TNN ONESHOTS

Drinking - AFK & AMR & CV

The doorbell rang, a shrill cry cutting through the quiet hum of Autumn's Sunday afternoon. Annoyed, she padded through the hallway, grumbling about people who couldn't text first. But when she swung the door open, her words died in her throat. It was Mia, but not the Mia she knew. This Mia was a shattered version, soaked to the bone, her face streaked with tears that the rain couldn't wash away. Her whole body trembled like a leaf in a storm.

"Mia! What happened?" Autumn's voice was laced with alarm as she pulled her friend inside. Mia didn't answer, couldn't answer. She just stood there, a broken statue of despair, water pooling at her feet.

Autumn's heart clenched at the sight of Mia, a fragile, rain-soaked figure standing in her doorway. Concern etched across her face, she reached out, ready to pull Mia into the warmth of her home and offer whatever comfort she could. But before Autumn could utter a word, Mia lurched forward, wrapping her arms around Autumn in a desperate, clinging hug.

The force of the embrace caught Autumn off guard for a moment, but she quickly recovered, returning the hug with equal measure. She could feel Mia's body trembling against hers, the cold seeping through her own clothes, but more than that, she felt the raw, unfiltered pain radiating from her friend. Words seemed inadequate in the face of such profound distress. So, Autumn simply held on tighter, a silent promise of support and understanding.

Autumn didn't push Mia away, she kept hold of her as she slowly moved. "Come with me." She hushed while pushing off Mias soaked coat, letting it fall to the floor before moving slowly and picking up the warmest blanket she could find. She led her to the sofa. She knew Mia would talk when she was ready, and until then, all she could do was offer a safe harbor from the storm raging both outside and within her friend.

After what felt like an eternity, punctuated only by Mia's shuddering breaths, she finally spoke. The words tumbled out, a torrent of pain and betrayal, painting a picture of shattered trust and broken promises. With each word, Autumn's heart ached a little more for her friend, for the cruel reality that had crashed down on her.

The hug lingered, a silent exchange of comfort and shared sorrow. Finally, Mia pulled back, her eyes red and swollen, her voice a mere whisper. "She broke up with me, Autumn," she choked out, the words heavy with disbelief and pain. "Charlotte broke up with me."

Autumn's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Why? I thought things were going so well."

Mia shook her head, tears welling up again. "That's the thing, so did I. I was going to propose, Autumn. I had the ring, the whole speech planned. I thought she was the one, you know?" Her voice cracked on the last word, and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with renewed sobs. "I was so ready, and she just... she just ended it. Said we are over and thats it." The words were laced with a bitter mix of heartbreak and betrayal, the cruel sting of a future snatched away before it could even begin.

As Mia slumped against the cushions with her head in her hands, Autumn noticed the way she seemed to shrink in on herself, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. "Hey," Autumn said softly, kneeling in front of her. "Look at me. This isn't your fault, okay? Charlotte's decision says nothing about you."

But Mia just shook her head, a fresh wave of tears streaming down her face. "No, you don't get it, Autumn. It's me. It's always me. I'm too much, too intense. I get too attached, too quickly. And look at me," she gestured to herself, her voice laced with self-disgust. "I'm a mess. Who would want to be with someone like that?" She picked at a loose thread on her jeans, avoiding Autumn's gaze, her words a torrent of self-criticism that Autumn desperately wanted to stop. "I'm not pretty enough, not cool enough, not... anything enough. I always screw things up. And as for the way I am with her children, she's better off without me." The dam of her insecurities had burst, and Autumn knew that beneath the heartbreak, there was a deep-seated belief that she was somehow inherently flawed, unworthy of love.