"Lonely People"
WARNING: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE AND SEXUAL TRAUMA
Idiota, idiota, idiota, Daniela kept insulting herself mentally as she watched the fire embers ascend to the arriving night sky like lightning bugs. The sunset was breathtaking tonight, yet she couldn't even enjoy it.
Daniela gave herself one rule when she decided to embark on a six-month hike on the Appalachian Trail to Maine with her three childhood best friends. One of them, Aaron, being her ex.
She had sat herself down and promised that she would not reignite their relationship. After all, they hadn't been together for almost three years.
However, they'd been spending so much time together that she hadn't expected those feelings she'd worked hard to stuff away to resurface. They might not have been together romantically, but they were childhood friends.
There was no doubt in her mind that they couldn't stay that way.
Then again, when she broke up with him - it wasn't because she wanted to. There was also the reality that if she hadn't dumped Aaron, they'd still be together.
Safe to say, Daniela had messed up - badly.
She kissed him, and to make matters worse, she pretended it didn't happen. Now there was a thick tension between them, and Aaron wasn't talking to her. He barely even looked her way.
The sad part was, Daniela couldn't even blame him. It was just another thing she had yet to explain to him or their best friends Johnny and Rachel.
Daniela wanted to avoid a relationship with him because she wasn't ready to explain why she was sent away for a year.
Aaron wasn't somebody who could pretend like something didn't happen. He liked to fix problems, not avoid them.
Daniela tried to convince herself that he'd get over it. That somehow he'd forgive her, and they would finish the rest of the three months to Maine with no problem. But deep down, she knew that wasn't going to happen.
"Dinner's ready!" Johnny announced from the grill.
Rachel was at the picnic table, setting out the plates. Burgers were on the menu tonight.
"Aaron, get out here!"
Aaron erupted from his tent, ignoring Daniela's lingering gaze as he went to the picnic table.
"Dani, you coming?" Rachel asked, sitting down with the boys.
Daniela shakes her head, "I'm not hungry."
In all actuality, she could eat. Daniela just didn't want to sit at the table with the awkward tension. The guilt that she was feeling didn't help either.
"Okay, what the hell happened between you two?" Johnny asked.
"Nothing," Daniela kept her attention on the fire.
"Oh yeah, just Dani acting like nothing happened as always," sarcased Aaron as he put ketchup on his burger.
Daniela sucks in a tight breath. "Can we not bring Rach and Johnny into this?" she asked. "This is between us, Aaron."
"Is it, though?" he countered. "I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you owe them an explanation just as much as you owe me one."
Daniela gulped as her heart started to race.
