Dusk [sequel to Aurora] - HS AU

Chapter 12

Why I never walked away?
Why I played myself this way?
Now I see you're testing me, pushes me away
I've tried like you
To do everything you wanted to
This is the last time
I'll take the blame for the sake of being with you

Song: Pushing Me Away, by Linkin Park

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This chapter is part of a double update. Make sure you read Chapter 11 before this one ;) 

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Aster's P.O.V.:

"There you go, Cupcake." Rickie says, placing the whiskey glass on the center table in front of me. "Go easy with this one."

Ignoring his advice, I grab the glass with shaky hands, bringing it to my lips and tossing back the whole content in three big gulps, just like I did with the previous one. Rickie chuckles, shaking his head.

"Feeling better?" Rickie asks, sitting by my side on his brown, leather couch.

"No." I sneer, shaking my head. "Not even close."

Rickie sighs, running his fingers on his curly hair. "He fucked up real good, huh?"

I nod, throwing my body on the backrest of the couch, my shoulders and neck's muscles so tense I'm even feeling dizzy. My mind is rushing, everything Harry told me running around my head and making me even angrier, every time I think about it.

I left Harry's apartment 2 hours ago, and drove straight to Rickie's apartment. I'm fully aware he may not be the best person to listen to me right now, after all, he's Harry's employee and friend before he's mine, but if you think about it, who else I could've run to? Rickie is the closest thing I have to a friend here, and only while I was sitting on his couch and ranting about how much Harry lied to me, that I realized he probably already knew everything.

So, imagine my surprise when he told me he's completely at my side in this one.

He didn't hesitate on inviting me inside when he opened his door to find me standing at the doorstep, ugly crying and fully breaking down. He hugged me, pulling me inside his apartment and going straight to the kitchen to make me a drink.

He listened to me, in complete silence, as I told everything about Harry and I's fight; Penny's presence at his apartment, the fact Harry thought he could be Erin's father, and how much he omitted from me, not only while I was in Fiji, but also for months before that.

"Fuck, dude, I've been telling Harry he should come clean about it." Rickie shakes his head, taking the now empty glass from my hand and putting it on the center table. He takes a deep breath, grabbing my hands and holding them on his lap. "I have something I want you to think about, Cupcake, and I hope you won't get angry at me for saying it."

"Unless you're about to tell me you might be Erin's father as well, I don't think you can make me angry." I try to joke about it, though it stings my heart.

"I really hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him." Rickie says it softly. "What you and Harry have is so rare, and I know you love each other deeply, I would hate to see it all ruined."

I shake my head, a new set of fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. "Rickie, I... I love him, I really do. Can't imagine my life without him, but--" My voice trails off, a sob breaking through my chest and up my throat. Rickie holds my hand tighter, trying to comfort me without words. "He can't keep lying to me like this. He's always lying, Rickie. He lied to me about S&L at first, then he lied about Maddie, then about Penny and Erin. How can I trust someone like this?"