22

"You're taking all the initiative to make your relationship work?"

Alya came over the apartment after a week of staying with Nino. I knew that she would be moving out because they bought a new house just for themselves, I just didn't know that she would be packing away her stuff this early.

I grab a pair of black socks from her drawer and carefully place it inside the box, "I wouldn't really consider the two of us in a relationship yet..." I say trying to make things clear for her. "Neither of us asked the yet..."

"What question? 'That question?" She mockingly laughs at me, "What are you? High school sweethearts?!"

"Hey! Don't tease me like that!" I shout at her, "It's better if I clearly know his intentions. He flirts with me...I think. But I flirt with him."

"So you want to rely on your relationship through flirting?"

I sigh in frustration. "No, Alya." I close my eyes and shake my head. I remove the box from the bed and take a seat on the soft covers. "You don't understa-"

"Or are you choosing to date him out of pity?" Alya cuts me off with the sudden question.

I feel taken back by her question. I can't help to feel mad at her. How dare she thinks that I want to date Adrien again because I feel sorry for him!

"What do you mean, '' ?" I sneer and cross my arms. "Are you trying to accuse me of having fake feelings for Adrien?"

"It's not an accusation! I just can't seem to connect how fast you've 'fallen' for him again! Marinette, I don't understand you! What are trying to do?"

I exhale in frustration and scratch hard on my head. "Alya, I just-"

"Have you told him that you missed him?" She interrupts.

"Y-yeah! Why the sudden question-"

"Have you told him that you like him?"

"Of course!" I exclaim with pride, "I told him with a kiss too!"

"THEN TELL HIM ABOUT EMMA!" She shouts out of anger. My eyes dilate in fear of her. I am left in shock at her statement. She covers her face with her hands and falls to the floor, shaking as she cries.

My heart clenches in pain just by looking at her. "A-Alya-"

"He deserves to know..." She cries, her face still covered by her hands. "The father deserves to know about the miscarriage of his wife..."

I look away from Alya as I start to cry.

"Alya..." I cry, "I need some time-"

"Jesus Christ, 4 years is enough time, Marinette!" She announces, "For once in you life, let go of your pride and face the fact that you can't let go of Emma's death because you can't tell her father about it! Have you ever thought that by telling him, the both of you could help heal each other?"

I turn away from her and sit on a chair nearby as I bury my head in my hands. "Stop it, Alya. Please stop!" I plead as my heart aches for him. I cry out of realization and sadness.

"Mari," Alya starts after wiping away her tears, "he is crazily over you. Nino tells me everything that Adrien says about you. Do you realize that the both of you need closure?"

"Alya, he has secrets that he never told me too!" I try to defend myself but instead of getting the reaction I wanted to see from her, she gives me an angry glare.

"I never knew that you can be that shallow." She whispers in anger and rolls her eyes. "I can't believe that even though you want your relationship to be fixed, you want him to make the first move by letting him be the first to tell his secrets to you."

I don't say anything. I couldn't dare to utter a word at her.

"He blames himself for your son's death..." She continues after a moment of silence. By that statement, she has gotten my attention and I can't help to utter the word, "why".

"He wouldn't say the reason...But I know that he wouldn't tell the reason to Nino and I because he wants you to know first. Can't you realize that he thinks of you? Have you ever thought that he hasn't stopped you?"

"Love?" I utter in disbelief, "That's too much, Alya. You're going way too fast."

"Am I? Or are you just so slow in reading other people?" She says back with more conviction. "Because I may be standing at the right side. What about you?"

"So do you need help or what?" I snap at her, trying to change the topic.

She scoffs, "Excuse me, it's you who needs all the help." She grabs her bag and her car keys from the table and opens the door to our apartment. "I'm leaving first. I can't stand to be around an egotistical woman." And with that, she slams the door behind her

My hands clench into fists and I let it all out by screaming at the top of my lungs. "FINE! BE THAT WAY! YOU'RE A B*TCH!"

I crumble to the floor and clasp my mouth with my hands and cry hard. I can't believe I just said that. Even though she probably didn't hear me curse at her, I can't help to feel guilty.

She's my best friend for goodness sake! The only best friend I have!

"I'm an emotional m-mess...crap." I wipe away my tears and fan my face. "Woo, take deep breaths Marinette." I rub my hands on my knees and close my eyes. I try to relax myself by taking deep breaths but I can't continue as I reach the number 7. Her words still play in my mind, repeating like a broken record.

"Am I doing this out of pity?" I whisper to myself, the question left unanswered.

"No." I whisper. "No!" I shout out loud as I stand up, keeping a strong and steady stance. "I chose to be with him again because I miss him and I like him!"

I collapse on the bed and stare at the wall for a moment. "Very much..." I whisper, "I like him so much, so much that it scares me if I ever tell him the truth..."