Chapter 5 Spill the tea

Aveline POV

I went to the only place that had ever been able to calm the chaos in my head.

Lyla's house.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of the familiar gate, and I stared at the warm light glowing through her bedroom window. Good. She was home.

Lyla lived alone with her younger brother after their parents relocated overseas for work, and judging by the noise, or lack thereof he was probably downstairs minding his business.

I paid the driver, climbed out, and shut the door behind me before making my way to the front porch.

The moment I pressed the doorbell, I wrapped my arms around myself and waited.

A few seconds later, the front door swung open.

"Aveline!" Jay's face lit up immediately. "Well, damn... I wasn't expecting to see you."

I managed a tired smile.

"Hey, Jay."

He stepped aside without hesitation.

"Come in. You look..." He paused, studying my face. "...like you've had one hell of a day."

"You have no idea."

He winced sympathetically.

"Yeah... I figured."

I stepped inside the cozy house I'd practically grown up in. I'd lost count of how many sleepovers Lyla and I had here over the years.

Jay disappeared toward the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water.

"Here."

"Thanks."

I took it gratefully before sinking onto the couch with an exhausted sigh.

"Where's your drama queen of a sister?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes so hard I almost laughed.

"Upstairs."

"I should've guessed."

"Dude..." He rubbed his forehead dramatically. "She's been screaming at her laptop for the past hour because of some live event she's watching. Every five minutes she's either yelling, clapping, or threatening someone through the screen."

I snorted.

"That sounds exactly like Lyla."

"I don't know how you're both friends."

"I ask myself that every day."

He laughed.

"I'll survive."

"I hope so."

"I'll go see her."

As I headed toward the staircase, my stomach growled so loudly that I actually stopped walking.

Right.

Breakfast.

Or whatever disaster Ethan had interrupted at the restaurant.

The thought of him had completely killed my appetite earlier, but now that the anger had settled...

I was starving.

I turned toward the kitchen instead.

Jay looked over from the dining table.

"Looking for food?"

"Mhm."

"Help yourself. If you ask Lyla first, she'll start calculating how many cookies you've eaten this month."

I gasped dramatically.

"I knew she was keeping records."

"Dangerously detailed records."

"I've always known she's secretly insane."

"You said it, not me."

I laughed softly before opening the refrigerator.

A bottle of chilled yogurt immediately caught my eye.

Perfect.

I grabbed it, then reached over the counter for a packet of chocolate cookies.

Breakfast part two.

Or lunch.

Honestly, I had no idea what meal this even counted as anymore.

Balancing both in my hands, I climbed the stairs toward Lyla's room.

Her bedroom door was slightly open.

I nudged it wider with my elbow.

Lyla sat cross-legged in bed with her laptop resting on her thighs, headphones around her neck, completely absorbed in whatever she was watching.

She didn't even notice me.

"You seriously need to stop annoying me!" she yelled at her phone lying beside her. "Dave, if you don't finish your stupid assignment and get off my phone, I'm blocking your number!"

She threw the phone onto the bed dramatically and took out the headset she had on.

"What if it falls?" I asked from behind her.

She nearly launched herself into orbit.

"Holy shit!"

She spun around so fast I thought she'd give herself whiplash.

"What the actual fuck!"

Her hand flew to her chest.

"Aveline!"

She stared at me with wide eyes while taking exaggerated breaths.

"I swear I almost left this world!"

I couldn't help laughing.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"You absolutely did."

She pointed an accusing finger at me.

"My heart literally stopped."

"It restarted though."

"Barely."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You owe me medical bills."

"Oh please."

"I mean it."

She threw a pillow at me.

I caught it effortlessly before climbing onto the bed beside her.

She nudged my shoulder.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"I really don't."

She smiled.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

She reached over and closed her laptop before placing it on the armchair across the room.

"So..." She tucked one leg beneath herself and studied me carefully.

"How are you?"

The smile disappeared from my face.

I stared down at the yogurt bottle in my hands.

"I honestly feel like my entire life flipped upside down overnight."

Her expression changed immediately.

The teasing vanished.

"So something happened."

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat.

"A lot happened."

She frowned.

"Aveline..."

I looked away before the tears gathering in my eyes could embarrass me.

Without saying another word, Lyla scooted closer and wrapped both arms around me.

I melted into the hug almost instantly.

She rubbed soothing circles across my back.

Neither of us spoke for several long seconds.

Sometimes silence was enough.

When I finally pulled away, I forced a small smile.

"We can talk later."

She looked confused.

"You've been waiting for your event all week."

"It's live, isn't it?"

"So?"

"I don't want you missing it because of me."

She stared at me for exactly three seconds before bursting into laughter.

"Girl..."

"What?"

"Do you seriously think I'm choosing some livestream over my best friend?"

I shrugged weakly.

"I mean..."

She reached over and pinched my cheek.

"Ouch."

"Good."

She pinched it again.

"Lyla!"

"Don't be stupid."

She gently pushed me backward until my head rested on her lap.

"There."

She began absentmindedly playing with my hair.

"Comfort position activated."

I laughed despite myself.

"You are ridiculous."

"And you're avoiding the conversation."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm really not."

She placed a hand dramatically over my mouth.

"Mmmph!"

"No more excuses."

I pulled her hand away.

"You didn't have to pause your event."

She gave me a look.

"If I miss it, I'll watch the clips later."

"There'll be edits all over TikTok."

"There'll be reaction videos on Instagram."

"There'll probably be memes by tomorrow morning."

She shrugged.

"The internet exists."

I smiled.

"But you?"

She gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"You only showed up here because you needed me."

Her voice softened.

"So I'm here."

The lump in my throat returned.

"I don't deserve you."

"I know."

I laughed through watery eyes.

"The confidence."

"I worked hard for it."

She smiled before becoming serious again.

"You left your engagement party early."

I nodded.

"So did your parents."

Another nod.

"I figured something was wrong."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"So..."

"What happened?"

I inhaled slowly.

"There isn't an engagement anymore."

Silence.

Lyla blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"...Excuse me?"

"I called it off… yeah… I did yeah?”

She sat upright so quickly my head nearly rolled off her lap.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"I'm serious."

"Oh my God."

She grabbed both my shoulders.

"What happened?"

"Did he say something?"

"Did his family do something?"

"Tell me he didn't hurt you."

I let out a humorless laugh.

"Oh... he definitely hurt me."

Her face darkened.

"What did Ethan do? I knew that guy was up for no good!”

I clenched my jaw.

"The bastard was sleeping with another woman."

She froze.

"What?"

"I caught him."

"...No."

"In bed."

"No."

"Naked."

"No!"

"Very much naked."

She slapped both hands over her mouth.

"Oh my God."

"They weren't just talking either."

Her eyes became comically huge.

"They were..." I grimaced. "...busy."

"Oh hell no!"

She practically screamed.

"I knew it!"

"I knew something about that man was off!"

"I literally told you he looked like the type that collects women like Pokémon cards!"

I groaned and buried my face in a pillow.

"I know."

"I should've listened."

"I feel so stupid."

She immediately pulled the pillow away.

"Stop that."

"But—"

"No."

She tapped my forehead.

"You are not blaming yourself because some overgrown man-child couldn't keep his pants on."

"But I loved him."

"I know."

"I trusted him."

"I know."

"I was going to marry him."

"I know."

She squeezed my hand.

"And none of that makes you stupid."

"It makes him disgusting."

I shut my eyes.

"The image won't leave my head."

"The sounds..."

"I swear I can still hear them."

"I feel sick."

Lyla rubbed my shoulder gently.

"You'll get through it."

"I promise."

I sniffled.

"I hope so."

She smiled sadly.

"Now..."

She leaned back against the headboard.

"I have a feeling that's only half the story."

I looked at her.

"...You're right."

She pointed at me dramatically.

"I knew it."

"That expression says you've got premium-level gossip."

Despite everything, I laughed.

"I do."

"Girl..."

She grabbed a pillow and hugged it excitedly.

"Start talking."

"From the beginning."

"And don't you dare skip any details."

I sighed before shaking my head.

"You're unbelievable."

"I know."

She grinned.

"Now spill the tea."