TW: this chapter mentions death, so if you're sensitive about this topic please don't read.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Sage asked me.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm sure." I said before cracking my neck.
"Hey... what's going on?" Thomas asked as he got near us along with Vic, Ethan and Damiano. No, Damiano and I haven't spoken since that night at the bar a week ago... it's just too awkward, and honestly, I don't mind not talking to him.
"Aria is about to jump of this bridge." Sage said pointing at the bridge in front of us.
We were at the beach, and there was a little bridge on top of us that was not very tall, so it was okay if I jumped right into the sea.
"Are you mental?! Don't do it!" Vic said looking at me wide eyed.
"Too late. I already made up my mind." I said cracking a few more bones in my arms.
"She's not gonna do it." Damiano stated, shaking his head slightly.
"You couldn't keep quiet, could you?" Sage asked him annoyed.
"Well, you're wrong. I am doing this." I said looking at the bridge before looking at my friends. "Wish me luck!" I said before running towards the bridge.
"ARIA COME BACK!" Ethan yelled but I was already near the bridge, so I just ignored him, along with the rest of their calls.
I stood there on the edge of the bridge looking at the actual height. Okay... it was kinda high, not gonna lie. Was I going to chicken out? Hell no! I was too proud to admit that I was scared, so I had only one thing to do... swallow my fear and jump.
I took a few steps back to jump with balance. Before I ran, I glanced over at my friends. Vic was hiding her face on Thomas's shoulder, Thomas and Sage were looking at me with fear in their eyes, Ethan looked mad and Damiano... Damiano looked almost... worried? His jaw was clenched but his eyes showed worry...
I shook my head to send those thoughts and looked at edge of the bridge. I took a deep breath and ran. As I was getting too close to the edge, I jumped.
I felt like I was flying for a few seconds... until I hit the water. Since I was a bit too high, the water hurt my feet. I felt my legs numb, not being able to swim. I opened my eyes and looked up. I had never realized how beautiful the sun's reflection on the water was. Being underwater felt good... made me forget how shitty life could be.
I totally forgot I couldn't breathe underwater, until I felt my lungs tighten, needing air urgently. I tried to swim to the surface, but my legs where still numb. That's when I started to panic.
I couldn't die right now... I still had so much more to do, so much more to accomplish... And it was a shit death. Can you just imagine: "Why did Aria die?" "Oh yeah, she jumped off a bridge and drowned."
Like come on! I want a hero death, not a stupid death.
I was starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded... yup, this was it. My end...
I saw a silhouette getting close to me, but before I could process what was happening, I blacked out.
I woke up with the beeping sound of a machine. I opened my eyes and saw some bright lights. Oh, I knew those bright lights anywhere... I was at a hospital.
My eyes started to get used to the light, and I could finally take in my surroundings. I was laying on a bad, and my index finger had that thing to sense my heartbeat. On the chair next to my bed was a Sage sleeping. I grabbed her hand, squeezing and she woke up.
"Aria?" She mumbled still waking up. "Aria!" She said loudly before hugging me.
"Hi." I said with a raspy voice.
"I was so worried! You almost gave us a heart attack! I'm gonna call them!" She said quickly before running out of the room, making me laugh, which slightly hurt.
A few seconds later, she ran back inside, along with my friends.
"I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Don't you ever do that again!"
"I'm pretty sure I almost fainted."
They all said at the same time as they hugged me.
"Guys calm down. I'm fine." I said chuckling.
"We can't calm down, Aria. You almost died and you want us to calm down?!" Ethan said angrily.
"Sorry..." I mumbled looking down at my hands.
"It's okay, Aria. What matters is that you're okay now." Vic said softly, putting a strand of hair behind my ear before glaring at Ethan who rolled his eyes at her.
"Everything's gonna be okay." Sage said softly as she nodded her head towards me.
"Ethan's right." Damiano said leaning against the door with his arms crossed. "It was irresponsible of you. Who knows what would've happened if I didn't go in there and save your ass?! You'd probably be dead by now." He said looking at me. He looked mad.
"You saved me?" I asked confused and he nodded.
"Yeah, you're welcome." He said on a sarcastic tone.
"Why did you save me?" I asked him with my eyebrows slightly furrowed and he scoffed.
"Because otherwise, you'd be dead." He said as if it was obvious.
"Why do you care? You hate me." I said narrowing my eyes at him.
We kept looking at each other, and I could see him growing angrier and angrier.
"Fuck this. I'm happy you're alive." He spat before storming away from the hospital room.
"Well, that was eventful." Thomas said sarcastically, which made Vic hit him in the arm.
"Don't worry about him. He was just stressed." Vic said rubbing my arm in a soothing manner.
"Yeah, it might not look like it, but he was really worried about you. While we were wondering if you were okay, he took action and dived in there to check on you. While you were unconscious, he was the one that yelled at us to call an ambulance. When we came here, he wouldn't stop pacing around. No, he didn't say anything, but he didn't need to." Sage told me and blinked as I took in all that information that my brain wasn't being able to process. "You say you hate each other, but your actions speak louder than your words."
After a couple of minutes, the doctor came in to check on me and told me that I got really lucky and that Damiano saved me at the right time. After doing a few checkups she told me I was good to go home.
I was now on my couch scrolling through Netflix to see if there was something good to watch. Then, my doorbell rang. I groaned as I got up and went to open the door.
"Hi, I brought Cheetos! Your favorites." Ethan said handing a bag full of my favorite Cheetos.
"Thank you. Come in." I said walking towards the couch, sitting where I was previously.
"I felt like a dick for yelling at you at the hospital, so this is my way of saying sorry." He said giving me an apologetic smile.
"It's okay. I get it. I was reckless and stupid, and I won't do it again." I said pressing my lips against each other.
"I don't want to see you get hurt... I care about you. We all do." He said and I was pretty sure he was hinting at Damiano.
"Thanks, E." I said before hugging him.
"That's what friends are for, right?" He asked and I chuckled.
"Right." I said nodding my head.
"I also wanted to apologize for this." He said before getting up and running towards my door. "She's all yours." He said after opening the door.
"Bye!" He said before leaving. As he left, I noticed who he was talking to. Damiano.
He walked inside and closed the door. He walked towards me and sat down on the small table in front of my couch, directly in front of me.
We didn't say anything for the first couples of minutes. We just looked at each other, trying to each other's thoughts.
"So? Why are you here?" I asked him as I got tired of the silence around us.
"I wanted to talk to you." He said slowly.
"About what? The fact that you saved my life, or the fact that I didn't thank you for it?" I asked him before raising an eyebrow at him.
"Would you shut up and let me talk?!" He snapped and I stayed silent. "I wanted to talk about the night at the bar."
I cringed at the thought of talking about it and let out an "Oh no..." which made him glare at me.
"What is there even to talk about? We were drunk, you said some stuff you didn't mean, we danced, and you started a bar fight even though I told you not to." I said shrugging my shoulders.
Damiano looked at me and it seemed like he was thinking of something to say. He then, took a deep breath and let out a dry laugh.
"You're right, there's nothing to talk about. Now, from today..." He started, but I felt the need to interrupt him again.
"You saved me because of our friends, I get it. Thank you, for saving me. I really do appreciate it." I told and he just sighed.
Sure, Sage told me he cared, but she's always trying to romanticize stuff, so I was going to let it slide.
"You know what? You're right. I guess that was everything." He said before up, walking towards the door. As he was about to leave, he stopped and looked back at me. "By the way, I meant everything I told you that night." That's all he said before closing the door, leaving me looking at the door trying to process what he had just told me.
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Hey guys!! How are you doing??
More tension between Aria and Damiano, don't you think?
Who knows what Damiano would've said if Aria would've let him talk... but oh well, I guess we'll never know:)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!
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I love you guys!!! <33