Aria Davenport returns for round two with the ever elusive, more sexually experienced Phoenix Prescott. And she's walking on a tight rope. The perfect job, perfect life and perfect relationship lie just beyond the finish line. All she has to do is a...
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Grateful to be where things are calm and serene, I grasp Phoenix's strong, warm hand. Watching him breathe has never been so soothing. "Only God knows how grateful I am for this moment." I sigh.
The things we take for granted.
Stuck in my own head when a world of hurt was taking place right under my nose. Brooke.
I shake my head.
Just a tool for somebody else's crusade.
Now her life is ruined...
Leave it to Leon, it will be.
Maybe we can help her...
Resting my head against his arm, the rhythmic sound of him inhaling and exhaling coupled with the rise and fall of his chest, lull me to sleep.
Early morning greets us with the busy bodies of nurses and aides coming in to check vitals and put marks on charts. A nurse in pink scrubs and a blue face mask stands over Phoenix smiling.
"Back with us, this fine morning, Mr. Prescott?" She asks, holding a clip board.
A quick glance at Phoenix and I'm overcome with a jolt of excitement. "Hey you!"
He gulps and sleepily smiles back at me.
"Your vitals look great. Strong as an ox. A stark improvement from where we found you." She nods. "I think we'll talk to your doctor about a possible discharge today. If not today, definitely tomorrow." She hooks his chart to the end of his bed and walks out.
"Babe!" Instinctively my hand caresses his cheek. "You're up! Oh my God! I have so much to tell you. How are you feeling?"
Phoenix nods and tries to talk, but coughs instead.
I reach for his water. "Throat probably as dry as the desert. Heard they pumped your stomach and everything."
He drinks for a very long time and clears his throat. "Whoa," he says shaking his head. "I'm... in the hospital? OK." He looks down at the IV in his arm. "What the fuck?" He frowns. "Last thing I remember... I was at the party, talking with the other execs. Laughing." He sighs blinking. "It's a blank after that."
I huff. "Hate to say I told you so...um. But, uh, Brooke... She's a bad news bear."
Phoenix's nostrils flare. "Listen, Ari," he says shaking his head. "I don't have the time or energy to argue with you—"
"—Wait a goddamn minute! I'll tell you what we're not gonna do. You are not gonna pull this shit on me, Phoenix Prescott! That bitch—sorry, that girl...drugged you. That's how you ended up here."
Phoenix stares back at me bewildered. "What?"
"That's right. Your precious Brooke! She was drugging you the whole time. Slipping roofies in your drink the entire night. She could've killed you! And you want to defend her honor?"
Leon sits up. "She's right, Phoenix. Sheila put her up to it. Believe it or not."
"Nixon's Sheila?" Phoenix frowns and looks at me.
I nod and suck my teeth.
"Heard it with my own ears. We had Brooke call Sheila. She didn't know we were listening in on the conversation."
Phoenix wipes his mouth with his hand. "Wow." He sits there, thinking. Blinking. They did all this? For what?"
"You know, I knew Sheila had a thing for you. I thought it was just sisterly love or some shit like that. But I forgot." Leon wags his finger at Phoenix. "Ya'll dated before she got with Nixon, back in high school. Remember?"
"That was so long ago. And it was only for like 3 weeks. That was puppy love."
"More like, puppy like for you. Hand that rocks the cradle for her." Leon quips.
"We didn't know what we wanted back then."
Leon sips coffee. "Well, she took those little 3 weeks to heart. How did she end up with Nixon?"
Phoenix sighs. "Nixon got a job before the rest of us. Had money in his pocket. A couple of hundred dollars to a kid and you're rich. He would treat everybody when we hung out on the weekends. Even though we were together, I had my eye on Nora." Phoenix glances at me for my reaction.
I shrug.
He continues. "Nixon told me he liked Sheila. He liked the fact that she was older, more experienced than the other girls. Thought she was cute. So," Phoenix cocks his head to the side. "I told him, he could date her if he could get her."
"A gentleman's dual?" Leon raises and eyebrow.
"More like a gentleman's challenge. If he came onto Sheila and she bit, he could have her. I wouldn't mind. Like I said, I wasn't into Sheila like that."
"Wow." I look at both the guys. "Men do that?"
Leon nods.
"So, he starts flirting with Sheila. You know, complimenting her on her hair. Her clothes. Saying sweet nothings to her. She ate that shit up. I saw it, so I slowly backed out. The next thing I know, we're hanging out at the skating rink and Nixon walks in with Sheila on his arm. Like they were a real, bonafide couple." Phoenix snickers. "I tipped my hat off to him and moved on." Phoenix lets his mind wander.
"So, how is she at you all these years later?" I ask, clearly confused.
"Because her feelings for him are unresolved. The heart wants what the hearts wants. Plus, she sees he's the more successful of the two and there's always that question. What if." Leon says.
"I can't believe this bitch. So, Miami. She was trying to sabotage us from the start."
"She heard me and Nora were on the outs and saw that as her way in, but you interrupted that." Phoenix adds.
"So, when she finds out I'm pregnant, she goes nuclear and tries to find a way to get rid of me for good using her own blood. Her poor, orphaned niece. How diabolical is that?"
"Good thing is, she doesn't know that we know. She suspects." Leon dips his head.
"Yeah, and it sounded as if she was packing a bag on the phone."
Phoenix looks at Leon.
He nods. "She was there."
"You pulled Ari into this?" Phoenix asks concerned.
"Man, Ari is gangster. Since you been out, it's been me and her. Checking shit in."
I sit a little higher in my seat after those words.
Phoenix takes it in, then flips the covers off his body. "I have to get out here." He presses the red call button. "Been out of commission a little too long. He pulls the IV out of his arm. "We've got some follow up work to do."
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So often, people ignore their internal inklings. Aria has always been true to hers, no matter the crazy places it has led her. What are your thoughts about her now that you see there was something behind her suspicions?
