DENIAL

14

Wednesday, October 20th.
7:55 a.m

"So, about last night-"

"We were both wasted." I cut him off immediately. Yet he foolishly continues, "I know. I know. But we should at least talk about what happened-"

It's too early for this.

"There's nothing to talk about. I was drunk, you were drunk. And we said things that—" I stop myself mid-sentence. Acknowledging anything that happened last night would make it exist, make it real.

And if it's real that means it's going to hurt.

And it can't. Not again.

"Point is we weren't ourselves. Everything that happened, wasn't real." And as the words leave my mouth I feel a crack, a break, a tore. Where? I'm not sure.

"So there's nothing to talk about. Nothing's changed, okay? Nothing." My heart feels as though it's been dropped, as if the organ in my body was glass that's been broken.

I try to figure out what he's thinking but his facial expression changes from one of confusion to one of.. nothing. His eyes, have nothing in them. Then he tells me, "You're right."

"Help me clean all this up?" He asks, talking about the mess left behind by the others. It's weird, his tone. His attitude. The way he immediately changed the subject after being so adamant about wanting to talk about things.

I shrug it off, perhaps I'm thinking about it too hard.

I'm glad that this was solved so quickly, with no feelings or stupid sentiments getting in the way.

I'm glad we're both on the same page.

"Um, yeah. Sure."  I reply.

November 23rd, 2022

1 month and 3 days later.

Thanksgiving day.

_____

Alea was originally going to go to her Aunt's for Thanksgiving as she usually did, however, due to flight and scheduling difficulties she wasn't able to this year.

She'd be lying if she said it didn't bother her. Thankfully, Aidan Donovan was there to cheer her up, inviting her to go to Leighton Valak's unplanned Thanksgiving get-together.

(He refused to call it a party and to be honest, it really wasn't.)

Due to his family canceling their family dinner that year and having to reschedule it, Leighton decided to have a friends Thanksgiving. Aidan and Mia were the first ones there.

Though, Mia had left early to check in on her other brother for the holidays and Jamie and Hayden would eventually come later in the night, due to spending time with their own families.