How would you feel when the person you expect to choose you, chooses someone else instead over you?
~~~~~~~~~~
Ariana looked at Samuel, then at Ashton again....his grip in her hand kept on tightening... she'd had enough of him, he was just controlling her.
"Sir....I'm sorry..." She started apologizing to Ashton, she knew this was going to hurt him, especially after what he did for her today.
"No...Ariana," Ashton said but her decision was final.
She was considering Claris as well.
"I'll stay with Samuel" Once again, she'd left him, she'd chosen someone else over him.
Ashton released her hand slowly and then walked away....more like storming away. Claris followed behind him.
Ariana just had to ruin her night dinner with Ashton
"He's going to make my life hell tomorrow" Ariana whispered to herself.
"Your boss seems overly protective of you Ariana" Samuel realized.
"That's just how he is towards his employees" Ariana tried to divert the conversation.
"I'm glad you chose me over him, it means a lot Ari" Samuel replied...but she was helpless in such a situation.
She couldn't choose Ashton even if she wanted to...
"Let me apologize on behalf of my boss, he has a lot going on, just don't mind his actions" Ariana said.
Clearly, she was defending him.
"Why do you have to put up with such a boss, Ari, you can come work for me, I'll treat you well....better than he does" Samuel was concerned, but could she even leave Ashton company?
"I'll pass, he might act like that, but he's still a good person deep down"
Ariana remembered all he'd done for her in the past, even today.
The food they'd ordered for arrived and the two best friends had their dinner while chatting the night away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile~~~~
Ashton ditched Claris, and drove away in anger. Ariana's words kept ringing in his head, playing over and over again.
" I'll stay with Samuel"
That one statement was enough to drive him mad.
"How dare she? Is choosing someone else over me that easy. Is it easy for her to walk away and leave me like that!!" Ashton asked himself.... driving like a crazy person on the streets.
He didn't watch where he was going and almost crushed into a truck on the road.
He stepped out of the car and left it there on the road, walking to the closest bar.
He wasn't going to sleep that easily thinking about Ariana, he had to drink. Drinking was at times his only way to escape from all his painful memories, pain only Ariana gave him that was beyond healing.
He hated himself for thinking about Ariana even when she rejected him multiple times. He hated himself for still loving her even upto this day. He regreted ever loving her, he regreted caring for her, he regreted obsessing over her and chasing after her like a love sick puppy.
She hurt him more than anyone else, and yet he still had a very soft spot for her and he was so vulnerable towards her.
Trying to get out of it was pointless, he'd fallen too deep for her. He couldn't do anything about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thanks for dinner tonight Samuel, and for driving me home" Ariana was now back home.
"Its my pleasure and duty as your friend Ari, I'll always be here for you" Samuel replied.
"Alright Samuel, you're such a good friend, it will rain soon, drive safe" Ariana said her goodbye.
"Take care too. Goodnight" Samuel replied before he drove off.
Finally
"Home sweet home" Ariana was happy to be home again, away from her stressful life.
"Ari, you're finally home. I was waiting for you" Lexie was still awake.
"I'd have got home sooner if it weren't for you know who" Ariana replied, throwing herself on the couch.
"Ariana, what happened to your head?" Lexie asked after noticing the bandage on her head.
"I almost got raped today bestie" she replied.
"What?!! Are you okay Ari??" Lexie was concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine thanks to Ashton, he saved me" Ariana said, and a bright smile appeared on her face, remembering how he carried her and treated her wounds.
He was such a gentleman.
"Look at you! You're in love with him!" Lexie exclaimed.
"No. I'm just glad that he came to my rescue when I least expected it, he was the last person I hoped to see"
Did she think he'd let her get raped?
"Ofcourse it had to be him, who else cares so much for you like that but him, he loves you deeply and I've seen it myself" Lexie was sure about her words.
"It doesn't matter whether he loves me or not, he'll soon marry another woman" Ariana's voice was full of sadness.
"Marry? I bet on this house that he won't marry that woman" Lexie snapped at her.
Wait a second! Ariana remembered how he proposed marriage and asked her to marry him, was it real or he was just toeing with her emotions.
She still rejected him
Even if it was real, she still turned him down.
"Gosh! I don't want to hear anything related to that man again" she buried her head in the couch.
"So, even if he calls you at this time you still won't go to him?" Lexie asked.
"Yes, I won't" Ariana replied.
"Why are you two torturing yourselves, just do all of us a favour and get back together, I just want you to be happy.... he's the one who makes you happy" Lexie explained her point of view.
"Its not easy.... there's still so much that's going on...I'll never get back together with him"
His mom would never let that happen
~~~~~~~~~
Ariana went to her room to rest, she'd changed her clothes and was already in her cozy bed since it was raining outside.
Her phone then suddenly rang, an unknown caller ID.
Close to midnight
"Hello" she responded in her sleep.
"Is this Ariana?" The person on the other side asked.
"Yes, why?"
"Please come and pick your boyfriend from here, he's drunk and its already closing hours, he saved you as his emergency contact"
Was he talking about Ashton??
"Ma'am, are you coming? I'll send the address"
"I'm on my way" she replied before she hung up.
A while back, Lexie asked her if she'd go running if he called,and she said no. But look at her now.
~~~~~~~
Despite the rain pouring, Ariana went to Ashton, she couldn't just leave him alone.
She found him resting his head on the counter...he was wasted.
"Ashton!" She woke him up.
"Mhmmm..." He lifted his head up and saw her.
"I m..must be dreaming, you can't be here, you can't...you are w..with that other man" he stammered with his words.
"Come on, I'll take you home" she said, trying to help him from the stool. Instead he just held her tightly.
"But why? Tell me why it's so easy for you to leave me like that, aren't I enough for you? don't I love you enough? Ariana, I can be better, I can change back to the old me you once knew, please just come back to me" Ashton cried....he was helpless.
Ariana couldn't help but shed a tear after listening to his words, he was hurt.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow, let's head home" she said before he collapsed in her arms. He was too drunk to even walk.
The bar tender helped her carry him to the taxi that was already waiting and she took him back to her apartment.
She didn't remember his address.
Ariana, what did you get yourself into??