Coming out of anesthesia was a surreal experience.
It fell somewhere between consciousness and comatose; a place where there was no hurt, no grief, no pain, no recollection.
Before she could even pry her heavy eyelids open, Shay remembered asking for Aristos in a haze. The only voice she could distinguish was one of a woman, though, presumably the post-surgery nurse. The voice was warm and soothing like sweet caramel, even reminding her of her mother's temperate demeanor, but she only wanted Ari.
Speaking of her mother...
It hurt to think that Diane, Kellie, and Pavlos had never even gotten the news about their grandchild, nor Sophia and Alexi about their niece or nephew. Now they would either never know, or only know of its death. Heartbroken for five more, the mere thought left a bilious taste in her mouth.
What was the maximum capacity for heartache? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she had reached it today.
The recovery room was bare and sterile-smelling and way too cold. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and curled onto her side, fading in and out of sleep. In her dreams, everything was breezy and blissful like a summer afternoon on the beach. She was floating through a bright blue sky full of wispy clouds and everlasting sunshine, oblivious to the situation that brought her here in the first place. But all good things came to an end eventually.
When she fully came to, the lights were dimmed and she could feel a less penetrative ache in her lower belly as whatever medications in her system wore off. The unfortunately vacant olive-green chair and the clacking of keys behind her head became the focal points of her attention. If she concentrated too hard or too long on the aching sensation, she would remember what was lost. And right now, she just wanted to appreciate the calm before the storm.
The typing paused suddenly. Shay could feel another presence enter the room, her suspicions confirmed when the nurse spoke in the same amiable tone as before. "Oh, hi there! You must be the famous Aristos. I'm glad they finally let you come back. She's been asking for you nonstop."
Oh, God, she hoped it was Aristos.
It was. There was the familiar, nectarous laughter that sent the butterflies in her chest into a spiral. From her fingertips to her toes, a warm fuzzy feeling ebbed and flowed until he moved across the room and came into view. Only then did it become a full-on tropical storm, flooded with so many emotions at once that she didn't even know where to begin.
"Hey, princess." His voice was low and raspy, tinted with exhaustion and a despondency that burst the first few stitches out of her sewn-up heart. She acknowledged his company with a soft smile when he took her hand delicately in his, lowering into the once-vacant chair and stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "How you feeling?"
What a loaded question. She was feeling a lot of things. But the procedure must have gone as well as it could have, so she whispered, "I'm okay."
Ari's gaze shifted up to the nurse behind her, who was shuffling papers around on the computer desk in an attempt to keep busy instead of disturbing their first few moments together.
What a real one.
But she had a job to do. So after a few moments of silence, the nurse decided it was appropriate to speak. "Shayna, Dr. Bloom will give you a little time to wake up and rest, then he'll stop by to do one more check and relay any discharge instructions. There's some food for you on the side table. You lost quite a bit of blood with the procedure, so we want to get that blood sugar up before we feel comfortable letting you walk out. Sound good?"
Shay peered at the nurse over her shoulder. Interestingly enough, she noticed an elephant embroidered into the pocket of her scrub jacket. They just couldn't escape those today, huh? "Okay. Thank you."
Confident that Shay was in stable condition, especially with Ari there to keep an eye on her, the nurse graciously opted to give them some privacy before the doctor came in. Shay hoped it would be the OB doctor who had done her procedure and not the emotionless ER doctor from before; she hadn't caught either of their names. But she would worry about that later, since Ari was reclining her bed so she could sit up and eat without moving too much. The late dinner choice was a grilled cheese sandwich, tater tots, and a Pepsi, courtesy of the hospital staff and Ari's thoughtful decision-making.
"Come sit with me." She pleaded, trying to ignore the discomfort in her lower half when she scooted over in the bed. She wanted him closer, needed to feel the shelter of his protective warmth.
Ari was hesitant about her request, but a poked out bottom lip appeared to do the trick. Soon enough, his dirt-covered shoes from the pumpkin patch were beside the guest chair and he was situated behind her while she ate her sandwich and sipped on her drink. Though she wasn't very hungry, she made an effort just for him.
She also tried to share, but Ari refused to take anything until she was one hundred percent done. Only then did he finish the last few bites that she sincerely couldn't stomach. Poor guy was probably starving. All they had eaten today were the donuts. The initial plan had been to stop for food with Scott and Jas after the pumpkin patch. Too bad Shay's stupid body had to ruin everything.
Feeling defeated, she moved her food tray back to the side table and curled into Ari's body heat. His arms came around her waist in a heartfelt embrace and they sat in a reposeful silence, his head resting on top of hers and his legs virtually hugging her body between them. Although it didn't take the pain away completely, it was exactly what she needed in that moment.
Still, the faint smell of pumpkin lingered on Ari's hands and she hated the melancholy feeling its scent brought along with it. What was once so joyous and memorable had quickly become a bitter sting, a vitriolic reminder of what was no longer theirs. The two pumpkins were all that would remain of their child, and even those would decay and cease to exist with time. She wasn't ready for that.
Slowly, she shifted until she was lying next to Aristos, coaxing him to do the same until they were lying face-to-face. How could he still look at her like she were the most beautiful woman in the world in her disheveled state? Even in his grief, he admired her. But his brooding brown eyes, while shining with love and adoration, were also stricken with the remnants of his despair.
Shay would choose not to think of the sorrow in his face when she left the room; when he was left alone with his thoughts, left with only the fact that his child was gone and his girlfriend was bleeding and distressed. The fatherhood that he was just starting to adjust to had been ripped away so unexpectedly, and then he had to face the reality of it alone.
In the time that she had been under, he seemed to have pulled it together, but it had clearly taken a toll on him. The aftermath could be seen in his bloodshot eyes, the raw skin around his nose, the sleep-deprived dark circles deepened in color from emotional exhaustion. Ari already seemed so much older, so much more mature, so worn down and sad.
The baby's existence had forced them to grow up quickly, but its loss was going to do some major damage. It wasn't fucking fair.
"Why, Ari?" She croaked out, scrupulously studying the pretty features of his face. "Why did this have to happen to us? I don't get it."
He soothingly rubbed her back in small circles, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't have an answer, baby girl. It fucking sucks. I talked to the doctor, though, if you want to know what happened. Or what they think it was, at least."
That didn't really make any sense. Usually miscarriages "just happened." That's all she'd ever heard in the fertility lab. Something to do with chromosomes, just bad luck or bad timing.
Was it the low heart rate? It had to be. So did she really want to hear that their baby's heart had just given up and failed?
Or, to reframe: did she want closure?
Yes, she probably did.
"He told you? They know why?"
Ari nodded solemnly. "The baby doctor came out and explained everything while I was in the waiting room. He was really nice. Way better than that other guy."
"I liked him, too." Shay agreed. "I guess just tell me whatever he told you. I want to know everything, even if it hurts."
Ari was reflective and silent for more than a few seconds, like he was trying to figure out how to ease her into it. Or maybe trying to figure out how he could get through the recapitulation without breaking down again. It was obvious he'd done quite a bit of crying recently, and even now he was blinking back tears and biting the inside of his cheek. Discussing feelings had never been Ari's thing; Shay was all words and he was all body language.
Finally, he said in a hushed voice, "Uh... They found a few blood clots. In the placenta, I think it was called. So the baby wasn't getting enough oxygen and nutrients and shit like that. It's kinda rare, so nobody would have known unless they were looking for it."
"And because I've never had clots before, they wouldn't have expected it." Shay guessed, far more calm and collected than she expected to be.
"Exactly," Ari nodded, in low spirits. "But you have the APS thing, so the hormones and shit from being pregnant can trigger it. I guess when the heart rate was low, it was..." He stalled, an internal battle raging within his pupils like he wasn't sure if he should say it, but ultimately disclosed the traumatic discovery. "It was on its way out already."
He inhaled sharply then, almost like that statement had physically pained him to say out loud, and that's when Shay's composure went straight out the fifth-story window.
How could she not have known? How did it happen with seemingly no warning? She'd never fully understand, nor did she think she was meant to.
Ari pulled her so close she could feel his pounding heartbeat, implicitly allowing her to fall apart in his arms. All of his anguish overflowed and spilled over the edge in harsh sobs that wet her hair and rattled his body against hers, his fingers curling tightly around the cotton blue of her hospital gown. Though he was burning hot, Shay burrowed into his chest and returned his solicitude and attentiveness with her own.
Ari was genuinely as heartsick as she was. How awful that must have been to hear by himself in a crowded waiting room. The mental image made her vision blur and her limbs shake, the tropical storm now a relentless hurricane.
Yet, he was the one apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Shay," He whispered through the fog of their tears. "I'm so fucking sorry."
"Me, too." She sniffled, her heart aching. "I feel like I failed you and our baby."
"Nooo, no, no." He said gently, his fingers unwinding from the gown to cradle one hand over her lower back. "Please don't say that, baby. Don't blame yourself. You did nothing wrong."
Shay reluctantly lifted her head to look into his eyes, reddened yet sincere and full of compassion. The thought of him crying alone while she was in a peaceful state of unconsciousness tore her apart. He deserved so much more, so much better than life had offered him. "Were you alone that whole time?"
Ari pressed his lips together and shook his head lightly. "No, the nurse came and sat with me for a little while before I got moved to the waiting room."
"Really?" Shay's conscience could settle now, for which she was grateful. Maybe not all hospital staff sucked- if a nurse could take the time of their busy schedule to comfort someone who wasn't even a patient, that spoke volumes. "I'm glad. Are you... okay? All things considered?"
"... Fuck no. Are you?"
"Fuck no." She echoed.
They both giggled at their own misfortune, because if they couldn't laugh then they would continue to cry and nobody could handle any more of that.
As unfortunate as it was, there was nothing they could do at this point. They would mourn and cry as much as they needed to, but the outcome would remain the same and they would have to come to terms with that. There was no bringing back the pregnancy. They could only move forward and try to heal. At least that's what she tried to tell herself when the numb feeling started to thaw.
"And Scott calls every ten minutes demanding an update, of course." Ari rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. "So I couldn't be alone if I tried."
Shay mirrored his smile, but she couldn't deny that her heart fell at the mention of their best friend. God, Scott was going to be crushed by the loss of his elephant buddy, even though he must have known what was going on when he rescued her from the bathroom stall... Or maybe not. He was kind of an imbecile at times. "So he knows?"
Ari's eyes welled again, glittering in the dim light of the room. "Yeah. They all know. Everyone's sad."
Right on cue, Ari's phone vibrated in a violent, almost commanding manner on the side table. "Speak of the Devil and he calls."
Ari peered over her shoulder at the phone screen, then leaned over to put it on silent. "I'll answer him later. I told him if he doesn't hear from me, I'm probably spending time with you. It took a little longer than they expected because of the blood clot thing, so..."
Shay sat up slightly, using the flat of her hands to support her body weight. "No, go ahead and answer. I think he'll lighten the mood."
"Dude, not even. You know how he can be sometimes. Literally had to hang up on him last time because he was crying and I couldn't handle it. All of the energy I have left has to go to you, baby girl, 'cause I'm trying so hard not to lose my shit every five minutes."
Shay frowned, though she expected as much. Damn Scott and his sensitive heart. As disconsolate as she felt, she felt a maternal need to comfort everyone else first. Though the boys would never know the pain of losing a literal piece of themselves, something they spent every waking moment with and nourished with their own bodies, she could still recognize that they were hurting. Because in such a short time, they had all become attached to the little peanut growing inside of her.
And, naturally, Ari would try to be the strong one. That meant bottling everything inside until it exploded or waiting until he was alone to let everything out, like he had when she was presumed to be out of sight. But she didn't want that. In a morbid way, it felt kind of good to know that he was affected by the loss because it signified their child's importance to him; but more importantly, she wanted to be there for him in the same way he was there for her. It wasn't easy to put on a strong facade all the time.
"I know this is hard for you, baby. But you can lose your shit if you need to, you know. I'm here for you. I think..." She swallowed the lump slowly forming in her throat, nearly blocking off her airflow. "I think I just need my mom, and then I'll feel a little better. You might, too."
"Your mom?" Ari asked quietly, slightly confused and evidently nervous.
To be completely honest, he probably had no intentions on telling his family about their unborn child now that it wasn't a requirement. Obviously, they wouldn't have been able to hide the baby's birth in the spring, especially considering they would be back at home rather than in the dorms. But now that there would be no birth, there was no reason for his parents to know that he had managed to knock up his childhood best friend.
Diane was different, though, as was her relationship with her daughter. Quite frankly, Shay hated sneaking around and keeping secrets; usually, she confided in her mom about everything. Diane knew how to comfort Shay through the worst of times, even when she was grieving a loss herself. No matter what age, sometimes a mother's love was all a child needed.
"Yeah," Shay nodded, brushing her fingers against his over the stiff hospital blanket. "I really think so. She's been through this before and I don't want to have to hide it from her."
"I get it. I just worry about my parents, you know? They were already going to be pissed about the baby. So, like, if they don't have to know-"
There was no need to elaborate any further. Shay knew that was coming and she understood why. "I know. I get that, too. My mom wouldn't tell your parents if I asked her not to. I trust her with my life. But don't you think your parents would want to be there for us, too?"
"I mean, I guess, but I don't really want them to be. I don't want to talk about it with anyone else, to be honest with you. It's something I need to work out on my own." He dismissed it with a shake of his head, readily changing the subject. Stubborn ass. "I can call your mom if you wanna rest a little bit before the doctor comes in. Just to let her know what's going on. Do you want to see her tonight before we go back to the dorm? Would it help?"
"I'd like that. I do miss her," Shay started. "But what about school tomorrow?"
Ari sat up a little straighter, running his fingers through her hair the way he always did when she needed help falling asleep. "We can still go back tonight. Just lay back and close your eyes."
She obliged, settling back onto the flat white hospital pillow. Ari climbed off the bed into the guest chair again, though his hand remained perfectly positioned over her head to continue his calming motions against her scalp. Though he was no longer physically next to her, she could feel the leftover heat in the space he once occupied and it brought her the same solace. For the first time all night, Shay could relax.
But of course, just as she was dozing, the doctor arrived to debrief the procedure and inform her of the expectations for the next few days: some cramps and bleeding for a day or two; normal to feel depressed, empty, and lonely because of hormones and stress; no strenuous activities or intercourse for a few days; period will return in two to six weeks; use protection if another pregnancy is not intended for the time being; follow up with Dr. Oswald as soon as possible. All common sense stuff.
Unlike the ER doctor, he offered his condolences and was much more gentle in his mannerisms, making sure she understood everything before he did a quick pelvic exam to ensure she was safe to go home. Then she signed the discharge papers and could leave whenever they were ready.
Dr. Bloom left the room, so she turned her attention back to Aristos. He glanced at her with an emotionless expression, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. Ring... Ring...
Was he actually calling her mom, or just updating Scott?
Though it wasn't on speaker, her question was immediately answered when the ringing stopped. Ari's voice was low and soft, but he spoke so fast Shay could barely make out what he was saying after the "Hey, ma..."
Something about hospital and procedure.
Diane could be heard saying, "Whoa, whoa. Slow down, honey. What's happening? Shay's in the hospital? Or Scott?"
Fair. Scott was a far more probable guess, even if Diane wasn't in denial about something being wrong with her daughter.
Ari took a few deep breaths to recollect himself, his hand tearing away from Shay's head to cover his eyes and squeeze his temples. Shay felt her own face crumple at his reaction and she moved onto her side, placing her hand over his knee since that's all she could really reach.
"Yeah, Shay had a procedure. She's- she's okay, just resting... I'm okay... We just need to come see you tonight, is that..." He paused to catch his breath, swiping at his cheeks with his palm. "Okay. She just got discharged, so we'll be there soon... I love you too, ma. Bye."
Ari hung up, taking another deep breath. Not very well- he needed a few lessons from Scott's rehab therapist. "Yeah, that was harder than it should've been. My dumb ass should have just texted. Now she's probably all sickened and worried and shit. I just felt so bad once I heard her voice, man... Because... I don't know. She already lost your dad. Now this? Fuck, Shay."
Shay nodded in agreement. If she spoke, she knew she would cry again and they didn't need that.
Rather than continuing the conversation, Ari courteously helped her out of the bed so she could get dressed. The mesh underwear from the hospital- comfortable, but not very stylish- would have to do for now because she refused to even peek at her bloody underwear. Those were tossed with the rest of the trash. Ari didn't speak much thereafter, just a quick 'thank you' to the nursing station before he led Shay out to the elevator.
A conversation with Scott was definitely necessary on the way to her mom's. He would not be permitted to talk about the baby; rather, he would be assigned the task of making her laugh. The most ridiculous shit he could think of on the spot.
So that's what she did when they reached the car.
Scott answered on the second ring. "Hellurrrr?"
Already, Shay could feel her blood pressure fall into something more relaxed. She set her phone in one cupholder between herself and Ari (her Pepsi occupying the other with pride) so they could both participate in the conversation as he carefully pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
"Hi, Scott." She spoke softly, her own voice sounding foreign to her. "You're on speaker. Don't talk about the baby, please. We need a mental break before I go see my mom. I just wanted to let you know I'm okay. The procedure went fine."
Scott appeared to understand. "Aight, I won't say nothin' about that. Jus' let me know if you need anything, okay? Tell ya mom I said hi. But, uh, are y'all coming back here tonight? The dorm, I mean."
"I think so?" Shay replied slowly, more of a question than an answer. Nobody expected Scott to stay the night, so he must have something planned. Usually he'd take Jas out to leave them alone when something serious was going on. "Why?"
"Oh, good," Scott chirped. "Jas and I put together some things for y'all. I mean, don't worry 'cause it's nothing bad or sappy-emotional-bullshit 'cause Jas figure that's too much right now. However, now that I got y'all on the phone, I do need to talk to Ari about something quite serious."
Ari let out a loud huff, already tired of Scott's shenanigans. Because 1) judging by that tone, there was no way anything that was about to come out of this man's mouth was serious; and 2) with Scott, it was hard to tell what the topic of conversation would even be. After a miscarriage and a hospital visit, what could he possibly have to discuss with Ari that wasn't baby-related?
"What, Scott?" Ari couldn't even hide his irritation. "Shay already said not to talk about the baby right now. We're still kinda processing all that stuff, and I'm done talking about it. It's a lot."
"Wha?" Scott asked stupidly. "It ain't about the baby, ya fuckin' moron. I do have ears an' listen."
Jas mumbled something like 'no you don't' in the background and he sighed in defeat, quickly correcting his statement. "Okay, I sometimes listen. But I listened to that part at least."
"Okay. My bad." Ari softened a little. His gaze flicked from the phone to Shay, who was leaned over in her seat and listening intently. "Then what is so incredibly urgent to discuss right now? It can't wait?"
"Well... I found something real peculiar on dat camera of yours."
Ari squinted in confusion as he pulled the car up to a red light. "What the fuck are you talking about? And why were you looking through my shit?"
"Truly, I am shocked and appalled by da nasty shit on there."
Now, that was an interesting start to this pertinent conversation. Aristos had something dirty in his possession? Mr. Shy Boy when it came to anything masturbation-related?
Shay cocked her head in a pensive way, trying to conjure up what in the world could flabbergast Scott, of all people. Not that she'd judge, because she had definitely begged God for forgiveness after the post-nut clarity hit sometimes in her early porn-watching years (now she had no shame), but this discovery was going to be either fantastic or terrifying.
Realistically, porn was probably where he'd gotten the idea to lick his own cum out of her pussy or use the showerhead on her clit. Nobody thought of that shit on their own, right? And Scott would likely be revolted by the first idea, like dramatically barfing on the floor type of revolted, so perhaps that was it.
Ari was quiet, offering literally nothing. Fuck it- she'd bite the bullet and ask. "You said Ari's computer? He got some weird porn on there or something? Ooh, maybe his nudes?"
Oh, that one earned her a dirty look. "Yeah, Shay, 'cause I just love my body so much that I want the whole world to see. Be for real. I have no idea what he's even talking about."
So it was porn, probably some freaky shit if Scott's sex-obsessed ass couldn't handle it. And maybe she was just a nasty bitch, but she kind of hoped they'd watch it together and try something new. Date night idea?
"Scott Arceneaux!" Jas scolded loudly. "Leave them the fuck alone. Are you kidding me right now?! You had no business-"
A sudden wave of realization swept across Ari's features and his shoulders dropped. "Aw, fuck."
"What?" Shay hissed urgently. "Do you have dirty shit on your computer?! I want to see!"
"No. He said the camera, babe." Ari shot her a knowing look, then glared at the phone as if Scott could actually see him. Shay still wasn't following, feeling extremely dumb and left out. "Scott, what is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong wit' you?! Why you got dat nasty shit-" Scott babbled incoherently, even the phone cutting out some of his nonsense. "And just saying, why was you going so hard? What da fuck? Jeremiah was prolly rollin' around in there like a roly poly, scared an' crying."
Oh.
Now Shay knew exactly what "shocking and appalling" content Scott had "innocently" stumbled upon. The charming video they'd made the day they took their first picture together for the baby book. The one that Ari had definitely not deleted. In hindsight, he really should have moved the file somewhere else, but since its creation they hadn't really thought about it. Nobody knew about the baby or had access to the camera until today.
Well, that was great. Shay was so glad her best friend had seen her vagina not once, but twice, in the span of a few hours. At its best and at its worst, nonetheless. They would never, ever live this shit down. Scott would be mentioning it in their eulogies.
The bigger question was why the fuck he was going through the camera, let alone watching the video long enough to know Ari was "going hard." In that scenario, as soon as she saw someone she knew taking their clothes off, she would be throwing the camera across the fucking room. Probably into outer space. But then again, Scott was not a normal person.
"Scott, you are fucking disgusting." Ari shook his head in disbelief. "Why in the actual fuck would you continue to watch that after you realized what it was?"
A valid question, but Scott became extremely defensive over that remark. Yes, he had a couple of screws loose and his behavior was eccentric as a result, but he wasn't weird like that.
"Listen. I mean, I was jus' skippin' through because I'm over here thinkin' it's gon' be a nice lil' video for Jere. You know, like all da other ones on there, not thinkin' you was gon' do all dat up on the camera. Then, BAM! You goin' to Pound Town, population: two. Or three, if you count-"
A hand was audibly clapped over his mouth and Jas leaned close to the phone. "He's not lying about how it happened, but he also needs to shut the fuck up. Intentions were good, I promise. He wasn't trying to snoop and turned it off when he realized what it was, but we shouldn't have touched your shit without permission. We were just looking for some photos, but he got caught up in the videos too because he was getting sentimental about... you know. I, for one, didn't see anything and I respect your privacy. Ari, I'm sorry your cousin is a complete dipshit."
Well, they couldn't fault him too much for that. Pleased with Jasmine's authentic reasoning, they realized he was only trying to be sweet. They were the ones who soured the moment with their, uh, negligence.
Scott gasped, still muffled by Jasmine's hand. "I am not a dipshit!"
He absolutely was a dipshit, but they loved him for it.
"Alright, what the fuck ever." Ari's face flushed a vivid shade of cerise with embarrassment, but his eyes remained fixed on the road. "If you really need to know, we didn't plan that. It was an accident. You thought this was a great time to bring that up, though? Read the room."
But to his surprise, it was a good time. Shay was in the passenger seat giggling away like a lunatic.
In retrospect, she should have been utterly horrified that her boyfriend's cousin had accidentally managed to uncover their amateur sex tape. But if she could count on anybody to distract and entertain, it was Scott, even if he could now pair the unintentionally overheard moaning from encounters prior with the image of her actually getting railed. At least she wasn't dwelling on the miscarriage, or the fact that she was on her way to tell her poor mother about her deceased grandbaby.
Ari looked over at her and couldn't even hold in his own boisterous laughter. How the evening had turned with one ridiculous conversation. "Never mind. Continue, I guess."
"Am I makin' you smile, Shay?" Scott cooed proudly. "Or is you jus' thinkin' about da happy memories in Pound Town?"
Shay laughed out loud. "Actually, you're the best distraction from all the shit going on in my head right now. Sadly, no Pound Town for at least a week."
"Oh, dat's nothin'. I went thirteen days once. Da worst torture I ever experienced in my life. Swear I beat my dick so hard by day eleven dat it turn-"
"SCOTT, FUCKING HELL!" Ari yelled, white-knuckling the steering wheel with bewildered eyes that made Shay cackle even harder. "Nobody wants to fucking hear that, man! Not even Jas."
"Can't tell me you ain't neva beat dat dick 'til it was purple. You was a virgin 'til eighteen. I know you was hurtin' real bad them teenage years."
Jasmine was stunned yet delighted by that tidbit of information. "Eighteen?! That is seriously so sweet. Was it Shay?"
"Of course it was. But lemme tell you, he was wit' dis NASTY skank before Shay. Thankfully, he didn't smash. He would probably have gonorrhea and syphilis and herpes. Three in one package deal."
Ew, God. Why even bring that bitch up? Shay still had some residual anger from the things she had learned about that relationship.
And honestly, she expected Ari to be humiliated by the fact that Scott was spilling all of his relationship secrets and talking about him beating his dick. Ari, however, was undaunted. "No, my dick has never turned purple. That sounds like you probably needed to go to the hospital."
Scott scoffed. "Tuh. So you tellin' me after you buss' two nuts, it don't be bruised and discolored?"
"Wait, Ari can bust two nuts?" Jas questioned, clearly impressed. "Like, consecutively? Same sesh? I need the details. Shay, we WILL be talking about this."
"Aight, that's enough." Ari said flatly. "Thanks for the lovely conversation. I'm going to go beat my-"
Oh, Ari... Just giving Scott more ammunition. And he took it, gleefully supplying: "DICK!"
"No, my head off the nearest brick wall, but whatever helps you sleep at night."
Scott cleared his throat dramatically, as if he were going to be on his best behavior for the remainder of the phone call. "Aye, lemme talk to Shay 'fore you go."
"You're still on speaker. She's just too busy finding this shit amusing to respond."
She was, red-faced and hunched over in the passenger seat. This time, the tears weren't filled with agony. She knew adding Scott to the mix would be good for her mental health, but this was fucking next-level entertainment. Everything she could've asked for and more.
"Again, so funny it hurts." Scott sighed contentedly. "Anyway, Shay. All dat ain't what I kept calling for. Jus' wanna say I'm glad the procedure went well and we gon' get through this together, aight?"
Not expecting something so serious to come out of his mouth after all of his foolishness, Shay was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. How could she respond to that without bawling?
She couldn't, so she simply made a horrendously stupid-sounding elephant noise into the phone. He'd understand the hidden meaning.
"Das right, doll." He said smugly. "Big Elephant got you."
"Yeah, yeah. We love you, too, shithead." Ari chuckled and ended the call.
"Aw, I love him," Shay hummed, at the exact same time that Ari blurted out, "Fuck, I hate him."
Luckily, the two feelings could coexist. Shay wouldn't expect anything less.