Falling For My Best Friend ~COMPLETED~

Chapter 27

''H-Haley?'', Aiden stuttered, ''What are you doing here?'' ''I'm here.. because of you, actually'', I answered. ''Me?'', he asked, sounding confused. I nodded and looked down to notice a case of beer in his hands. ''Well, I'm fine.. So you don't have to worry about me'', he said as he stepped closer. I could tell, he wasn't fine. He didn't look like the Aiden I knew.. He just looked like he'd been through a rough time.. A really rough one at that. His tired eyes looked at me miserably, and I felt like falling onto the floor and bursting into tears. I shouldn't be here.. This is all just a big mistake.. ''Jamie told me you've been drinking.. A lot'', I said quietly. He put his free hand into his pocket, ''Yeah.. I guess so. Why does it matter?'' ''Because it's not good for you, Aiden'', I answered, ''And because people are concerned about you.. That's why I'm here, anyway..'' He scoffed, ''I still don't understand why you'd leave your perfect little life and precious boyfriend just to come up here and see me.'' ''Don't bring Adam into this.. This isn't about him, this about you..'', I said, placing my hands on my hips, ''I'm just here to help.. I'm not here to fight, Aiden.'' He rolled his eyes, ''I don't need your help, Haley. You've done enough.'' ''What did I ever do?'', I said, ''I wasn't the one that left!''

By now, we were in eachothers face. ''I had no choice! I wasn't just going to stand by and watch him take you from me.. Hah, what am I even saying.. He already had you! The whole time we were together, you were just using me to get over him'', Aiden replied angrily. ''That's not true, and you know it.'' He pinched the bridge of his nose, indicating he was annoyed, but I didn't care. I was going to tell him what I thought, and there was nothing he could do to stop me, ''I loved you, Aiden! And it wasn't just because I'd made up feelings in my head or because I tried to get over Adam, but it was because I loved you! And I'm not going to sit here and watch you drink your life away.'' ''Then leave'', he hissed.

I stepped back, feeling a much larger rift being formed just by the 2 words that left his mouth. I didn't know what to say, so I just stared at him. ''LEAVE!'', he screamed, causing me to jump. ''NO!'', I screamed back, this time up in his face again, ''I won't let you do this to yourself!'' I grabbed the beer case out of his hand and threw it on the ground. When he went to reach for it, I pushed him back. When he looked at me, I saw his eyes were full of anger. It scared me, to be honest. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrists and forced me against the door. ''Aiden, stop!'', I said, feeling panicked. My body was completely restricted against his, and there was nothing I could do about it.. He was just too strong for me to handle on my own.

''Who do you think you are!?'', he yelled, ''Just barging in here after months without seeing me and now you show up and tell me what I can and can't do!?'' Without warning, his grip loosened and he fell down on his knees and started sobbing hysterically. Immediately, I got down to his level and wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. He cried and cried nonstop for 5 minutes straight. I just kept hold of him and told him that it was okay. ''I'm sorry.. I'm sorry'', he repeated through sobs. ''Aiden, calm down.. We'll get you help and the pain will go away, I promise..'', I bit my lip, feeling the tears now filling my eyes, too. Aiden was just a broken hearted man.. and could I blame him? I knew what he was going through, and it truly hurt me to see him this way. The man I knew to be one of the best people I knew, and one that supported and loved me was broken, and it was all my fault.

''Get me inside..'', he said, wiping some more tears. I helped him stand up and I supported him inside and to his couch. There, he laid down and I went to put a blanket over him. He just laid there and cried and cried. No matter what I did, nothing helped him stop. 30 minutes later, he'd cried himself to sleep. I slowly sat down beside him and stared down at him sleeping, noticing his eyes were still puffy from crying. I wiped one of the remaining tears off of his cheek with my thumb, and I leaned down and hugged him tightly, this time letting the tears flow from my eyes, too.

An hour later, I realized that I couldn't go home tonight.. I couldn't just leave him here like this. So, I texted Adam..

Hey, I'm spending the night at Jamie's tonight. See you tomorrow?

I felt terrible for lying to him, and the guilt just made matters so much worse than they already were. Why didn't I just tell him in the first place? Then, my notification ring went off and I checked my phone to read his message.

Yeah, see you then :D

I smiled miserably at the message and turned the phone off, sitting it on the coffee table in front of me. I looked down at Aiden, still sleeping and brushed his brown hair off of his face. I was just feeling so guilty.. for everything. In the end, all of this truly was my fault.

A few hours later, Levi and Jamie came back, of course asking all that happened and of course, I told them everything. Jamie hugged me tightly, telling me I did the right thing and that everything happens for a reason. I guess she's right, after all. No matter how many times she told me ''It's not your fault'' I just couldn't let that sink in. My brain believed it to be true, but my heart said other wise. I was a complete sea of emotions that pulled me every which way. Nothing she could say reassured me.

Later that night, her and Levi had gone to bed, leaving me sitting alone on the balcony. The night air was cool and the wind didn't help anything. I just couldn't go back in there.. I needed time to think, to sort things out, and I got it. No one disturbed me the rest of the night, and I woke up at sunrise, still sitting in the lounge chair. I stretched and stood up, observing my surroundings.

Then, I heard the balcony door slide open, and I didn't bother turning around to see who it was. The person stood beside me and I immediately knew by height, that it was Aiden. ''I'm leaving soon..'', he said, which made me turn around and look at him. ''Leaving? Why?'', I asked. ''I'm going to rehab.. I know I need it. I have a problem, and you made me realize that..'' ''Aiden.. I..'', I stuttered, unsure really how to process what was happening. ''Listen, I know you think that all of the drinking.. and partying is your fault, but it's not. I made that decision, so stop blaming yourself for it..'', Aiden said, intertwining our fingers together. I nodded, letting a tear fall down my cheek. I finally let it sink in.. Aiden didn't blame me, and that's what made it okay. That's what made things better. ''I'm going to get better, okay? I promise I will Haley.. Thank you, really.. for everything.'' Then, his arms wrapped around me. ''I didn't do anything'', I shook my head against his chest. ''But you did.. You made me realize that I was doing something wrong.''

I looked up into his eyes, and his hands moved up to the sides of my face, using his thumbs to wipe the tears off of my cheeks. ''Please don't cry.. I'm not dying'', he chuckled, ''I'm just going to a place that'll make me.. better..'' I collapsed into his arms again, ''I'm sorry.. for all those times when I screamed at you and said all of those things.'' He ran his fingers through my hair, ''And I'm sorry, too.. Because I had my fair share of words too..'' I lightly laughed, and so did he.

''Listen, whenever I get back, you better be engaged, okay? Adam's a good guy, Haley.. He treats you good, I know he does.. Better than I ever did. So you get that ring or I'm going to be mad'', he smiled, this time tears ran down his cheeks, too. ''God, Aiden.. I'm going to miss you so much'', I sobbed. ''I'm going to miss you, too Haley.. But things will be okay. I promise'', he said, ''And don't forget to tell Emily I said hi'' I smiled, ''Okay.'' From inside, we heard Levi call for Aiden.

''I guess I better go, then..'', he said, looking down at me. I nodded, wiping my eyes of tears. ''I love you, Aiden'', I said. Another set of tears rolled down his cheeks, ''I love you, too Haley..'' He put his hands to the side of my face once again and kissed my forehead. With a look of reassurance, he lightly squeezed my hands before letting them go and walking out the door. And just like that, Aiden had slipped out of my life again, but this time for the good. He was going to rehab, he was going to get help. I was happy, but sad at the same time. Pushing the confusion aside, I decided just to feel happy for him because I knew that once everything was over with, he would be an even better version of the person he was. Aiden would be free from the temptations alcohol had on him, and he would be able to live okay again. This alone was enough reassurance for me to know that everything would turn out alright.