Chapter 12
[Real life]
We landed in Connecticut a few hours ago and Paige still wasn't talking to me. She stayed silent the entire flight, even on the drive back to my apartment when she dropped me off.
There was no goodbye, no kiss, no "I love you". She didn't even acknowledge my presence. Speeding away the moment I stepped out of the car with my things.
I had been laying in my bed in the dark for the last few hours, going through every emotion posssible. Sadness, that I may have lost Paige. Anger, towards Riley that she would even call, especially that late at night. It was like a whirlwind.
"Get up", I hear from my door. Turning my head I see Hayley standing there with a sweatshirt and leggings on her hand.
"Where are we going", I mumble.
"To talk to someone, now come on", she walks towards me and picks me up so I'm sitting upright.
My injury is getting better, I'm able to walk around without the brace and my doctor says I'm good to start training again next week.
"I don't think Paige wants to talk", I say throwing the sweatshirt over my head.
"Who says we're talking to Paige. I don't even want to look at her right now", Hayley scoffs.
"Well then where are we going?", I ask confused as I stand up and put on my leggings and tie my shoes.
"You'll see.", Hayley walks out of the room. "I'll be in the car".
I sigh and grab my phone, looking down at the "P" necklace that was sitting on my bedside. I smile and grab it, latching it around my neck before I walk out to Hayley's red 4-runner.
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We drive around for about 15 minutes before Hayley pulls up to an unknown apartment complex on campus.
My friend drags me out of the car and to the elevator where she hits the third floor and we hear the hum of the machine begin ascending.
"Who the hell lives here Hayley", I say annoyed.
"Just wait", she smirks at me as the doors open and she skips her way down the hallway.
I roll my eyes as I follow my best friend down the hallway where she stops in front of a door with the number 10 in small silver letters in the center.
I scrunch my eyebrows as Hayley knocks twice and backs up a little. I hear a voice yell "coming" from in the apartment and soon the door handle turns and a familiar Croatian brunette comes into view.
"Nika?", I question confused.
"Hey Laur", Nika smiles over at me then at Hayley.
"Is she here?", another voice questions from inside Nikas apartment.
The basketball player turns around and nods before a shorter dirty blonde comes into view next to the Croatian.
I recognized her from around campus, her name was lanie James and she was the star of the volleyball team. Paige had mentioned Nika had a girlfriend but I hadn't been close enough with Nika to have met her.
"Hi, I'm lanie", the green eyed blonde extends her hand for me to shake which I do with a small smile.
"Lauren", I nod.
"Well, I thought this could be great for you. To you know, talk out those problems", Hayley explains.
"What problems?", I ask confused.
"Paige came by earlier. She was really upset", lanie starts. "We thought we could help, we went through a similar situation when we first started dating"
I look between the two girls in the doorway and my red headed friend.
"You've got to be kidding", I say. "I don't need therapy and I especially don't need complete strangers with their noses in my relationship"
The three of me looked completely shocked at my sudden outburst. I groaned and walked away, taking the stairs and making my way down to the lobby, past Hayley's car, deciding to walk home to clear my head.
I get they were just trying to help, but this was between Paige and I. Also, why would I ever want to talk about how Paige had hurt me to her BEST FRIEND.
Be fucking for real right now.
"Like can you believe them", I say flopping on my stomach onto my bed.
Laena and Hailey looked through the phone and gave me a look.
"What?", I mumble.
"Have you ever even heard about Nika and lanie's story?", Hailey asks, in the middle of braiding her hair into her two French braids for their game tonight.
"No, how have you?", I ask.
"Lanie went to Louisville her freshman year", Hailey ties off her last braid and takes the phone from her girlfriend's hands. "We're friends"
"What happened", I ask curiously.
Hailey looks over at her girlfriend who sighs out of frame.
"Nika and lanie started dating sophmore and junior of college. Both student athletes they were both crazy busy. About a month into their relationship, lanie went to her first college party at UConn and she got blackout drunk and cheated on Nika. They broke up for a month, argued literally everyday. Got back together in December of lanies sophomore year and have been great ever since", Laena explained.
"Like seriously. They are the most in love couple I've ever met", Hailey adds and Laena nods.
I sat and thought for a while, maybe they did mean well, this is the longest argument Paige and I have ever had and we may need to ask for help. I knew what I had to do.
"I've gotta go guys", I hurriedly say, jumping off of my bed. "Good luck Hailey"
I didn't give them enough time to think before I hung up and quickly got ready for the game tonight.
UConn t-shirt that I cropped and a pair of leggings. Throwing my hair in a ponytail before grabbing my keys and running out of my room.
Hayley was sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone, whipping her head around when I slammed my door.
"Say nothing", I hold up a finger. "I need you to take me back to Nika and lanies place"
Hayley smirks but says nothing as she grabs her keys and walks out of our apartment. This is gonna be something.
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The moment Hayley pulls up I hop out. Telling her to head to the game and I'd meet her there before shutting the door and taking the stairs impatiently.
I finally arrive at the door, taking in a deep breath before knocking firmly once. Then twice. Then three times.
"Hold on!", someone yells inside.
I look down and see the handle twist and lanie comes out with her hand in her hair, a half French braid in the making.
"Oh, hey Lauren", she smiles softly at me. "Come in"
Lanie steps to the side and I walk past her towards her living room I carefully sit down on their couch.
"Give me one second.", she giggles before walking off down a hallway.
The dirty blonde comes back 15 minutes later, a braid into a low ponytail in her hair, UConns wbb sweatshirt with Muhl and a 10 on the back, leggings and her shoes in her hands.
"What's up?", she asks sitting next to me, bending over to tie her shoes.
"I'm sorry, for the way I acted earlier. I get you two were just trying to help", I give her an apologetic smile.
"Listen Lauren. We're not trying to get all up in your relationship, that's the last thing we want to do. We just feel that after talking with Paige, there's some problems happening that you need to talk to someone other than Paige about. Like deeper issues involving your past."
I just stared at her. How could she know anything that happened, all I told Paige was the basics of that party.
"I've seen the video and I know what happened lauren Because a similar situation happened to me", she mumbles that last part.
My jaw dropped in shock, nobody has ever said that before, I don't know anyone else that has experienced my experience before.
"Listen, we don't need to swap horror stories, we definitely do not have time", she giggles. "But Paige knows what you've been through, she feels awful for hurting you. She's also been cheated on in the past, whether she wants to say it or not and she has some trust issues from that."
I sat and tried to retain the information as much as I could, maybe she was right.
"How did you and Nika get through it?", I ask curiously.
"If I'm being honest, some great sex", we both laugh. "And then we sat and talked for a really long time. At the end of the day, it wasn't my fault, I didn't ask for it. And Nika loves me and I love Nika, that's all that really matters"
"How do you know exactly what to say", I smile.
"My mom was a psychologist and taught me from a young age how to talk things through and look for signs in people. It also helps when you've experienced it and had help for that. Just passing on wisdom", she explains.
I nod and thought over her words for the hundredth time today. Paige needed me and I needed her, we'd get through this no matter what.