F***in' Arizona

Straight from the Horse's Mouth Pt. 14 (Chapter 48)

*Author's Note: I know ya'll are tired of me suggesting songs to you, lol, but the last two songs belong to Your Smith's Ooh Wee and Hoobastank's The Reason (honestly this song is so perfect for this story and especially this last chapter).

Ari's P.O.V.

Late June 2020, a few days after Dakota and Maya's wedding

To this day I still have no idea how my brother found me. He claims that my phone sent my location to him, but I don't remember ever telling it to. Just like two years ago on that dreaded night with Charlie and the blowup with my dad when Nova's call went through to my phone even though I could've sworn I had turned the power off.

It was strange but I won't question it. I'm still here because of that divine intervention.

At first, for a long time, I didn't remember much from that wild night of partying, sex, drugs, and alcohol, but with the help of the bar's surveillance, an abundance of therapy and some medication to help me unblock my mind, I finally did.
Every. Single. Embarrassing. And. Disgusting. And. Disappointing. Thing.

Even though I had fully lost consciousness and had no brain activity by the time I was found, my brother told me that he was still somehow able to revive me after many CPR attempts.
I was taken to the hospital, placed on suicide watch, and stayed there for a week and a half. When I was finally released and deemed no longer a danger to myself, I was forced to check into a mandatory rehab facility.

I strived, for the umpteenth time, to destroy the numerous demons that plagued me, including my destructive personality that I gave in to on that night.

Even though at the time I didn't want to be there, the rehab facility is where I met Dr. Laney. She helped me to find natural and safe ways to control my anxiety and depression that didn't include popping pills since I was working on my sobriety again.

She and I talked a lot. I felt like I was constantly in her office spilling my guts. For the first time ever, I felt no hesitation, no fear, no judgement. I felt safe.

My entire teens and part of my twenties was about fear and worrying.

In the beginning, I wasn't worried about being gay or bisexual or homoflexible. I was worried about losing the people closest to me, and because of my poor decisions, I lost the one person who had stuck by me the entire time.

Dr. Laney and I talked about everything under the sun. Ranging from me in high school when I was expected to be the "golden boy", to Charlie helping me figure out I was gay, dating and falling in love with Charlie and my first time having sex with him. Nova and I becoming best friends, all the bad fights Charlie and I would get into that sometimes included dangerous objects being thrown at each other.

From talks about college and feeling free, my old friend Cam passing away, ending up in rehab the first time, finding out about Charlie cheating on me.
Me stupidly asking Nova to aid me in my lie to my family, falling for Nova and coming out as flex/bi, hooking up with Nova multiple times, my relationship with my dad falling apart, and my friendship with Nova falling apart. Finally ending with me becoming destructive and ruining my life, and to me committing suicide and basically dying.

I spilled my whole convoluted novel.

I don't frequent that old arcade bar anymore. On the plus side, my relationship with Dakota has never been stronger. We already had a strong bond but after he came for and saved me, our bond became like the strongest adhesive known to man. He's saved me and has been there for me countless times and for that I will forever be indebted to him. He truly is my hero.