F***in' Arizona

Straight from the Horse's Mouth Pt. 6 (Chapter 25)

Ari's P.O.V:
When He First Comes to Nova's House

I'm kind of scared to knock on Nova's door. I wasn't avoiding her, but I hadn't spoken to her since I found her in the park that day. I don't know why I hadn't spoken to her, I just hadn't. Old habits, I guess.

I've been standing at her parent's front door for what feels like hours, but it has only been a couple of minutes in reality. I was trying to gather the nerve and predict her reaction so I would know what to expect and how to dodge. I felt like I was in high school again and was here to ask her out to prom and was afraid of meeting her father at the door.

What if she slams the mahogany door in my face? What if, from the other side of it, she yells, "FUCK YOU!" because I hadn't spoken to her again? What if she says she doesn't want to see me again? I'd be so sad and ashamed.

Somehow though, I guess my subconsciousness was tired of waiting on me to make a move and knocked on the door without me fully realizing it.

I stood there for a few seconds but could hear her making her way to the front door to unlock it. The clicking sound of the heavy lock moving back into its cubby hole warning me that I was about to face the person who I had previously been wanting to run from because I was scared of what she'd think.

The instant I saw her beautiful angry face, however, released any pent-up anxiety I had about the situation. I was just happy she allowed me to be back in her life. I don't think I understood how much I missed her until now.

"Well if it isn't my darling fake boyfriend," she had said sarcastically in that voice that I used to love to hear.

When she let me pass the threshold of the Queen residence after I apologized for what felt like the trillionth time; I felt honored.

"Get the fuck in here you bitch," was her way of accepting my apology and allowing me inside.

I tried not to giddily hop my way inside as I had just passed the hardest of Nova tests, so I just smiled and laughed at her snarkiness and said, "Never change that attitude."

That attitude I've come to love since the day I truly got to know you.

Everything inside of the 5 bedroom, 3 and ½ bathroom house was as it was years ago, just with a few differences here and there, but it still felt just as homey and welcoming as before.

"Can we just hangout today?" I blurted as soon as we had made it to the kitchen, and I sat across from her at the island.

I could tell that she was waiting on me to speak and explain myself, but I didn't want to. I figured I could distract her.

"Hangout? I thought you came over here for a reason," she had said crossing her arms defensively.

"Can't that be reason enough? You know, because I missed you? It's been so long since we've hung out."

The change in her face startled me, but I knew I fully deserved anything she threw at me.

"Yeah and whose fault is that," she said rather than asked.

She spit that statement out so fast that it seemed like it was an accident. But the second look on her seemed like she decided not to take it back because it was as true as the sky is blue.

I couldn't help giving off a hurt expression as an instant defense mechanism, but like I said, I knew I deserved it. It was my fault that I shut her out not even thinking about how it would make her feel. We've known each other for years and been through a lot and I just ghosted her. Then hopped right back into her life to ask a favor of her.