20. Rough night

All day has been about me avoiding her and her avoiding me but when at 3 in the morning an insomnia pulled me out of bed again I found her sitting on the couch reading a book leaving with no choice but to confront her .

"Hey..." I whispered in the silence of the night .

"Oh... hey" she gasped "You scared me..."

"Sorry... I guess that's what I do"

"What? What do you mean?" she put her book on the table and faced me laying on the back of the couch "Is it because of... because of what happened?"

What could I say, what could I do when the situation between us was so complicated, so weird? She was here right in front of me only a few meters keeping her away from me...

"Nevermind, it was nothing, nothing happened after all" I forced a smile but it felt so fake "We weren't thinking-"

"Straight"

Did she said that on purpose?

"Yeah that's it..." I dropped the smile "Anyway it doesn't matter, as I said it was nothing"

She looked at me her eyes scanning my face. I could feel her analysing me, searching for the thing that would give me away. But I was better at this game than anyone else .

"Yeah you're right, it was probably nothing" her voice was suddenly harsh and without saying more she went back to reading turning away from me her hair swinging on her back .

I stayed here in silence staring at the girl I was scared would never turn to me again . But what else could I say, she was the one who... she was the one who tried to kiss me, she started it... She started it but I didn't step back after all.

I finally took my eyes off her walking to the kitchen where I prepared a hot chocolate. I filled a cup with it and before going back upstairs I poured half my cup in an other one and put it on the table next to her paying attention not to met her green eyes .

_____

The day after

"Guys I swear it's the best place ever, they have the best cocktails" Dean was bragging about how he knew all the 'best places', places that were actually the best for getting waisted .

"I mean, yeah it could be fun" Justin who was always trying to please everybody couldn't say no to anyone and especially not to Dean . I don't even know he managed to get him to be his friend again but Justin seemed to have forget everything about the party .

"Great okay so let's go, come on!" Dean shouted putting on his leather jacket .

"Asshole" I whispered grabbing my bag. It was supposed to be a chill night in some nice bar in town but our dear Dean was apparently stronger than our projects .

"Where's my girl?" he asked like he was just looking for his keys.

"I'm here guys, wait for me"

As she climbed down the stairs, smiling, my first thought was about how fucking beautiful she was . She looked like out of a movie, she was a famous actress on her way to the oscars ceremony, everybody knows she'll win, everybody except her .

"Umm, are you really wearing this?" Dean asked startling me like Ayla's outfit was even debatable .

"I am... why?" her smile suddenly vanished as his words shot right at her self-confidence .

"Nothing" he huffed "Whatever, let's go"

I wanted to shout at him, to tell him to fuck off, to just shut up if his mouth was only able to get out crap like this but was it even worth it? He was born a jerk, he would die a jerk.

____

The 'best place ever' was actually a night club where most of the people couldn't walk straight or even stay awake and the smell of alcohol invaded my nose right as we entered making me sick to my stomach. At least the music wasn't that bad and maybe could I make an effort and try to enjoy as much as I could but vodka could surely help even though I think the air was already enough to get us drunk. I walked to the bar where a guy was filling shots for a group of people and asked for a vodka cranberry . But as I turned my head I saw Ayla emptying her glass in one go and I suddenly realized that I couldn't drink. Dean wouldn't be here for her I knew it and I also knew she couldn't stand alcohol.

"Hey slow down maybe?" I walked to her as she was already asking for a second one .

"On come on I'm a grown woman" she said not even looking at me "I know what I'm doing"

"Ayla please, we both know you get drunk with only a beer"

"And you're the one telling me that? Remember who drove you home three months ago?" and with that she emptied her second glass as fast as the first and walked away getting lost in the crowd .

"Fuck" I tried to follow her among the people dancing praying not to receive drinks on me as they all had their glasses in hand . She was fast but I soon found her near a group of men that seemed to be at least thirty . Maybe was I paranoid but it didn't feel good. They were getting closer to her and she was still drinking .

Half an hour later she still hadn't seen me keeping an eye on her. If she realized I was trying to protect her she would've run away again and I didn't want to lose her again.

"Aimee!" Justin was walking towards me Sara holding his hand "We're going home, there's to many people on here"

"Fine let me just-" I looked in every directions but I had to face it, she wasn't here, I took my eyes off her one second and she was gone.

"Fuck" I groaned feeling stress invade my body "Fuck!"

"Aim' what's wrong?"

"Ayla, where's Ayla?" I shouted running everywhere trying to catch sight of her dark hair .

"Aim' calm down" Justin tried to reassure me "Wasn't she with Dean?"

"No she was not, and where is he by the way, doesn't he care about her?" I was practically screaming .

I searched every inch of the club but she wasn't anywhere to be found. If she wasn't inside, she could only be outside and it was nothing to make me panic less . I went out the cold air of the night burning my lungs as I looked around Justin and the others following me . And that's when I saw her, meters away, one of the weird guys pulling her by the hand . Without thinking I ran to her and as I arrived to her side she seemed completely lost .

"Hey you" I said gently "We're going home"

"And who are you?" asked the guy giving me déjà-vue .

"Her sister, now fuck off please thank you" I took Ayla's arm pulling her towards me.

"You don't tell me what to do you-"

"Is there a problem?" Justin, Jake and Louis were standing behind me while Sara and Maya were taking Ayla away from the guy.

"No no I-bye" he left disapearing in the night.

"Hey..." I took Ayla's face in my hands putting her hair strands behind her ears "You okay?"

"I-I want to sleep..." she said wobbling .

"Okay come on..." I grabbed her her waist putting her arm around my shoulders "We're going home"

"Cool..." she whispered to my ear and every word she spoke lightened my heart, she was safe.

____

I pulled up the covers on her wishing her goodnight even though she was already deeply asleep . She passed out half an hour ago but I didn't find the strengh to leave her side. It was almost 3am when Sara and Maya came to pick me up with hot tea and cookies.

"Aim' we're playing music downstairs, wanna join?" Maya asked me putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder .

"Yeah... yeah I'm coming..."

"Okay..." they said in voice before going out the room.

I got up and put the cookies on the nightstand before tiptoing to the door letting it open just so a ray of light entered the room . I then took a deep breath before climbing down the stairs finding Louis playing guitar while Sara was humming a song an in love Justin sitting by her side. He looked at me as I sat on the couch and pointed at the black grand piano standing in the center of the room. I saw it the day we arrived and memories came flowding through my mind.

"You should play" he said smiling .

"Oh I...I don't..." I had not play in such a long time...

Justin gave a look, the I-kow-you-can-do-it look and I slowly walked towards the piano filling tickles at my fingertips. As I touch the keys one by one I could feel music invade my whole being wakening senses that had been asleep for way too long. I let my hands browsing through the piano and closed my eyes, following my imagination and right now, only her was there...

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