Edge Of Betrayal

Conversations in the Dark

As Ariel took in the scene before her, her eyes narrowed in disbelief. Theo stood there, seemingly frozen in place, visibly intoxicated, with a black eye that looked to not be fresh, marking his face. Beside him, Titan looked equally shocked to see Ariel, his expression a mix of surprise and guilt.

Without a word, Ariel strode forward, her steps deliberate and purposeful. She could feel the heat of her anger radiating from her as she confronted the two of them

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "And why the hell are you both here?"

Theo's attempts to speak were stammered and slurred, he was surprised to see Ariel. He planned over and over what he'd say when he finally did get the chance but now....why did it have to be right now! He seemed to be sobering up under the intensity of Ariel's glare, but before he could stop choking on his words, Titan stepped forward.

"Umm, I should probably leave you two alone," he mumbled, his gaze flickering between Theo and Ariel. "I... uh, yeah. I'll just let myself out. I'm sorry." With that, he turned to go, his footsteps echoing softly against the floor.

But as Titan began to make his exit, Theo's anger flared once again. "No, wait!" he interjected. "This is your fault, Titan! You're the one who brought me to those damn clubs. You encouraged me to drink, and who knows what the hell you put in those drinks!"

Ariel's shock morphed into disbelief as she processed Theo's accusation. "You were doing drugs?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt.

Theo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could form a coherent reply, Titan interjected, his tone weary and resigned. "This is why I was trying to get in touch with you, Theo," he said, exhaling loudly. "I knew you would try to say it was that, but it's not like I really gave you drugs, man."

He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. Ariel's gaze darted between Theo and Titan, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "What is it?" she demanded, her frustration mounting. "What the hell is going on?"

Titan glanced at Theo before turning back to Ariel, his expression seemingly apologetic. "Look, maybe this isn't the best time to talk about this. I should go," he suggested.

"No", Theo protested.

Theo's voice was laced with frustration as he continued to press the issue. "No, don't try to lie now," he insisted, his gaze fixed on Titan. "You slipped me drugs, you made this happen, so go ahead, tell her."

But Titan shook his head, his expression pained. "Theo, think about it," he urged, his voice tinged with exasperation. "You just woke up with a hangover. I don't even do drugs, but I'm pretty sure you probably would have been worse off if I really gave you drugs. I should've been more specific but I thought you knew me better than that. We've been friends forever."

Titan hesitated, glancing briefly at Ariel before continuing. "I... I just gave you some of that enhancement stuff," Titan admitted reluctantly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, eyes darting to Ariel and back to Theo. "That was all. It was just some new viagra stuff, it's like a candy, it was just so you could have some more fun. It's not like I put something in it or anything. I've been trying to reach you because I figured you might overthink things. You've been dodging me up until the bar called me tonight to come get you."

Theo's expression morphed from anger to shock as Titan's words sank in. The realization washed over him like a wave, leaving him feeling disoriented and vulnerable. He stumbled backward, his mind reeling with the implications of what he had just heard... and that Ariel just heard that too.

Titan turned to Ariel. "Ariel, I-" he began, but she cut him off with a steely glare.

"Get out," she said, her voice cold and unwavering.

Titan's shoulders sagged in defeat as he nodded silently, a sense of resignation etched on his features. Without another word, he turned and made his way to the door, disappearing into the night.

Ariel's eyes bore into Theo's, her gaze burning with a mixture of anger and betrayal. "And what about you?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "Did you really think you could just blame Titan and everything would be okay? Did you think you could just brush off what happened like it was nothing?!"

"I... I didn't mean to..." he stammered, his voice faltering as he struggled to find the right words. But deep down, he knew he was only making things worse. He had meant to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, to take responsibility for his actions. But it was like someone had grabbed hold of his heart and kept squeezing ever since he saw her. He couldn't think straight with her finally here, then with Titan in the room, and with the haze of alcohol still clouding his mind. Theo's initial instinct was to deny Ariel's accusations, to deflect blame onto Titan, and to distance himself from the situation. But now? Finding out he was just drunk and horny? How was he supposed to defend that? A wave of guilt washed over him, threatening to drown out his defenses.

Theo's shoulders slumped as the weight of Ariel's words washed over him. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. How could he explain his actions when he couldn't even understand them himself? Why did he stay in the club? Why did he let anyone get that close to him? Why did he even go on that trip knowing how Titan felt? Why did he keep someone that didn't fully support his relationship around....

Before he could find the right words, or any words at this point, Ariel continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "I trusted you, Theo," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I trusted you with my heart, with everything I had, and you risked it all like it was nothing."

Theo flinched at the bitterness in her tone, the pain in her eyes cutting him to the core. He wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but he knew he had no right. He had caused this, all of it, and he had to own up to it.

Theo's stomach churned as a wave of nausea swept over him, his body rebelling against the emotional turmoil raging within him. He clenched his fists, fighting to keep his composure as the remnants of tonight's overindulgence threatened to resurface.

Ariel could feel herself beginning to get overwhelmed, tears threatening to take over. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and met Theo's gaze head-on. "You can sleep on the couch," she said finally, her voice barely audible. "Just stay away from me."

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way to the bedroom, leaving Theo standing alone in the silence of the living room. As he watched her go, a profound sense of regret washed over him. He stood feeling utterly lost and alone before a sudden wave of nausea hit him like a freight train.

With a desperate gasp, Theo staggered forward, his vision swimming as he fought to maintain his balance. He barely registered the dull ache as he tripped, colliding head-first, into the door frame, his focus consumed by the urgent need to reach the bathroom. Finally reaching his destination, Theo sank to his knees before the toilet as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

Minutes passed in a blur of agony and despair, until finally, the nausea began to subside. He leaned heavily against the wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to steady himself.

Even as he fought to regain his composure, Theo couldn't shake the sense of overwhelming guilt that weighed heavily on his heart. He had let Ariel down and betrayed her trust in the worst possible way.

With a heavy heart, Theo pushed himself to his feet and splashed cold water on his face. He made his way to the couch and remained stuck in his head, staring at the ceiling until sleep claimed him.