piece by piece~j.d

~81~

"Hi gorgeous." Chloe greeted Aubrey who arrived at their place about half an hour earlier then the time that they had all agreed on. "Looking sexy."

"Flirt." Aubrey laughed as they embraced and she moved to put some of the drinks that she bought with her onto the table so that anyone could grab some when they wanted to. "I've missed you."

"And vice versa." Chloe confirmed as she poured them both a shot and handed the glass to Aubrey, they twisted their arms around one another to take the shots laughing as they did so.

"Where's Pat?" Aubrey asked when she didn't see him around or hear him calling out to say hello like he usually would when anyone arrived.

"I told him that he was confined upstairs, don't worry though I have provided him with enough snacks to survive the evening." Chloe assured Aubrey who nodded, not phased by the oddness of her friend. "So about this Ebony business, I have a theory."

"Go on." Aubrey prompted and motioned for Chloe to continue talking as she took both glasses and quickly rinsed them although she knew they would be used by a new person all throughout the night.

"I think she had a one night stand or something and she got pregnant and she's awkward around you because well...you couldn't and she's just trying to be a good friend." Chloe suggested as she moved some of her heart out of her eyes and leaned back on the couch. "Maybe."

"Maybe, let's just see if we can talk to her tonight because I can't remember if she was drinking when we've hung out lately or not," Aubrey said and Chloe nodded agreeing.

"For now let's just enjoy ourselves and not stress ourselves out before they get here." Aubrey joined her in laying back against the couch as they started to talk about all things about themselves, Pat and Josh. The conversation keeping them laughing and happy. "We should all go away as soon as you finish school."

"I barely have any time before Christmas, maybe a few days and after that is new years and the boys go back so quickly." Aubrey reminded Chloe, the one thing that she hated about her job lately was that her and Josh's schedules never seemed to line up very well.

"You two should go away in between Chrissy and New Year's Eve and once all that happens and the boys go back we'll go on a girls trip." Chloe compromised. "If you want to of course."

"Where do I sign?"

~~~

Aubrey laughed at them all, she wasn't on the same level as wasted so she was able to be entertained by how much they were all enjoying themselves. They had all arrived not long after her, there were about ten of the girls just having a good time and enjoying one another's company as they did so often. Chloe was definitely the most gone, everyone was laughing at how much of a lightweight she was before they all caught up with her and left Aubrey laughing alone.

"Hey bub." Aubrey laughed as Eb fell into her lap. "Are you doing okay?"

"I have to say something." She bought her finger up to put in a shushing position but missed her lips completely, instead finding her way to her cheek. "Shhh, you can't tell Aubrey."

"I promise." Aubrey agreed, hoping that Ebony was too drunk to realise that she was Aubrey. It seemed so far as if that was the case. "Tell me anything, my lips are sealed."

"It was me."

"What was?" Aubrey questioned, allowing Ebony to take another gulp of her drink even though there was no chance of her sobering up any time soon, better safe then sorry.

"I told them everything Logie, but shhh." Ebony slurred and mumbled, making it hard to understand a word she was saying. Let alone a sequence of words, though Aubrey knew what she heard and she wasn't happy.

"Why would you do that?" Aubrey could barely speak though she pushed the words out, needing desperately to know. She wouldn't let herself be overcome with emotion before she found out.

"She stole my job, people at school don't think I'm teaching well enough now that grades and results are coming out. She wouldn't introduce me to Caleb and she never tells me anything, I had to hear through a phone call that she and Josh were trying for a baby. It wasn't fair and I had to show her that." It was a miracle that Ebony managed to get the words out, but maybe she had been waiting to spill it. At least, Aubrey thought, she sort of had the decency to feel somewhat guilty about the whole ordeal. Though by the sounds of it she'd do it again.

"You didn't have to say anything." Aubrey said, her eyes filling with tears. It was hard, sure maybe should just drop Ebony or whatever they called it but she had helped her through so much. It was like although she knew what Ebony did was wrong, Aubrey couldn't bring herself to even consider letting go of someone who had genuinely been her rock during one of the hardest times of her life, she had created another hard time in her life though. Weighing that up was too much for Aubrey to do in the moment that she found out.

"No Logan, I did." Ebony corrected and rolled off of the couch. "I think I might nap here or something." Aubrey just let her lay there before grudgingly throwing a blanket on her. Aubrey looked around wondering if she could reveal what she had just heard to anyone but quickly came to the conclusion that she couldn't, knowing that Pat had been banished upstairs for the night, she decided to go up and see him.

"Can I come in?" Aubrey knocked on the bedroom door hoping that he would still be awake, she didn't want to call Josh just yet knowing that he was spending time with his family and he wouldn't handle his emotions very well. Aubrey wanted to be sure that he didn't freak out and go off about it.

"Is that you Aubs? Of course." Pat replied and was looking up at her in worry as he sat on the bed with his phone now in his lap. "Come sit, is everything okay?"

"Eb just said something and I think I'm in a bit of shock." Aubrey said taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Girl just said that she was the one that spoke to the media, but she's absolutely hammered and thought that she was talking to Logan and specifically said 'don't tell Aubrey.'"

"What the fuck, please tell me this is a joke." Pat said, looking just as shocked as Aubrey felt. "How are you going to work this out, like what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, cry is what I'll do first I think. I feel like I should have seen it coming but I thought we were closer then that." Aubrey put her face in her hands as she muffled a little scream.

"Tim tam?" Pat offered, offering one to her from a packet that she didn't see. "Might make you feel better, I'll go kick everyone out as well."

"You don't have to, they're having a good time I don't want to ruin that." Aubrey shook her head but took the tim tam and eating it straight away.

"You're not, I will be. Plus I'll just call all the boys and tell them to pick the girls up and I'll get someone to take Ebony home with them. Problem solved." Pat explained. "You wait here, we can call Josh in the morning and tell him and Chlo when its a reasonable hour and one of them isn't intoxicated and we'll work it out from there."

"Thanks for caring, I'll make it up to you one day." Aubrey said gently wrapping her eyes around Pat who reciprocated the action.

"Don't worry Aubs, go sleep in the guest room. Wake us up if you need anything."

"Sounding like a responsible parent Patricia, thanks again though." Aubrey made a beeline to the guest bed and fell into it hoping that the comfort of it would make her fall asleep quickly, that and the slight alcohol she had running through her system.

what the fuck ebony
loved that saints game