As It Was (h.s)

iv

There's just no gettin' through
Without you
A bottle of rouge
Just me and you
***
Aria's POV
***

"Fuck," I mumbled as I pulled into the driveway. Cole was home. I was worried about that. I'd been scared to look him in the eye. I didn't want him to know somehow something was up. He seems to know me well like that. I thought he was leaving for his work trip and was supposed to be gone for three days, but he's still here.

I grabbed my bag and got out of my car, shutting the door behind me. This is going to go horribly, or I'm overthinking it.

When I stick my key in the door and turn the handle, I hear something I didn't expect.

A woman's laughter.

I furrow my brows and drop my bag where it is, heading into the kitchen where it came from, where I find out that it's exactly what I feared.

"Arianna! Oh hello, dear. Come here, I've missed you so much!" She cooed, her voice shaking the entire house and sending shivers through my whole body.

"What the fuck..." I said, mostly to myself. My mother stepped toward me with open arms and I felt that with every step she took, I took one backward.

"Cole," I said, trying to avoid looking her in the eye. "Why is she here?"

"Oh relax, Love." He said. "She's your mother, she's welcome any time. She was just in town and asked me if she could stay here with us so of course I let her."

No way.

No fucking way.

What the fuck.

"I'm leaving." I turn away from my mother and walk back towards the door, Cole catches up with me, and with my mother across the room, we're able to whisper without her hearing.

"Aria, what are you doing?"  He asks me. "I thought you would like this."

"Like this?" I can almost hear myself laughing. "You thought I would like this? My mother is the biggest bitch in all the land!"

"Don't be so mean to Kathy, Ar. She's just trying, you don't understand what it's like to be in her shoes-"

"Cole," I start. "What the fuck, are you all buddy-buddy with her now? She kicked me out of her house when I was fifteen. She emotionally abused the fuck out of me for my entire life. She fucking criticizes my every move and you're saying she's just trying?! You want me to be nice to her?!"

"That's not what I meant-"

"Well, it sure as hell sounded like you meant that." I back away, reaching for my purse I tossed on the floor earlier, but Cole stops me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back.

"Please don't leave, Aria. I didn't mean to cause any harm." He says, his tone sympathetic and worrisome.

"I refuse to be in the same place as her," I say, pulling my arm away from his grip. He let me go. "When she leaves, call me."

Then I'm out the door. He doesn't stop me this time and it's not til I'm in my car, driving down the road that I realize I don't know where the fuck to go.

I grab my phone and wait as it rings.

"What, bitch." Kate responds, and I feel myself smile slightly.

"I'm pissed. Let's go out." I tell her.

"Out? Like Out out?" She asks, surprised by my response.

"Yes, out out. I'm on my way, I'm gonna borrow one of your dresses I hope you're okay with that." I tell her, pulling out onto the road that leads back into town.