'I'm beginning to think I imagined you all along'

X

Aaron awoke to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings, not really sure how he got there, the sun was peering in through the window and the sheets were sticking to his back. Looking around the room he quickly came to the assumption that he was half awake in a hotel room somewhere, with Mesut to his left fast asleep underneath the sheets and Olivier to his right, sprawled all over the floor with a bin placed quite nearby with no recollection of how he got there. The room was stuffy and hot, Aaron felt like his head had been trampled on by a hundred elephants and his mouth was bone dry. He sat up slowly to get his bearings before swinging his legs around off the bed and standing up, he stepped over Olivier quietly and swiftly before heading straight for the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He approached the sink to be met by his reflection in the mirror directly above it, he'd developed a slight black eye overnight and his hair was untameable, he was a complete mess, inside and out. He reached down and turned the cold water tap on and splashed his face a few times, sending the most refreshing chill all over his body. He picked up the empty glass on the side of the sink before filling it with water and downing it all in one, he did this a few times. Splashing his hands once again under the cool bitter water, he ran some water through his hair and slicked it back and then turned off the tap before making his way out of the bathroom and back into the main room. Mesut and Olivier must have been woken by the sound of the door and were now sitting on the edge of the bed while Olivier had his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry Aaron" Mesut said. Olivier turned to face him and nodded his head, Aaron couldn't imagine how he must be feeling right now, he looked like the light coming in through the window was really unsettling him. "Sorry for what man?" Aaron replied, looking completely bewildered. "You know, confusing you even more with all that news about Daley, I didn't even think" Mesut sounded sincerely sorry but Aaron didn't have a clue what he was talking about. "What news with Daley? You've lost me mate, what's going on?"

Mesut had explained the situation to Aaron now in full, while he was stone cold sober, and he didn't really know what to make of it, he didn't know what to believe but what he did know was that he needed to find some closure. Olivier was taking a shower while Aaron was looking at the breakfast menu on the hotel's bedside brochure, "full english breakfast is what you want Mesut my man, Oli will probably struggle, his hangover is so bad.." they both laughed "I reckon he needs it more than us" Mesut said. Getting up from the bed, Aaron and Mesut both made their way to the door, "We're gonna head down for some breakfast mate, we'll see you in there" Aaron called through to the bathroom, Olivier just grunted back at them, clearly not in any mood to talk at all. It didn't take long before they'd all polished off their breakfast and drank an entire groves worth of orange juice, they settled up the bill and called for a taxi to take them back to Aaron's flat. He'd talked things over with both the boys at breakfast - mainly Mesut, and decided he needed to talk with Daley, if all that Mesut and Marco had been saying was true, the only way he could find out for sure was right from the horses mouth. Aaron asked Mesut to arrange a meet up with Mesut and Daley so this mess could get fixed once and for all.

Suha was feeling really comfortable with Marco but that was nothing new, she could cry on his shoulder when she felt sad, she could scream at him when she was angry and he was always there to make her laugh when she felt her heart crumbling at the memories of Aaron that kept on returning to her thoughts. Waking up in the middle of the night in tears and soaked through from nightmares, to be greeted by Marco running in to comfort her in his embrace until she fell back to sleep. Today was another day in a long line where all she wanted to do was lay around on the sofa in Aaron's hoody, eat way too many Skittles and block the rest of the world out with TV shows, especially F.R.I.E.N.D.S. She had reached her lowest point and she wasn't sure that there was any return from this, her body felt heavy like she was encased in lead, her heart was anchored to the floor and her head was clouded by memories, visions and thoughts of Aaron. Marco could see how low Suha was and he felt so powerless, but he played this to his advantage by inviting Daley round to the flat for him to witness first hand all of the damage that he had consummated. Marco made his way into the front room and glanced over at Suha, she didn't even noticed him walk in, she had the TV turned on but her eyes seemed glazed over, bright red were her cheeks and tip of her nose, he hadn't seen her do anything but cry for the past 24 hours "can I get you anything to eat or drink?" he asked "you really need to keep up your strength" his voice now filled with a tone of pleading. Suha just rolled her head from one direction to the other before bringing her hand up to her face to wipe away more tears, more heartbreak and more misery. Marco decided to make her some toast and a cup of tea anyway, she really needed to eat something. Just as he was about to take the kettle off the boil there was a knock at the door, Suha didn't even flinch. Marco went to the door and opened it slightly "she doesn't know you're here, don't make a scene, okay?" Marco said bluntly. Daley replied "okay" and Marco opened up the door further and invited him in before closing the door quietly behind him.