Keith came around some minutes later, sitting on the curb where Chris had dragged him off. He was nursing his busted lip, with a deadly glare on his visage. Everyone had stood around him. The tension still thick in the air and they all refused to talk because what was there to be said?
Two cars later showed up to take them home. Charlie had shown up with one and when she jumped out she was greeted with each of their sullen faces.
"Yo, who died?" She leans in to whisper into her bosses ear and Raye turns to face her with a strict expression. "No one,"
Frowning, she quietly gets back into the ride where she had been instructed to take Mia, Trish and Christopher home.
The other car's driver was asked to take Keith home, while Ava stayed with Brienna who was still consoling her.
"It's okay if you want to spend the night with us, in fact, you're coming either way," Raye says and the blonde nods.
"You guys don't have to do that though,"
"Well we're not going to send you home to that asshole, he needs to calm down first." Brie chimes in.
"You're not going home to him unless he can prove he's not a threat to you." Adds Raye.
"Guys, he's really not and even if he is his reason is justified. I'm a dick! I'm the one that's wrong here."
"Are you listening to yourself?"
Raye snaps and her tone shocked both the girls glaring at her.
"Just because you did some stuff doesn't give him the right to talk to you, or touch you like that—doesn't give anyone the right to do that."
Ava remains in silence. She knew she'd messed up but couldn't see herself fixing the issue before it escalated to this. How could she explain that she was in love with both Mia and her boyfriend? She couldn't let Keith go because he wasn't a bad guy, just angry. She couldn't break it off with Mia because she felt something and maybe a bit more and she wasn't expecting that at all.
Indeed she was the horrible person and how the night had turned out was no one's fault but hers.
"I can get you an apartment of your own as soon as tomorrow, you don't have to go back to him." Raye pitches and besides her Brie nods in agreement.
"Look, thanks and all but you guys don't get it. I'm the one that caused this."
"Yes, I understand but it doesn't make you less of anything nor do you have to accept being treated like that. This whole situation could've been handled way better than this.
Look, I understand alright. We all go through stuff and sometimes we're the villain in our own story but it doesn't mean we have to put up with abusive people who mask behind playing the role of the victims."
"Raye's right Ava, if he hated what you were doing so much he could've left, he could've broken it off but he wanted you to hurt just as much as he did and in whatever way that was."
"I know but I feel awful. I fucked up and now Keith hates me, Mia probably hates me too."
"Quite the contrary. I don't think Mia hates you at all. I think she's just as confused about this whole thing as you are." Says Brie, showing empathy for her friend in such an awful situation.
"You saw the way she looked at me just now, how could she not when I played with her feelings?"
"You'll just need to have this conversation with her because neither of us can answer on her part."
"Yeah, and you can't keep leading them both on Ava and I know that you know this but I just thought you should hear it from someone else's mouth."
"You're right, " Ava concedes, running her fingers through her hair.
"Good, so come on. Stay at our place for the night." Brienna adds, rubbing Ava's arm. She had no idea how they were all standing in the freezing cold, no jackets or sweaters and not shiver to death but she was more than ready to head home.
The night was already over anyway.
* * *
Once they were back at their place, Raye gave the two girls some privacy. She felt like there were some things they might have wanted to discuss alone, and she respected that enough to give them their space. She chose her time however, to make sure that Brienna's friends all made it home safely and also to find out how Craig was doing. He said he wanted to see his family together and Raye was arranging that. It was about time he made contact with his family all it once.
On the outer side of the apartment, Brienna was doing her best to make her friend feel validated and understood. She wasn't passing judgement nor make her feel horrible for her decisions. No one was perfect and she understood it more than anyone else.
"You probably want to rub it in now, don't you?"
"Rub what in?" Brie is taken aback at her startling words.
"Don't give me that. I knew that Mia ran to you with what was going on because let's face it, you two are way closer than you and I." The girl nods after listening to Ava speak her mind and was choosing her words right inside of her head. "I didn't say anything because I knew if you wanted me to know you would've come to me yourself."
"So you pretended not to know, that's fine."
"I didn't pretend, I just never gave you the impression that I was aware. Also, what do you mean about me rubbing it in?"
"I was so mean to you when you were going through your problems with Raye, I never gave you a chance to do you; I got angry instead and now look at me, same position different circumstances."
"Why would I rub it in Ava, do you think I'm that petty?"
"No, but it's a laughable situation though."
"It's not. You just need to clean this up and you need to start now. You can't keep joggling Keith and Mia both at the same time, it's not fair to either of them."
Ava couldn't refute what Brie had said because it was the truth. She needed to make up her mind but it was so hard.
Eventually, as she contemplated, her eyes began to sting with tears and she succumbed to both the feeling of exhaustion and confusion but Brie was there to console her.
"It's going to be alright, I promise," Brienna says, hugging her body as tight as she would let her. It's like more problems keep being attracted to her Brie thought. First, it was Raye and the tragedy she endured, then it's her brother and his tragedies and now drama amongst her friends. She was really hoping that things were going to turn out alright and not just for her, but everyone. Brie wanted everyone to be happy— her sister, her brother and her friends. She didn't want anyone getting hurt this time around.
Consoling the younger girl enough for her to calm down, Brienna was able to convince Ava that sleep was important and the girl agreed it was best to retire to bed. Brie then calls Mia the moment she was alone to let her know that Ava was alright.
"Don't even dare say that tonight wasn't a trainwreck," Mia starts the moment their call connects.
"Oh no it was, I'll never deny it."
"Right? All I wanted was to get white girl wasted, but no Ava's bitch ass boyfriend couldn't confront her in private, he just had to drag all of us into it."
"I mean from his perspective you have to at least understand why he was upset,"
"Wow, so you're taking his side now?"
"No, I'm not, I'm just saying Mia, you and Ava both knew what you were doing behind his back was wrong, you have to agree on that but it also wasn't right for him to react so violently."
"Yes, but this isn't all on me Brie. Ava knew she had someone but she still wanted us to have something too."
"Hey, I'm not here to point fingers but all I'm saying is allow her to fix this if there's any chance."
"I get what you're saying," Mia replied.
"Okay. Just so you know I'm rooting for you babe," Brie said and her friend chuckled. "Of course you are! Anyway, we'll catch up."
"Sure thing, bye love ya."
"Muuah!" Mia gave a kiss over the phone.
Once their call was disconnected, Brie heads to her and Raye's bedroom to find the girl already curled up in bed asleep. Slipping out of her dress and then changing into her PJs, she goes to the bathroom to clean the makeup from her face and then brushed her teeth.
She enters the room again and switches off all the lights. Crawling up beside Raye, she hugged her from behind and she snuggled closer to her, causing a smile to curl on her lips. It wasn't often that Brie got to be the big spoon but when she did she would realize exactly why Raye enjoyed it so much, it hits differently. She felt like the protector instead of the other way around and she loved it. No, she loved Raye and was willing to do anything for her— she deserved it.