she knelt down beside him on the floor and began to help him wrap some statuettes in newspaper.
Noah glared at her hands as she began to wrap up his things. He yanked the item from her hand and began to wrap it up himself. "I don't need your assistance."
Cocking her head to the side, he could tell that she was trying to get a read on him. She had always done it before and he had thought she was just good at understanding people, but she told him that she could just read him well.
"Knock it off." He barked.
"It feels like I am the target of your ire, Noah. Is this about you kissing me the other day? I am not bothered by it and I didn't make a big deal out of it." She didn't want him to move out, but since he had announced that he was some part of her thought that this was her chance to escape whatever feelings still lingered in her soul.
Little did Aven know that Noah had wanted her to make a big deal out of it. He wanted to be able to affect her like he used to. Being out there on an island all by himself was a terrible feeling and he was just starting to understand how Aven had felt all that time.
"This has nothing to do with you." He lied and she knew he had, but she allowed it to be as she picked up another item to wrap to test her theory. He snatched it away from her immediately. "I told you I don't need assistance."
"If I help then you'll be packed faster."
His eyes met hers and he frowned. That was exactly what he didn't want; a fast exit. Aven read his face clearly but made no mention of what she had found there.
Standing up, Aven sat down on the couch. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you moving out?"
He continued to pack as he tried to think over an appropriate response. "I am a grown man, not some college kid. I shouldn't have roommates. I have enough money to have my own apartment, and with the amount of times lately that I have had to order in, I figure I am being overcharged here."
"Have you found a place yet?" Aven found herself hoping that his answer was no, except for that small part of her that wanted all of this to be over.
He slowly shook his head. "It won't take long though, and I want all this junk that isn't necessary to already be packed away when it's time."
"You seem almost excited to leave. Are you sure it's not because of me?"
Noah stood up and turned around to face her. "Yes, it is because of you and your damn sister too. Neither of you allow me to get any work done with your constant bickering and attempts to get men's attention. I pay extra to have my meals made and my room cleaned, but since Ayanna left cleaning is a rarity and the cooking is just as scarce. You two are so bothersome and I have no more interest in having either of you as part of my life."
He watched as some emotion he couldn't define drained from Aven's face. She cleared her throat before standing up from the couch and gave a nod. "If that's how you feel then it's for the best that you leave. You should have just spoken the truth from the beginning, you may have been surprised what could have happened."
With that he watched Aven leave his apartment and head down stairs. He wondered what her last sentence had meant. Would she have changed what was going on here or was that not directed at his rant at all?
Azelea stood up as Aven stormed passed her in the kitchen and disappeared into her area of the house, as she was about to go after her the front door opened and a small black dog entered in first. Ayanna came in behind her with her hands full of luggage. When they made eye contact the middle sister was surprised to see the youngest there.
"Azelea, what are you doing here?" She asked as she struggled to enter the house.
The youngest rushed over to assist her by taking one of the suitcases from her and shutting the door. "I came to tell Aven about my decision."
Ayanna looked worried for a moment, but could tell things had gone well by Azelea's features alone. "What did you decide?"
"That's not important right now. I am worried about the fight going on between you two. Don't you think it has..."
"Enough, Azelea. This is none of your business." Ayanna snapped and began to make her way into her own unit of the house.
As she walked down the hall to her bedroom with the youngest sister following behind her with another suitcase, Aven stepped out of the room and began to make her way down the hall. When she made eye contact with her younger sister, she had the common courtesy to look ashamed of herself. Lowering her eyes and stepping aside, she allowed her to step through.
Ayanna attempted to walk passed her, but when she was standing directly in front of her, she dropped her suitcases and lunged at her sister. At first, Aven thought she was going to attack her again, but she only wrapped her arms around her waist and began to cry. "I don't forgive you yet, but I don't want to be mad anymore either. Do you know how hard it is to feel this way and not have my big sister to comfort me?" Aven assumed she was talking about Tristan as she didn't know the situation between her and Scott. "You are supposed to be the one soothing me when I cry, not the one causing me to cry."
Aven looked at Azelea as if to ask her what was going on, but when she simply shrugged, Aven picked up her hand and began to stroke her sister's hair. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"I needed you so much these past few days, but you weren't there." She wiped her nose across her sister's shoulder, and Aven was certain there was now a trail of snot there.
Hugging her tightly, she knew she had no arguments and no way of apologizing enough. "I'm sorry. I was wrong." She repeated.
Ayanna stepped back and looked into her sister's eyes. "Promise me that you'll never do it again. Promise me that for the rest of my life that I can trust you."
"I promise."
She stepped back into her sister's hug. "Then let's forget everything. I don't want to care about it. I don't want to remember it anymore. I just want to come home."
"Then welcome home."
Azelea who had been holding her sister's suitcase and watching the entire apology unfold before her, dropped the item in her hand and stepped forward to hug her sisters. Aven wrapped a spare arm around her as Azelea attempted to hug both of her sisters from the side. It took Ayanna a few second to realize that her youngest sister had joined in, but soon her own arm was around her.
"We protect each other, we don't cause each other harm." Ayanna chanted and the other two agreed by nodding their heads. Azelea had began to cry while Aven remained stoned faced.
"I'm sorry I tried to beat you up." Ayanna sobbed and the last word of her sentence was nearly screamed.
"It's alright. I deserved it." Aven took a deep breath as the weight of one her troubles seemed to be lifting. "Like you said, let's forget all about it."
Ayanna stepped back and turned to Azelea before she thrust herself at her little sister. She hugged her tightly around the shoulders. "The baby is sick, Aven."
Aven smirked as she watched Azelea being crushed and who also rolled her eyes at being called the baby again. Reaching out her hand, she gently rubbed each of their back as they embraced.
Noah couldn't stand being in his apartment for another second, especially when he knew that Aven was just below him. He left the house and drove into the city to visit with his only friend. Camille had not looked happy that he arrived unannounced, but had invited him in reluctantly. She was wearing a robe even though it was only four in the afternoon and she was holding a glass of red wine, which she seemed to be lugging around wherever she went.
"What is it now?" She asked with a heavy sigh as she sat down on the couch and pulled her legs toward her body.
He could see her pink underwear, but didn't make any mention of it as he sat down beside her. "I had to get out of there."
Clicking her tongue, Camille took a gulp of her wine before placing the glass on the coffee table and staring at him for several seconds. "Are you running away again?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"After I told you that I had feelings for you, you ran away from me. Didn't come to visit or talk to me. I had to hear everything through my agent about the books you were writing, even though you could have sent me the information via email." She pressed her lips together. "It can't be the same circumstance though, can it? Aven already told you how she feels and you... well, you stayed and continued to talk to her." Camille clapped her hands together firmly. "Oh, I get it. You..."
"That's enough." Noah intercepted whatever it was she was about to say, as he knew he didn't want to hear it. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Am I that predictable that you can just take small pieces of my life and short tidbits that I tell you and come to grand assumptions?"
She grinned as she reached for her glass to take another large swig. "We have known each other a long time, Noah. When people get to be this close they can easily piece things together with little to no information." She adjusted her robe as she put her feet on the ground.
"I'm moving out." He grabbed the glass from her hand and drank down what was left.
Camille snatched the glass from him when he finished and slammed it down on the table. "So, you are running away again." Slowly she shook her head. "If Autumn could see you now, she'd be mortified by what you have become."
"Autumn doesn't get a say in what I have become, she was the one who checked out and left me behind." He began to look more flustered. "Who said you could bring her up to me, anyway? I told you never to talk to me about that."
"She was my friend too." She spoke the words under her breath as she stood up to pour herself another glass of wine. Walking into the kitchen, the two people kept their silence until she returned and sat down beside him once again.
Noah licked his lips and tasted the wine on them. "I kissed her and she didn't react."
Slowly, his friend nodded her head. "I see."
"She acted like I had shook her hand and didn't even have the common courtesy to look... like anything."
"Did you kiss her with any feeling or was it just an empty shell of a kiss?" She began to drink the wine in her hand quickly.
Noah didn't answer her question mostly because he didn't want to know the answer. He didn't even know why he had come here anymore. Standing up, he cleared his throat. "I'm heading out now. I'll see you later."
"Send me samples of those story ideas I sent you by the end of the week." She told him as he walked to the door. When she heard it shut, Camille frowned and looked down at her glass. "He's always cutting off the wrong limbs, Autumn."
Azelea was resting and Ayanna was unpacking, so Aven decided to make dinner for the evening. When she entered the kitchen, she found Tristan sitting at the table with a soda can in his hand. She gave him some acknowledgment with a head nod, before she went about pulling out everything she would need to make their meal.
"I'm sorry." Tristan finally spoke once all the clanking of the dishes and pots was done.
Aven looked up at him from a box of rice in her hands. "You're sorry? For what?"
"For all the chaos that I helped create in this house and for causing trouble between you and your sister." He stood up from the table and walked around it still holding onto his can, before leaning against the counter. "If it weren't for me, none of that would have happened."
She slowly shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. I caused the trouble between Ayanna and myself. I am the only one to blame for what happened, so don't worry yourself over it too much."
"No, I am to blame as well." Ayanna's voice came from the kitchen doorway.
Both people in the room turned to face her as she walked over to stand in front of them.
"I'm sorry, Tristan. I forced you to be something you didn't want to be and ignored all your pleas to the contrary just so I wouldn't be lonely anymore." She lowered her head.
Tristan felt his heart ease. "Actually, I am kind of glad that you did. It's made me realize some things about myself and I want to fix them. I am moving to Los Angeles."
The girls both looked at him with surprise. "For your career?" Aven asked.
He gave a nod. "I started working in this business because my dad was ill, and I never took it seriously. After he died, I just continued to do it because that was all I knew how to do, but now I think I really want to give it a shot. I want to see how far I can go, even if it's behind the stage or camera. This path that I was forced to walk, I am just going to accept that I am on it now and enjoy the view." He chuckled at himself. "Awful metaphor."
Ayanna stared at him for several seconds before a soft smile came to her lips. "I think you might have just inspired me with that awful metaphor. You're right. Some paths in life we have to walk whether we want to or not, but if you sit there and fight it you miss out on so much."
With a nod, Aven agreed. "You know, maybe it wasn't so bad for all of us to have come together. I was against having strangers move in, but I think we all may have benefited from it in some way."
"Too bad Noah isn't here to agree." Ayanna joked. "Then again, he'd probably just ruin the moment with some form of logic or allow his pride to get in the way."
Aven smiled. "Even Noah got something from this, I'm sure of it. It's sad that it's all going to come to an end so soon after it started. It feels like years have passed by, but it's only been a few months."
They fell into a silence as they thought over their time together, but Azelea's voice soon broke it. Ayanna quickly went to her sister's side to see if she needed anything.
Tristan smiled as he watched Aven prepare their dinner. "You used to be my comfortable person, did you know that?"
"I'm not anymore?"
He slowly shook his head. "I'm going to be my own comfortable person from now on. You have changed too much." He teased.
She laughed as she began to cut up the chicken breast on the chopping block. "It was nice watching movies with you while it lasted. Hopefully the next movie I watch will star you instead."
"I'll work on that." He looked around the kitchen. "Can I help with any thing?"
"Yeah, can you get the oil out and spray that pan on the stove?" She asked as she continued to make their meal.
Tristan moved across the room and pulled the can of oil from the cabinet. He smiled as he looked over his shoulder to watch her cook. She was going to be his first love, he decided. Even if the ending was different than how he wanted it to be, at least for a second even if it was against her will there was only him in her eyes.
Scott returned home from work and dropped his keys in a bowl near the door. He had been thinking about his argument with Ayanna that morning and realized that he had been too harsh. In his hands were two plastic shopping bags that held all the ingredients for his new roommate's favorite meal. Walking into the kitchen, he placed them on the counter and began to cook the food.
He figured that Ayanna had scurried off into the bedroom when she heard him unlocking the door. She never could handle the aftermath of a fight and wanted to run away for as long as she could to avoid it. Making the food, he knew the scent would loft it's way into her room and summon her out or at least force her off guard where he could convince her to come out to eat with him.
It took a half an hour to cook the steak and steam the vegetables, but once it was all plated and prepared he walked down the hall with a smirk on his lips. She was probably just sitting in her bedroom waiting for him to beg her to come out.
Knocking gently on the door, he leaned against the door frame. "Ayanna, come out and eat my apology dinner." When she didn't answer, he continued. "Please, I'm sorry about what I said this morning. I was just angry and being ridiculous."
Turning the door handle, he checked to see if it was locked but the door was open, so he simply smiled. If she hadn't locked the door that meant she wanted more begging from him. So, he slid into the room only to find it empty. What caught his eye immediately was that the closet door was open and there were no clothes hanging up inside. He checked a couple drawers of the dresser to find that stored no items either.
Walking through the apartment, he didn't know what he was looking for, but eventually found it. Next to the key bowl was a note she had written him.
"Dear Scott, I realized today that I have become a burden to you and to other people. I don't want that for myself so I am going to head back home. I have to clean up some of the mess that I made there before I start my new life. I'm sorry that I have been in your way all these years. I was selfish because I needed you beside me, but I never thought of how much I must have been hurting you. I hope you will forgive me someday and I hope everything works out well for you and Joseph's cousin. -Love, Ayanna
PS. Please don't contact me in the future. Our relationship is no longer beneficial to either of us and should end here."
Scott immediately ignored her postscript and grabbed his cell phone to call her, but there was no answer. When the voice mail suggested he leave a message, he was hesitant at first but decided to go through with it.
"Ayanna, don't be like this. I am sorry about the things I said this morning. I really didn't mean them, so please just call me. I don't want our friendship to end like this. Hell, I don't want our friendship to end at all. You aren't a burden to me." He breathed quietly for a moment. "I made filet mignon for you, so call me before it gets too cold."
Hanging up the phone, he carried it with him into the kitchen where he sat down at the breakfast bar. He placed it next to his plate and lowered his head down to the counter where he cradled it in his arms, but his eyes continued to stare at the phone in front of him.
"She's not serious. She's just angry." He tried to convince himself, before silently cursing himself for accusing her of being in his way.
The only person that kept him from anything had been himself. He had chosen for Ayanna to turn to him, she had even encouraged that he be with other women so why would he accuse her of such a thing? He sighed as he didn't have an answer that would satisfy himself.
The phone rang and he was quick to answer it without even looking at the caller id. "Hello?" He spoke excitedly.
"Hey Scott, this is Felice."
The excitement drained from his voice and face as she invited him out for dinner.
Sitting in her room, Ayanna listened to the message that Scott had left for her. With a weak smile, she deleted it. "You're just panicked right now. You'll be fine." She told her phone though the response was clearly directed at her friend.
Setting the phone down on her nightstand, she pet the small dog that was laying next to her before she picked up an appointment card next to her desk. Her first time going to a psychiatrist would be in a few days and she wondered if she could take the condescension that she always felt when those people talked to her. If this didn't work, she would find another way, but for now she was going to focus on becoming a healthy person.
That meant she had to do one thing, even if it wasn't the right time for it. Standing up, she left Nyx in her bedroom as she made her way across the hall to find her sisters in Aven's room. They were making jokes and talking about some of the things that happened to Aven while she was away. Azelea told stories of some of the new things that her daughter had been doing. Ayanna stood quietly with her arms folded across her chest in the doorway as she smiled at them.
After a few moments, Aven looked up and noticed her other sister standing silently as she watched them. "What? Do you think you are an outsider that can only watch us from there?"
Azelea looked up with a smile and offered out an arm to encourage her to come forward. That was all Ayanna needed before she ran towards the bed and plunged down between them.
"Always has to be the wedge." Azelea teased.
Aven laughed at the memory of how Ayanna always wanted to be in the middle of everything; their hugs, the drives in the backseat when they were kids, and even the couch. They had nicknamed her the wedge long ago but the name seemed like it belonged to ancient memories.
Ayanna giggled as she sat up and looked between her sisters. Wrapping her arms around both of their necks, she squeezed them both in a tight hug. "Make this count." She told them, though they didn't understand what she meant by that.
Standing up again, Ayanna took a deep breath and smiled at them but it slowly faded. The other two noticed the change in mood as the tension filled the air. "I have something important to tell you both. Something I should have told you the moment it happened, but I was afraid of what you would think of me and how you would treat me."
The two sisters on the bed looked worried by her opening sequence.
"Do you two remember Carlin?"
They both nodded.
Ayanna opened her mouth to speak again, but her voice cracked and she fought back tears. Neither of her sisters understood what was going on or what she wanted to say, and they looked at each other confused. "He hurt me." They were the only three words she could manage out as she still feared the reaction that her sisters would have.
"Hurt you? How?" Aven asked for all she knew her sister could have meant emotionally by ending their relationship.
"He forced me." She tried to explain but even though she could say the words to others, they wouldn't come for her own sisters.
"Forced you?" Azelea seemed confused for a moment before the light bulb clicked on in her mind. "He raped you?"
Ayanna was so grateful that her younger sister had given her the words and she nodded her head several times as quickly as possible causing her hair to fly everywhere.
Both Aven and Azelea jumped from the bed and wrapped their arms around their sister. It was an emotional day for the middle child. She had made a decision to never see her best friend again, she heard of her younger sister's cancer decision, she made up with her elder sister after her betrayal, and now she was telling them of a past she tried her best to pretend never happened.
The other two seemed to understand this and didn't bother to question the situation further. Instead, the three stood in as much silence as the wailing Ayanna would allow.
When Aven opened the door, she smiled at her youngest sister. "Azelea, you didn't call. Where is Deana?" She asked when she didn't see the baby in her arms.
"I left her with Ike for this trip." She stepped inside and looked around the kitchen as she recalled that the house had been renovated. It still irked her but she knew better then to say anything. "Aven, we need to talk."
With that Azelea, carrying a suitcase, walked into their area of the house and immediately deposited in Ayanna's room. "Where is Ayanna?"
"There was a fight and she hasn't been living here." Aven sighed. "I'll tell you about it later. What did you have to say?" She motioned for her to follow her into her own bedroom.
Azelea looked around the earth tone room and took a deep breath. "It looks like you changed your room up a bit." She smiled as she looked at their mother's old make-up stand. Running her hands over the top and adjusting the mirror. "You have been keeping this in good working order. The kitchen table at my house is my pride and joy. I flinch whenever Deana smacks it with a toy, but then I remember that mom wouldn't have minded."
She could tell that her sister was stalling and felt the gravity of what she wanted to say. It had to be serious for Azelea to be trying to avoid it. Azelea was always the type to tackle her problems head on without assistance from anyone.
"I was hoping to say this with Ayanna around, but I guess it's better one on one." Azelea sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her sister's hands pulling her to sit down beside her. She took a deep breath as she looked Aven in the eyes. "Aven, I have breast cancer."
The eldest sister stared at her for a long time before she finally asked. "Is it treatable?"
She nodded her head. "I have decided to have the lumpectomy and after that I will go through chemo. The doctor says that we caught it early enough that I have a high chance of survival."
"Have you cried yet?" Aven asked and when her sister hurriedly looked away from her eyes, she knew the answer. Reaching out her hand, she pulled her sister's head to her shoulder and put her arms around her. "Your big sister won't tell."
Those words that Azelea had heard hundreds of times when she was growing up destroyed her resolve and her tears began to pour out. She wrapped her arms around her sister and began to cry as hard as she could. "I don't want to scare Ike." She cried. "He acts so tough, but I know that this is killing him. I don't want to make him think he has to protect me or that I don't believe I can make it."
Aven stroked her hair. "I know, it must be very terrifying for you. It scares me and I am not the one that has to go through it." She kissed the top of her head. "If I could, I would change places with you."
It took a few moments to realize that Aven was acting like the sister of the past, but Azelea's heart was too heavy to make any mention of it. She didn't want to ruin the moment either as she needed Aven to be this way and almost wished she had told her sooner. Their big sister was always the one they could tell anything to and she would always make them feel better even if she couldn't fix it for them.
There were countless heartaches where Aven had soothed them, but she had become so different after Curtis and their mother died. It annoyed Azelea not because she had to see her sister lingering in sorrow, but that Aven wasn't her sister anymore. It was like someone else had taken over her body and that person was barely awake to begin with.
Sitting up, Azelea wiped the tears away from her eyes. She guessed that she had been in her sister's arms for over twenty minutes. "I hate you for always making me do that."
Aven smiled as she reached for some tissue paper that was on her nightstand to offer her sister. "I know."
"Let's change the subject for now. What happened between you and Ayanna?"
-***
Ayanna finished up her breakfast with a smile and wanted to ask about Scott's date, but felt that she wasn't in a position to inquire. Getting up from the table, she announced that she was going to shower and try to play it off like she was completely fine that morning. When she finished her shower, she could tell that Scott was on the phone and was about to give him privacy when the subject caught her attention.
"Felice is wonderful." Scott sat at the breakfast bar as he talked to Joseph on the phone.
"I told you that I wouldn't let you down." Joseph teased from the other end though their eavesdropper couldn't hear his side.
"She has a great sense of humor. She comes prepared knowing the majority of my baggage and she doesn't care." He smiled to himself. "I've always had a hard time before with Ayanna and my job, but she doesn't seem bothered by it."
"She's very confident and she knows everyone has their own history." His voice held a great deal of pride for himself for setting them up.
"Did she mention me to you?" Scott hated how he worded that question like he was a teenage boy trying to get the scoop on the girl he liked.
"She called me last night after the date and told me that she liked you as well." His voice and choice of words sounded underwhelming.
Standing up from the stool, Scott's face looked disappointed. "That's all she said?"
Joseph realized his wording error and tried to correct himself. "Dawg, you know, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that she said she really liked you and wanted to see you again."
His face relaxed and he smiled once more to himself.
Ayanna had decided that she had heard and seen enough, and beside being a stalker in nothing but a towel was a bit too creepy for her. Heading off into her bedroom, she felt her heart sink in her chest. As she dressed herself, she took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down.
She had never seen Scott so interested in a woman before and she felt annoyed, guilty, jealous, angry, and happy in a span of a few seconds. Shaking the thoughts away she quickly dressed herself and as she did her thoughts returned to Scott.
A knock came to the door and she told him to enter. Scott peered around the door and smiled at her. "Ready for work?"
"I'm not going today."
That didn't seem to sit right with him and he stepped into the room. "Why not?"
"I just don't feel like it, okay?"
"You have been acting strange all morning. Hell, you were acting strange last night as well. What the hell is going on with you?"
Ayanna frowned. "I don't want to fight with you right now."
"Then just tell me what the hell is wrong!" He snapped.
She spun around to face him. "You tell me how you feel, don't let me process it, and then jump into bed with the very next girl that gives you a look."
He scoffed. "The very next girl? Do you know how long I waited for you? You kept rejecting me for your precious Tristan and frankly, I am sick of being your puppy."
"Well, you don't have to be my puppy anymore I have a real one." She pointed at the dog on the bed.
Scott nodded his head. "You've always been an obstacle for me and I am tired of trying to dance around it. Just stay out of my way." With that he flipped around the left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ayanna stared at the door and felt her heart ached more than she thought possible. Sitting down on the bed next to the knocked out Nyx, she began to speak to the sleeping dog. "I lost my chance, didn't I?" She scratched the dog's back. "I should leave. He's right, I'm just in the way."
At lunch a familiar but very different face sat in Ayanna's chair. Azelea had helped to make the meal and the two sisters had filled the house with laughter. It was a nice change of pace over what had been occurring over the last few weeks.
The sounds of happiness called to both the men above and below them, and they came to investigate. Azelea smiled at them and cracked jokes about her two sisters. She was a very different person than the woman who had come to visit once before. The other woman looked to be on edge, but this one seemed peaceful.
Noah sat in annoyance as Aven didn't even seem bothered by his presence. It made him second guess whether his kiss had been a dream or if the story was even worse where Aven didn't have any feelings for him. He could barely swallow his food at that final thought.
"I have an announcement." Noah stated before they began to eat. "I have decided to follow in Tristan's footsteps and find my own apartment. I think it would make me more comfortable." The words flew from his lips in a moment of anger and jealousy. He wasn't going to stick around while Aven fell in love with another.
There was some silence as Aven seemed to take in his announcement, but she simply nodded and partially smiled. "I should get to work on finding new tenants."
Noah could feel that he was reaching a boiling point and grabbed his sandwich. "Now that I have said that, I'll bring my plate down when I am done. I have a lot of writing to get done." He headed up stairs and sat down on his couch as he tossed the plate onto his coffee table.
She hadn't offered him any reaction whatsoever. It was almost as if she was pleased that he was leaving the house. Noah grabbed his chest as the pain deepened within his core. He was locked into leaving now and he cursed himself for being so impulsive.
"You forgot your drink." Aven's voice came over the intercom.
He cleaned up the look on his face and quickly made his way downstairs. Picking up his glass of tea, he began to head up the stairs when Azelea stopped him.
"Aven tells me that you are writing a story based on the four main characters of this house." She had grabbed his forearm gently to prevent him from leaving, so he was standing directly in front of her.
His eyes directed down into her face. "It's loosely based. Aven got me started on it since she was such an interesting character when I first arrived."
"She's changed a lot since you two moved in. You guys must have helped in bringing her out of her shell." It was a statement, but it carried the hint of a question.
"I doubt that I have any such influence over Aven." He spoke coldly and looked toward Tristan, who seemed to make up his mind to stay out of this conversation.
Aven smirked. "Actually, I would say Noah is one of the prime reasons I changed. All his interviewing for the book and trying to see what I was like in outside situations, really made me realize how much I missed my friendships and the outside world."
Noah didn't know whether to think if she was being sincere or condescending.
"Is that so?" Azelea seemed convinced as she smiled up at him. "Well, that's high praise indeed coming from Aven. She so rarely compliments people, or hell gives them credit for what they do. She's always had this attitude that it's what you are suppose to do, why should I thank you?" She and Aven laughed and Noah tried to pretend that he had any interest in it.
He excused himself and headed back upstairs, not noticing the look of concern that Aven offered him. Nor did he hear Azelea ask if he was alright and Aven explain that he is under a great deal of stress.
Sitting back upstairs in front of his coffee table, he took a drink of his tea then glared at it before reaching for his vodka bottle and pouring a couple shots inside. It didn't taste good but after a few more that wouldn't matter anyway.
-***
Cathleen was sitting on the bed in her hotel room, drying her hair from her shower when her cell phone rang. Picking it up she smiled at the name that appeared and answered it.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She spoke giggly.
Tristan's voice came through clearly on the other line. "I wanted to call to see if you had talked to the director yet."
She was quiet for a moment as she thought over his question uncertain what he meant, but then it clicked. "Oh, yes, I did. He seems a little apprehensive, but I assured him that you would be great for the part. It's not the lead role, but it's an important role nonetheless. You'll play my best friend. Doesn't that sound great? There is a lot of funny banter and it also inspires jealousy from the main male lead at how close we are."
"Do I need to do an interview?" He seemed to ignore the majority of what she had said, but in truth he was a bit embarrassed by how excited she was to see him again.
"Probably, they should get a hold of you when they start casting that role. I gave them your contact information. That was alright wasn't it?" Cathleen began to play with some strands of her moist hair.
"Yes."
The curt answer cut through her heart somewhat and she cleared her throat. "Well, I am sure you are busy so I should let you go." As she was about to pull her phone away from her ear and hang up since Tristan never said goodbye, she heard him call for her to wait. Placing the phone back to her ear, she responded. "Yes?"
"How... how are you? Where are you now?"
Her heart began to flutter that he would take any interest in her even if it was simply for a role in a movie. "In Sacramento, California at a dinky hotel. I was shooting a short for a friend of mine for his film class. What about you? Are you doing alright?"
"I have decided to move out of Aven's house into my own apartment, but I don't think I want to live around here anymore. Where is your apartment? Do you like it?"
These words were becoming more than she could bare. Was he actually taking some sort of interest in her? "I live in a small apartment in Los Angeles. The city is great, but it's expensive to live there. If you moved there, we could be roommates!" She rolled her eyes at herself for saying the last part.
"It would save money."
Falling back onto bed, Cathleen was excited at his response, but she suddenly got a vibe like the universe was pulling a prank on her. "My place is just a studio, but if you are serious about it, we could find a two bedroom together. Probably not in the best neighborhood."
"I am planning to make a comeback, so if you help me a long the way I'll make sure to repay you for your kindness." Tristan's words sounded unreal.
"This is Tristan, right? Tristan Patel?" She sat up on the bed in a rush while she asked the question.
He actually chuckled on the other end. "Yes, this is him."
Her silence made it seem like she was unconvinced.
"Every one has been a little shocked by me lately. I am trying to become a better person and not stay stagnant. It's a lesson an important person taught me." His voice carried a heavy tone that was all too clear.
"Are you serious about becoming roomies? Wouldn't it bother you to be one with a girl?" She stood up from the bed and began to pace while continuing to play with her hair.
"I am roommates with two women now. I doubt it'll be a difficult change, and besides I don't want to go back to being alone all the time. That's counter productive to my goals and though I could probably find a guy in LA, I would rather move in with a friend."
-***
Aven asked through the intercom if she could come upstairs. It took a couple moments, but Noah eventually told her that the door was open. Heading up the stairs, she found Noah was already packing some of his knickknacks and other items he wouldn't need in his final days in this house. Her heart sunk when she realized that he really planned on going through with this.
"I understand why Tristan is leaving, but I can't figure out why you made this decision as well." Aven told him as she knelt down beside him on the floor and began to help him wrap some statuettes in newspaper.
Noah glared at her hands as she began to wrap up his things. He yanked the item from her hand and began to wrap it up himself. "I don't need your assistance."
Cocking her head to the side, he could tell that she was trying to get a read on him. She had always done it before and he had thought she was just good at understanding people, but she told him that she could just read him well.
"Knock it off." He barked.
"It feels like I am the target of your ire, Noah. Is this about you kissing me the other day? I am not bothered by it and I didn't make a big deal out of it." She didn't want him to move out, but since he had announced that he was some part of her thought that this was her chance to escape whatever feelings still lingered in her soul.
Little did Aven know that Noah had wanted her to make a big deal out of it. He wanted to be able to affect her like he used to. Being out there on an island all by himself was a terrible feeling and he was just starting to understand how Aven had felt all that time.
"This has nothing to do with you." He lied and she knew he had, but she allowed it to be as she picked up another item to wrap to test her theory. He snatched it away from her immediately. "I told you I don't need assistance."
"If I help then you'll be packed faster."
His eyes met hers and he frowned. That was exactly what he didn't want; a fast exit. Aven read his face clearly but made no mention of what she had found there.
Standing up, Aven sat down on the couch. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you moving out?"
He continued to pack as he tried to think over an appropriate response. "I am a grown man, not some college kid. I shouldn't have roommates. I have enough money to have my own apartment, and with the amount of times lately that I have had to order in, I figure I am being overcharged here."
"Have you found a place yet?" Aven found herself hoping that his answer was no, except for that small part of her that wanted all of this to be over.
He slowly shook his head. "It won't take long though, and I want all this junk that isn't necessary to already be packed away when it's time."
"You seem almost excited to leave. Are you sure it's not because of me?"
Noah stood up and turned around to face her. "Yes, it is because of you and your damn sister too. Neither of you allow me to get any work done with your constant bickering and attempts to get men's attention. I pay extra to have my meals made and my room cleaned, but since Ayanna left cleaning is a rarity and the cooking is just as scarce. You two are so bothersome and I have no more interest in having either of you as part of my life."
He watched as some emotion he couldn't define drained from Aven's face. She cleared her throat before standing up from the couch and gave a nod. "If that's how you feel then it's for the best that you leave. You should have just spoken the truth from the beginning, you may have been surprised what could have happened."
With that he watched Aven leave his apartment and head down stairs. He wondered what her last sentence had meant. Would she have changed what was going on here or was that not directed at his rant at all?
-***
Azelea stood up as Aven stormed passed her in the kitchen and disappeared into her area of the house, as she was about to go after her the front door opened and a small black dog entered in first. Ayanna came in behind her with her hands full of luggage. When they made eye contact the middle sister was surprised to see the youngest there.
"Azelea, what are you doing here?" She asked as she struggled to enter the house.
The youngest rushed over to assist her by taking one of the suitcases from her and shutting the door. "I came to tell Aven about my decision."
Ayanna looked worried for a moment, but could tell things had gone well by Azelea's features alone. "What did you decide?"
"That's not important right now. I am worried about the fight going on between you two. Don't you think it has..."
"Enough, Azelea. This is none of your business." Ayanna snapped and began to make her way into her own unit of the house.
As she walked down the hall to her bedroom with the youngest sister following behind her with another suitcase, Aven stepped out of the room and began to make her way down the hall. When she made eye contact with her younger sister, she had the common courtesy to look ashamed of herself. Lowering her eyes and stepping aside, she allowed her to step through.
Ayanna attempted to walk passed her, but when she was standing directly in front of her, she dropped her suitcases and lunged at her sister. At first, Aven thought she was going to attack her again, but she only wrapped her arms around her waist and began to cry. "I don't forgive you yet, but I don't want to be mad anymore either. Do you know how hard it is to feel this way and not have my big sister to comfort me?" Aven assumed she was talking about Tristan as she didn't know the situation between her and Scott. "You are supposed to be the one soothing me when I cry, not the one causing me to cry."
Aven looked at Azelea as if to ask her what was going on, but when she simply shrugged, Aven picked up her hand and began to stroke her sister's hair. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"I needed you so much these past few days, but you weren't there." She wiped her nose across her sister's shoulder, and Aven was certain there was now a trail of snot there.
Hugging her tightly, she knew she had no arguments and no way of apologizing enough. "I'm sorry. I was wrong." She repeated.
Ayanna stepped back and looked into her sister's eyes. "Promise me that you'll never do it again. Promise me that for the rest of my life that I can trust you."
"I promise."
She stepped back into her sister's hug. "Then let's forget everything. I don't want to care about it. I don't want to remember it anymore. I just want to come home."
"Then welcome home."
Azelea who had been holding her sister's suitcase and watching the entire apology unfold before her, dropped the item in her hand and stepped forward to hug her sisters. Aven wrapped a spare arm around her as Azelea attempted to hug both of her sisters from the side. It took Ayanna a few second to realize that her youngest sister had joined in, but soon her own arm was around her.
"We protect each other, we don't cause each other harm." Ayanna chanted and the other two agreed by nodding their heads. Azelea had began to cry while Aven remained stoned faced.
"I'm sorry I tried to beat you up." Ayanna sobbed and the last word of her sentence was nearly screamed.
"It's alright. I deserved it." Aven took a deep breath as the weight of one her troubles seemed to be lifting. "Like you said, let's forget all about it."
Ayanna stepped back and turned to Azelea before she thrust herself at her little sister. She hugged her tightly around the shoulders. "The baby is sick, Aven."
Aven smirked as she watched Azelea being crushed and who also rolled her eyes at being called the baby again. Reaching out her hand, she gently rubbed each of their back as they embraced.
-***
Noah couldn't stand being in his apartment for another second, especially when he knew that Aven was just below him. He left the house and drove into the city to visit with his only friend. Camille had not looked happy that he arrived unannounced, but had invited him in reluctantly. She was wearing a robe even though it was only four in the afternoon and she was holding a glass of red wine, which she seemed to be lugging around wherever she went.
"What is it now?" She asked with a heavy sigh as she sat down on the couch and pulled her legs toward her body.
He could see her pink underwear, but didn't make any mention of it as he sat down beside her. "I had to get out of there."
Clicking her tongue, Camille took a gulp of her wine before placing the glass on the coffee table and staring at him for several seconds. "Are you running away again?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"After I told you that I had feelings for you, you ran away from me. Didn't come to visit or talk to me. I had to hear everything through my agent about the books you were writing, even though you could have sent me the information via email." She pressed her lips together. "It can't be the same circumstance though, can it? Aven already told you how she feels and you... well, you stayed and continued to talk to her." Camille clapped her hands together firmly. "Oh, I get it. You..."
"That's enough." Noah intercepted whatever it was she was about to say, as he knew he didn't want to hear it. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Am I that predictable that you can just take small pieces of my life and short tidbits that I tell you and come to grand assumptions?"
She grinned as she reached for her glass to take another large swig. "We have known each other a long time, Noah. When people get to be this close they can easily piece things together with little to no information." She adjusted her robe as she put her feet on the ground.
"I'm moving out." He grabbed the glass from her hand and drank down what was left.
Camille snatched the glass from him when he finished and slammed it down on the table. "So, you are running away again." Slowly she shook her head. "If Autumn could see you now, she'd be mortified by what you have become."
"Autumn doesn't get a say in what I have become, she was the one who checked out and left me behind." He began to look more flustered. "Who said you could bring her up to me, anyway? I told you never to talk to me about that."
"She was my friend too." She spoke the words under her breath as she stood up to pour herself another glass of wine. Walking into the kitchen, the two people kept their silence until she returned and sat down beside him once again.
Noah licked his lips and tasted the wine on them. "I kissed her and she didn't react."
Slowly, his friend nodded her head. "I see."
"She acted like I had shook her hand and didn't even have the common courtesy to look... like anything."
"Did you kiss her with any feeling or was it just an empty shell of a kiss?" She began to drink the wine in her hand quickly.
Noah didn't answer her question mostly because he didn't want to know the answer. He didn't even know why he had come here anymore. Standing up, he cleared his throat. "I'm heading out now. I'll see you later."
"Send me samples of those story ideas I sent you by the end of the week." She told him as he walked to the door. When she heard it shut, Camille frowned and looked down at her glass. "He's always cutting off the wrong limbs, Autumn."
-***
Azelea was resting and Ayanna was unpacking, so Aven decided to make dinner for the evening. When she entered the kitchen, she found Tristan sitting at the table with a soda can in his hand. She gave him some acknowledgment with a head nod, before she went about pulling out everything she would need to make their meal.
"I'm sorry." Tristan finally spoke once all the clanking of the dishes and pots was done.
Aven looked up at him from a box of rice in her hands. "You're sorry? For what?"
"For all the chaos that I helped create in this house and for causing trouble between you and your sister." He stood up from the table and walked around it still holding onto his can, before leaning against the counter. "If it weren't for me, none of that would have happened."
She slowly shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. I caused the trouble between Ayanna and myself. I am the only one to blame for what happened, so don't worry yourself over it too much."
"No, I am to blame as well." Ayanna's voice came from the kitchen doorway.
Both people in the room turned to face her as she walked over to stand in front of them.
"I'm sorry, Tristan. I forced you to be something you didn't want to be and ignored all your pleas to the contrary just so I wouldn't be lonely anymore." She lowered her head.
Tristan felt his heart ease. "Actually, I am kind of glad that you did. It's made me realize some things about myself and I want to fix them. I am moving to Los Angeles."
The girls both looked at him with surprise. "For your career?" Aven asked.
He gave a nod. "I started working in this business because my dad was ill, and I never took it seriously. After he died, I just continued to do it because that was all I knew how to do, but now I think I really want to give it a shot. I want to see how far I can go, even if it's behind the stage or camera. This path that I was forced to walk, I am just going to accept that I am on it now and enjoy the view." He chuckled at himself. "Awful metaphor."
Ayanna stared at him for several seconds before a soft smile came to her lips. "I think you might have just inspired me with that awful metaphor. You're right. Some paths in life we have to walk whether we want to or not, but if you sit there and fight it you miss out on so much."
With a nod, Aven agreed. "You know, maybe it wasn't so bad for all of us to have come together. I was against having strangers move in, but I think we all may have benefited from it in some way."
"Too bad Noah isn't here to agree." Ayanna joked. "Then again, he'd probably just ruin the moment with some form of logic or allow his pride to get in the way."
Aven smiled. "Even Noah got something from this, I'm sure of it. It's sad that it's all going to come to an end so soon after it started. It feels like years have passed by, but it's only been a few months."
They fell into a silence as they thought over their time together, but Azelea's voice soon broke it. Ayanna quickly went to her sister's side to see if she needed anything.
Tristan smiled as he watched Aven prepare their dinner. "You used to be my comfortable person, did you know that?"
"I'm not anymore?"
He slowly shook his head. "I'm going to be my own comfortable person from now on. You have changed too much." He teased.
She laughed as she began to cut up the chicken breast on the chopping block. "It was nice watching movies with you while it lasted. Hopefully the next movie I watch will star you instead."
"I'll work on that." He looked around the kitchen. "Can I help with any thing?"
"Yeah, can you get the oil out and spray that pan on the stove?" She asked as she continued to make their meal.
Tristan moved across the room and pulled the can of oil from the cabinet. He smiled as he looked over his shoulder to watch her cook. She was going to be his first love, he decided. Even if the ending was different than how he wanted it to be, at least for a second even if it was against her will there was only him in her eyes.
-***
Scott returned home from work and dropped his keys in a bowl near the door. He had been thinking about his argument with Ayanna that morning and realized that he had been too harsh. In his hands were two plastic shopping bags that held all the ingredients for his new roommate's favorite meal. Walking into the kitchen, he placed them on the counter and began to cook the food.
He figured that Ayanna had scurried off into the bedroom when she heard him unlocking the door. She never could handle the aftermath of a fight and wanted to run away for as long as she could to avoid it. Making the food, he knew the scent would loft it's way into her room and summon her out or at least force her off guard where he could convince her to come out to eat with him.
It took a half an hour to cook the steak and steam the vegetables, but once it was all plated and prepared he walked down the hall with a smirk on his lips. She was probably just sitting in her bedroom waiting for him to beg her to come out.
Knocking gently on the door, he leaned against the door frame. "Ayanna, come out and eat my apology dinner." When she didn't answer, he continued. "Please, I'm sorry about what I said this morning. I was just angry and being ridiculous."
Turning the door handle, he checked to see if it was locked but the door was open, so he simply smiled. If she hadn't locked the door that meant she wanted more begging from him. So, he slid into the room only to find it empty. What caught his eye immediately was that the closet door was open and there were no clothes hanging up inside. He checked a couple drawers of the dresser to find that stored no items either.
Walking through the apartment, he didn't know what he was looking for, but eventually found it. Next to the key bowl was a note she had written him.
"Dear Scott, I realized today that I have become a burden to you and to other people. I don't want that for myself so I am going to head back home. I have to clean up some of the mess that I made there before I start my new life. I'm sorry that I have been in your way all these years. I was selfish because I needed you beside me, but I never thought of how much I must have been hurting you. I hope you will forgive me someday and I hope everything works out well for you and Joseph's cousin. -Love, Ayanna
PS. Please don't contact me in the future. Our relationship is no longer beneficial to either of us and should end here."
Scott immediately ignored her postscript and grabbed his cell phone to call her, but there was no answer. When the voice mail suggested he leave a message, he was hesitant at first but decided to go through with it.
"Ayanna, don't be like this. I am sorry about the things I said this morning. I really didn't mean them, so please just call me. I don't want our friendship to end like this. Hell, I don't want our friendship to end at all. You aren't a burden to me." He breathed quietly for a moment. "I made filet mignon for you, so call me before it gets too cold."
Hanging up the phone, he carried it with him into the kitchen where he sat down at the breakfast bar. He placed it next to his plate and lowered his head down to the counter where he cradled it in his arms, but his eyes continued to stare at the phone in front of him.
"She's not serious. She's just angry." He tried to convince himself, before silently cursing himself for accusing her of being in his way.
The only person that kept him from anything had been himself. He had chosen for Ayanna to turn to him, she had even encouraged that he be with other women so why would he accuse her of such a thing? He sighed as he didn't have an answer that would satisfy himself.
The phone rang and he was quick to answer it without even looking at the caller id. "Hello?" He spoke excitedly.
"Hey Scott, this is Felice."
The excitement drained from his voice and face as she invited him out for dinner.
-***
Sitting in her room, Ayanna listened to the message that Scott had left for her. With a weak smile, she deleted it. "You're just panicked right now. You'll be fine." She told her phone though the response was clearly directed at her friend.
Setting the phone down on her nightstand, she pet the small dog that was laying next to her before she picked up an appointment card next to her desk. Her first time going to a psychiatrist would be in a few days and she wondered if she could take the condescension that she always felt when those people talked to her. If this didn't work, she would find another way, but for now she was going to focus on becoming a healthy person.
That meant she had to do one thing, even if it wasn't the right time for it. Standing up, she left Nyx in her bedroom as she made her way across the hall to find her sisters in Aven's room. They were making jokes and talking about some of the things that happened to Aven while she was away. Azelea told stories of some of the new things that her daughter had been doing. Ayanna stood quietly with her arms folded across her chest in the doorway as she smiled at them.
After a few moments, Aven looked up and noticed her other sister standing silently as she watched them. "What? Do you think you are an outsider that can only watch us from there?"
Azelea looked up with a smile and offered out an arm to encourage her to come forward. That was all Ayanna needed before she ran towards the bed and plunged down between them.
"Always has to be the wedge." Azelea teased.
Aven laughed at the memory of how Ayanna always wanted to be in the middle of everything; their hugs, the drives in the backseat when they were kids, and even the couch. They had nicknamed her the wedge long ago but the name seemed like it belonged to ancient memories.
Ayanna giggled as she sat up and looked between her sisters. Wrapping her arms around both of their necks, she squeezed them both in a tight hug. "Make this count." She told them, though they didn't understand what she meant by that.
Standing up again, Ayanna took a deep breath and smiled at them but it slowly faded. The other two noticed the change in mood as the tension filled the air. "I have something important to tell you both. Something I should have told you the moment it happened, but I was afraid of what you would think of me and how you would treat me."
The two sisters on the bed looked worried by her opening sequence.
"Do you two remember Carlin?"
They both nodded.
Ayanna opened her mouth to speak again, but her voice cracked and she fought back tears. Neither of her sisters understood what was going on or what she wanted to say, and they looked at each other confused. "He hurt me." They were the only three words she could manage out as she still feared the reaction that her sisters would have.
"Hurt you? How?" Aven asked for all she knew her sister could have meant emotionally by ending their relationship.
"He forced me." She tried to explain but even though she could say the words to others, they wouldn't come for her own sisters.
"Forced you?" Azelea seemed confused for a moment before the light bulb clicked on in her mind. "He raped you?"
Ayanna was so grateful that her younger sister had given her the words and she nodded her head several times as quickly as possible causing her hair to fly everywhere.
Both Aven and Azelea jumped from the bed and wrapped their arms around their sister. It was an emotional day for the middle child. She had made a decision to never see her best friend again, she heard of her younger sister's cancer decision, she made up with her elder sister after her betrayal, and now she was telling them of a past she tried her best to pretend never happened.
The other two seemed to understand this and didn't bother to question the situation further. Instead, the three stood in as much silence as the wailing Ayanna would allow.