onenightsavage

awalkingfreehuman

Corbin was O-U-T out.

...and playing a game at Jahir's house like nothing happened.

He wrote Jahir a whole big letter apologizing for what happened when they almost fought.

"Corbin..." I spoke in a small voice.

"What's wrong, Ali?"

"I just -I - I - I need to talk to you in the kitchen" I got up quickly.

Corbin tossed the controller to Bryce and followed behind me.

"Wha-"

"I think that I deserve to be happy and-"

"You shouldn't think it" Corbin cut me off.

I hated how sometimes he was the strong one.

I hated how our roles reversed so much.

"I really like him, Corbin. But I also cannot live without you being in my life somehow. Especially after seeing your body-"

"I get it, Ali"

"I want to be happy and I don't want to do this anymore. I want to be friends and that's all. Please don't reject me because that would really hurt."

He stared at me for a second.

I felt small.

"I - I'll be with you, as a - as a friend when you're going through things. You-you can still come by my house when you're hurting". I worked to get my stutter under control.

Telling him that scared me.

Corbin walked over to the wall and punched it, before slamming the cabinet door and moving to the other side of the room.

Jahir burst in first. "What happened? Are you okay?"

He grabbed hold of my face and examined me.

Reno took a short look around before mumbling. "Shit"

He found Corbin, but didn't say anything.

"I'm okay. Please leave the kitchen" I said.

"What he do? What y'all say?" Jahir asked.

"Jahir, go" I turned him around and pushed him towards the door.

After everyone left, Corbin moved first and sat down at the table.

"You know that you smell like him sometimes"

"Smell huh?"

"You know" He spread his arms out, motioning to the room. "The homeowner"

I bit my lip. "Cor-"

"Stop"

I closed my mouth.

"I'm sorry for manipulating you. I just really need you to care about me, Ali. Without you, or the boys, I really don't have much. I never said anything because you and I started having good days and I need for us to be okay. I still need you, Ali. I need you to be there for me."

I nodded my head. "I promise"

"Can we try therapy? Like the two of us together? I can't- I think that it would be very hard for us to figure out a relationship on our own and we could both use the unbiased outside support because of our mental states. So that we won't be too much for each other"

I nodded my head slowly. "Please don't kill yourself"

"Rehab did me good. I'm okay."

"Okay" I let out a deep breath.

"I think that Jahir's good for you. I'm glad that you have someone to treat you right"

"I don't want to talk about us, please. I won't rub anything in your face either"

-

My mom rubbed her fingers through my hair.

"Ali, what are you going through?"

The doorbell rang.

My dad went to go get it.

I grabbed my phone and facetimed Corbin.

He answered on the third ring. "I'm okay"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm just watching TV" Corbin flipped the camera and showed me an episode of Spongebob.

"Can I come over?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I just want to be near you"

"You're convincing yourself that we're not okay. We're fine"

"Please?"

"Come on then, Ali"

I sat up off of my mother's lap. "I'll be back before dinner"

I went into my room to get my jacket, and came back out to see Jahir.

"I didn't know that you were coming to see me" I spoke first.

"I came because you seemed like you were on edge and I wanted to check on you"

"I'm paranoid about Corbin and what he's going to do with himself. I need you to understand that I have to be there for Corbin and that it's for sake of both of our well beings"

"I get it. Call me when you get back here"

"Is it wrong to see you after I see Corbin? I don't think it is. I'll shower-"

"And stay with me?" Jahir asked, smiling a bit.

I nodded my head.

"See you then, baby"

-