Our indelible pasts|✔

twenty three - kiana

WHEN KIMBERLY TOLD the girls that there was no discovery about her parents, Ashley thought it would be a great idea for us all to have a sleepover at my place to cheer her up. A night with horror movies, food, lots of soda and gossip is exactly what Kim needs, so I was more than happy to host a middle-school-type slumber party.

"I hate all of you." A shaken up Nia grumbles once the credits start rolling.

We forced her to go through both Annabelle movies and let's just say, her reactions made both movies more comedic than scary.

"We love you." Ashley hugs Nia as we all laugh.

"If you loved me you wouldn't do that to me." Nia continues to complain as she unsuccessfully tries to pry Ashley off herself.

"We're helping you face your fears." I defend, sending an innocent smile her way. "Think of it like that."

"I nearly got a heart attack. More than once."

Nia's fear of dolls has got to be the funniest thing.

"It wasn't even that scary." Kim laughs.

"First of all, did y'all not see how malnourished that doll looked?" Nia exasperates and we all burst out laughing. "You guys are so bad. That's enough horror movies for one lifetime."

"Yeah, I agree." I laugh. "I'd like to not have trouble sleeping this week. I live alone."

"Same." Kim chuckles before abruptly turning to Ashley as if suddenly remembering something. "Ash...any updates on the situation with you and Tyler?"

"Oh my God yes! Girl, tell us everything!" Nia exclaims, matching our excitement as we all look expectantly at Ashley.

"About that..." Ashley trails off, avoiding eye contact.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're about to break our hearts?" I ask, eyebrows tightly knitted together.

"Do I need to get my chainsaw?" Kim asks, tying her braids up for dramatic effect.

"You have a chainsaw?" Nia asks in silent shock and Kim all but shrugs her shoulders in response.

"Maybe." Ashley softly mumbles, answering Kim, allowing me to send a silent curse to Tyler because there is no way he messed things up with Ashley.

Ashley? I literally know no one sweeter than Ashley.

Nia faces her and asks, "What did he do? What happened?"

"He has a girlfriend." When Ashley says that, my jaw practically hits the ground. "I was just his sidepiece the whole fucking time."

No. Way.

"Please tell me you're lying?"

When Ashley weakly shakes her head, I actually feel my heart break a little. "We need his location, like, right now. And we're going to jam a metal pole down his throat." I say with a smile on my face.

"You guys are so violent, my God." Nia laughs. "But that's not a bad idea."

"I'm still bringing my chain saw."

"I'm starting to believe you actually have a chainsaw." Nia mutters under her breath and we all chuckle.

"Guys, I love you so much...but there's no need to be that extreme." Says Ashley after collecting herself, with a small smile on her face. It's sad. The smile is sad.

"There is every need to be extreme." I point out. "He led you on for like two months straight, he slept with you and all that and the whole time he's had a girlfriend? What he did was extreme so I think it's only fair if we're extreme too."

"I agree."

"We're not shoving a metal pole down his throat guys." Ashley says and I pout.

"But he deserves it."

"I know...he really does." Ashley plays with her fingers, chipping at her nails as she says this, and I can't help but look at her pitifully. "But if I'm being honest, somehow I just always knew we wouldn't get far. Like...I could never see myself with him long term. I don't know why."

"Maybe you're just not into guys." Nia jokingly suggests.

A flash of anger and fright quickly crosses over Ashley's face and vanishes just as fast. "No. It's not that."

Nia seems to have noticed too and chooses her words wisely the next time she opens her mouth. "Or maybe he's just a dick. I mean, what kind of name is Tyler? It just doesn't give me a good vibe."

"Yeah." I hesitantly agree with Nia's last statement. "I'm sorry Ashley." I smile softly at her. "You deserve better."

"Yeah, you do." Nia says. "You should come to my side."

"You're bisexual, not lesbian." Ashley points out.

"Yeah, but I like girls more. They are way less problematic." Nia grins.

"Problematic...you know that dick always been problematic." I sing an all too true line from Kehlani.

"Never in my life have I ever had anything more true." Kim says and we all laugh in agreement.

"When did you find out about it though?" Nia asks, turning back to Ashley.

"And how?"

Tucking her honey blonde curls behind her ear, Ashley sighs before explaining. "He left his phone unlocked when he was in the shower a few days back and he got a text. My snoopy ass couldn't help but look but I low-key wish I hadn't. It was a text from her saying 'I can't believe tomorrow's our one year anniversary babe, I'm so excited.'"

"A year? Wow." A shocked Kim asks softly. "Fear men."

Ashley nods before continuing. "I was so mad, like really mad and when he came out of the shower I couldn't keep it in. I confronted him about it immediately and he didn't even bother denying it. He tried apologizing but I didn't want to hear it. I just left. Not before shouting a good 'fuck you' to him though." We all laugh at that last part.

"I'm sorry babes. I really liked this one for you." Nia shakes her head disappointedly.

"Yeah me too." Ashley says. "But at least I know now and got out before things got too serious between us."

I'm happy about that. She'd have come out of it a lot more hurt and I wouldn't want that for her.

"I'm thinking the best thing we should do right now for Ashley is blast some Beyonce and have a little concert until we pass out." I say getting up.

"That sounds perfect, I'm in." Ashley, a die-hard Beyonce stan says following suit.