Samantha didn't question her on the way home. When they got to Aaliyah's house, Samantha held her so tight it almost hurt. Aaliyah sobbed into her, letting all the misery pour from her.
"Whatever it is, we'll get through it, Lia," she promised.
She needed that, for someone who cared for her and didn't know a damn thing about anything to promise her that everything was going to be all right. She wanted so badly to believe it.
After a few glasses of wine, her tension had started to ease slightly. She didn't feel so numb, and she'd finally stopped crying, which seemed like progress.
Samantha and Aaliyah had settled in her living room, jazz playing quietly in the background as they curled up on her two large couches. Aaliyah covered up with a blanket and held a big wine glass between her palms. A comfortable silence had settled between them.
"I'm sorry for ruining your evening," Aaliyah said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm always here for you. Day or night. Bitches first, okay?"
"Thank you. That means a lot."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Samantha canted her head to the side.
The past couple months' events flashed through Aaliyah's mind. First Nathan, and now this. As soon as one burden had been lifted, another replaced it. Despite her complete and utter breakdown since arriving, she'd avoided telling Samantha anything. Samantha just assumed something had gone terribly wrong with Jason.
"Not really," Aaliyah finally said.
"Maybe you should. I've never seen you like this, honey."
She was a mess, true. She looked like hell but she was grateful that she didn't have to put on a happy face when she was with Samantha.
"Did Jason say something to you?" Samantha's voice brought Aaliyah back to the present, and she was frowning with evident concern.
Aaliyah closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples. Tears threatened and she suppressed a sob.
"Lia." Samantha's voice sharpened. "What did he do?"
"It's not him, it's me. I... I really don't want to talk about it, Samantha. Not right now, anyway."
"I think if people are friends, they should be honest with each other."
She swallowed hard, trying to hide the emotions that welled as she searched for the right words. She hadn't thought this out at all. Everything had happened so quickly. "Before I came here, I was married. He hurt me so bad. So bad."
Aaliyah searched Samantha's eyes, wishing that somehow, she could just know—just understand without her telling her. Samantha's face seemed pale and stoic, giving her no indication of what she might be thinking of her.
Retelling that day and describing Nathan made her mouth dry and her heart lurch around in her chest, but she kept it together. Half the time, Aaliyah couldn't look at her. She'd stare at the wall, counting cracks, and recite her abuses like she was listing the ingredients to a recipe from hell.
When she looked up at Samantha, the pity in her eyes made her even more sick to her stomach.
"Oh, God."
Samantha stared at her, her hand cupped over her mouth.
Tears stung her eyes, her throat thick with pent up emotion. "It is killing me. It is killing me that I can't call my best friend. I know she's worried sick, and I can't help but worry about what Nathan might do to her if he finds out that she helped me, or even Clay for that matter."
YOU ARE READING
SECOND CHANCES (ORIGINAL WORK)
Romance[COMPLETED] When Angeline married Nathan Snyder, it was supposed to give her the perfect life. Her dream was shattered the first time her husband laid a hand on her, showing her that the life she'd married into was going to be anything but perfect...
