FALLING IN LOVE AT A COFFEE SHOP | D.H [✓]

Four

(Aria's POV)

Friday afternoon I stumble into my apartment after another long, uneventful day at work. Part of me enjoyed the silence but another part was hoping Dan would have come back. I mentally slap myself for thinking that, he just bought three books yesterday, why would he come back?

My mind refuses to stop picturing him and I feel so pathetic. I've only seen him twice and had one somewhat decent conversation with the man and I still couldn't stop thinking of the way his dimples show when he smiles and how his entire body shakes when he laughs. It was infuriating.

I need to find a way to get him off my mind. At this point I'll do anything. I feel psychotic for thinking of him this much.

Maybe he's thinking of you too.

"Oh please Aria, as if. Why are you even thinking that?"

Great. Now I'm talking to myself.

I decide to put on some music to drown out my subconscious. That always does the trick.

The sound of My Chemical Romance fills my small apartment as I begin the prep work to make a stir fry. I can't cook for shit, but my stir fry's are probably the only thing I can decently cook. Mainly because it's throwing a bunch of ingredients and seasoning in a pan and praying I don't burn it to ash.

Before I begin to cook my phone goes off from a text. I reach for it and see it's a text from Grace.

*Hey, I know this is last minute but could I come over? I need to talk to you.*

My heart drops and my mind is immediately ambushed by all the things that could possibly be wrong.

*of course you can. Any time*

*thank you. I'll be there in 10 minutes.*

I'm nervous to find out why she's coming over so last minute. I certainly don't mind her coming over, I always love her company, but the words "I need to talk to you" always send me into a panic. I put my stir fry on hold in case she wants me to make her some as well and I go around the apartment trying to clear up any clutter that may be lying around.

Soon, I hear a knock on my door and turn off my music before opening it. Immediately, my heart sinks when I see her tear streaked face.

"Oh my gosh! Grace, what happened?" I blurt out.

Instead of replying she bursts into tears and I pull her into a hug. I gently coax her as I rub her back letting her fit of tears finish before I push her into explaining whatever is making her upset. I never know what to do when someone is crying, the only thing I ever do is hug them. That's usually what I need when I'm crying so I hope it helps her too.

"Dave has been cheating on me this entire time." she barely gets out in between her sobs.

"What?!" Out of the things that could have been wrong this wasn't even on my list. I always thought they would be that couple that stayed together forever and got married on a beach somewhere. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought he would cheat on her. I close the apartment door and lead her to sit on the couch.

"He's been seeing some girl named Kasey since before we were even dating."

I mentally call him every single name in the book. He's an absolute dickhead for even considering doing something like this to someone as sweet and kind as Grace.

"How did you find out?" I ask.

"He got a text and I grabbed it to take it to him since he was in the office and I looked thinking it was someone from his work until I saw her name and the message saying 'I miss you babe'. I was so furious. I found him and asked who this Kasey girl was and the best part is that he didn't even try to explain it or even try and lie about it. All he said was that she was a girl he's been seeing."

I'm at a loss for words. My brain is trying to process everything she just said while I can feel anger coursing through my veins. How could someone be that cruel?

"After he said that I just stared at him. I'm surprised I didn't either cry or bury a kitchen knife into his skull. I've been dating this asshole for 3 years. 3 years Aria! And all this time he's been seeing some blonde skank behind my back! I've given everything I have to him and this ENTIRE time he's been cheating on me! How can someone do that?! How can someone just decide to ruin another persons life?"

"I was just thinking the same thing. I honestly didn't see this coming. I truly thought you two would get married some day." I know that isn't the greatest thing to say at the moment but I'm still in shock over the news she just gave me.

"What makes this even worse is that I truly thought this trip he was planning on taking me on was going to be the trip he was going to propose to me. How could I have been so stupid? As if he would have proposed! To be honest he probably would have to both me and Kasey. I'm so stupid!"

"Grace, there's no way you could've known. He fooled a lot of people into thinking he truly loved you. I guess he was too good to be true."

"I finally found someone to love and someone to love me back and he turns out to be the biggest douchebag I've ever met in my life." she says before she begins to cry again.

"Hey, look at me. I'm not good at advice when it comes to dating and breakups. I'm probably the most inexperienced person on this planet to come to but I do know that if he was stupid enough to cheat on someone as amazing and kind as you then he isn't a loss. He's the one who lost here, not you. He's the stupid one in this situation and soon he's going to realize what he threw away and I hope he feels like the world's dumbest human being for treating you like this. No one deserves this. Absolutely no one, especially you."

She gives me a small smile and I feel a ray of happiness knowing I could put even a small smile on her face during all of this.

"What would I do without you, Aria?"

"You'd probably get some better advice but hey, you can always come to me if you want to plan his murder. I'll be sure to make it look like an accident, I promise."

She laughs at this and I can't help but laugh as well.

"I'll have to take you up on that some day."

"Until then, how about I make you some stir fry? I was in the process of making it before you came over so I can double it up for you."

"I'd like that, thank you."

"I think I have a tub of ice cream in the freezer too for dessert. It would be nice to have an ice cream eating buddy to sit with and watch lame comedy shows with."

"That sounds perfect."

I go into the kitchen and resume my stir fry and double check that I actually have ice cream in the freezer for later. Thankfully. I do.

I hear Grace come into the kitchen. "I hate to ask this but is it okay if I stay here a few days? I don't want to intrude but I don't have anywhere else to go... Just until I can find another place to stay."

"Of course you can! You're never intruding on me Grace, I'd love to have you stay here. You can stay for as long as you need to, I don't mind at all."

"Thank you. For everything."

"It's not a problem at all, trust me. I'd love the company anyways."

The rest of the night goes by great. We finish dinner and watch reruns of Two Broke Girls while stuffing our faces full of ice cream until the entire tub is cleaned out. I give Grace some extra pj's and despite my persistence in making her take the bed she stubbornly refuses and takes the couch.

I didn't realize how exhausted I was and I was grateful it was the weekend. I know that Grace doesn't work on Saturday's so she can have the day off to try and come to terms with what happened between her and Dave. Maybe I'll convince her to take Sunday off as well, she deserves the little break anyways. Eventually I drift off to sleep with images of a dimpled brunette smiling and laughing in my head.