Chapter 42

                                    

                                          

Ari

                          
I walked into my house, laying all of my bags on the ground by the door, I closed and locked the door, I walking to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle out of the refrigerator. I laid my bag on the counter, hearing my phone ring. 
                          
"Hello?" I answered running my hands over my face.
                          
"Hey, I'm walking up." I hear.
                          
Click. The line went dead. 

                          
"Great." I groaned. I heard the front door open so I walked into the living room, seeing my bestfriend taking her shoes off and smiling at me. "What can I do for you, ma'am?" I asked her smiling back.
                          
Paislee. In the last two years, she has bought her own house about 10 minutes away from me. We lived together for a bit before, but her and Alexa moved out a while back. Paislee had met someone about two years ago, they had gotten serious pretty fast, and decided to get a place together. Her name is Danielle. She also came out as Bisexual around then, too. Of course she had nothing but support from her friends, especially me. Alexa moved into student housing, something about "Experiencing college to the fullest." Which had me and my parents worried, but I made her promise to have dinner with me at least once a week, and to call me every few days. 
                          
"Hmm, I don't know. You came back to town two days ago and I haven't heard a peep. No call back, no text back, and you haven't been active on any of your socials in almost a week." She said cutting me a look and walking past me and into my kitchen.
                          
I squeezed my eyes shut as I followed behind her.
                          
"You know when I'm with my family I'm not super active on my socials." I said back, ignoring her other comments. She whipped around leaning on my counter. "That was not the thing I cared about. You have been completely silent for days, what's going on? I'm kinda worried here." She mumbled the last part. I immediately started to feel bad when I saw her face, she looked like she was fixing to cry.
                          
I walked to the counter standing across from her, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I just needed to be alone for a while. It wasn't anything against you, I promise. I didn't think about how much I would worry you." I said, suddenly feeling awful.
                          
"I called Alexa, she said you worried her too. And that you left Texas two days ago. You told her you were home," She looked over at me, her face wrinkling from worry. "I don't mean to get in your business, but you aren't acting like yourself, and we're worried. Where have you been?" She asked, looking kind of angry now. Shit, great.
                          
I sunk down, resting my arms on the counter. "I'm okay. I told you I just needed to be alone for awhile." I really didn't feel like having this conversation right now. I turned around and walked away, going down hallway and into the living room.
                          
 I heard her walking back behind me, "I called Niall." She said. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. "He told me I needed to talk to you."
                          
Niall. My Fiancé. Most recently, Ex Fiancé.
                          
I had been in Texas visiting my parents for the last two weeks, with my sister, who was on summer break. But, prior to that I was here, in my shared house with Niall. We got a house together two years ago, after getting engaged October of 2019.
                          
We were doing great, planning a somewhat small wedding set for this year, November of 2021. Then we suddenly weren't doing great. He started his second solo album, 'Heartbreak Weather', I shot a series for Netflix, then he started spending more time recording in London, while I was filming in Burbank. We started fighting more when we were together, over the stupidest stuff. It had gotten to where I dreaded being with him because of how much we'd argue. He noticed too, we planned to be at our house together two or so weeks ago. We decided then, we needed to take a break. I love him, and I know he loves me. But, we couldn't keep living like that, and he knew that.. I knew that.