Whatchamacallit

The worst

Alex's POV
"Easy target," Kait scoffed. "She wouldn't dare stand up to Tasha, so she picks on me."
My best friends' voices buzzed around me, a symphony of concern laced with exasperation. Their question hung heavy in the air.
"Do you love Kayla?" Kiersten asked, her bluntness a welcome break from Pearlie's dramatic sigh.
"Of course not," I mumbled, tossing back another shot, the burn a temporary salve to the turmoil within. The truth,however, was a tangled mess. Every time Kayla reappeared, the familiar ache returned.
"Let's forget about it," I declared, grabbing the blunt and taking another long drag.
Hours blurred into a hazy mess. Stumbling to the bed, I fumbled with my phone, a dial tone echoing in the silence.Finally, a voice, laced with sleep, pierced the fog.
"Kayla? It's Alex."
Silence. Then, a sigh. "Alex, it's 2 AM. What's wrong?"
"We need to talk." My words slurred, the alcohol amplifying the emotions I desperately tried to suppress.
"About what?"
Kayla's voice, laced with concern, sent a fresh wave of guilt crashing over me.
"I miss you," I confessed, the words tumbling out in a drunken torrent. "And I haven't talked to you in months. I just... I needed to tell you how you make me feel sane. Like you understand me in a way no one else does."
I paused, waiting for a response, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
"Alex, please..." Kayla's voice strained, a tremor of something I couldn't decipher.
"I know you still care about Tasha," I continued, ignoring her plea. "But you're scared to get hurt again. Maybe you should give her another chance. Three times the charm, right?"
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "I just want you to be happy. And Tasha... she seems perfect for you. Maybe you're soulmates, even more so than you and Asia."
Kayla's silence was a deafening response.
"My feelings faded," I lied, the words a desperate attempt to mask the truth. "But whenever you're around, they come rushing back."
Taking a shaky breath, I blurted out the words that had been burning a hole in my chest.
"I love you, Kayla. Maybe you love me too, but you're not in love with me."
A heavy silence descended, broken only by the rasp of my own ragged breaths.
"I'm gonna call you back later," I mumbled, hanging up before she could respond. Sleep, a heavy, unwelcome blanket,claimed me.
Kayla's POV
Shock left me numb as I processed Alex's drunken confession. Asia was off on one of her tantrums, staying with her sister. This girl was going to be the death of me.
Sliding behind the wheel of my car, I pulled out into the night, the city lights blurring into streaks of color. Forty minutes later, I stood outside Alex's apartment, a desperate craving for comfort gnawing at me.
The door swung open, revealing a scowling Tasha.
"You're not supposed to be here." Her voice was flat, devoid of warmth.
"Just needed some hugs and kisses," I offered, a weak smile playing on my lips.
"And I assume you want more than that," she spat, her eyes blazing. "Well, I'm not in the mood for your games, Kayla."
"Damn, no need to be so hostile," I muttered, the sting of rejection settling in.
Tasha narrowed her eyes. "We'll be together when you're ready," she stated, her voice laced with a strange certainty. "But it has to be your choice. I won't be dragged into your drama with Asia."
She was right, of course. My constant fights with Asia over Alex were tearing our friendship apart. The irony wasn't lost on me. I had been in the picture first.
"Maybe she still feels threatened," Tasha mused, stepping closer. "That I'll steal you away for good."
A shiver ran down my spine. The thought of leaving Asia for good hadn't crossed my mind. Until now.
"My only concern is your safety," Tasha continued, her voice softening. "If Asia jeopardizes that, then we'll have a bigger problem."
Her words resonated within me. Drama wasn't something I craved. But could I truly give Tasha another chance? The fear of getting hurt again was slim