Don't Do It

T w e n t y - s e v e n

•Dean's POV•

"You're in therapy?" Dylan blinks at me profusely, his mouth agape. He's so confused that he starts shaking his head in a way that kind of looks funny. If I wasn't depressed, I'd be laughing my ass off. "Yes, Dylan." I sigh painfully. This isn't how I wanted him to find out.

I had thought about telling him for weeks, but then we had that stupid fight at the dinner table, and I didn't find it necessary to do so. I was still contemplating. Some things made it extremely difficult for me to tell him; things like his short temper and piercing words. For so long, I've lead him to believe that they don't affect me

They do.

Dylan looks at me silently, digesting everything I've told him in the past ten minutes. "Since when?"

"Since I decided to become a better man. It wasn't easy at first, but the need for me to go was greater than the want for me not to go."

"So you're only telling me now." he states. I know it's not a question because of the way he's saying it. "I have my reasons."

Standing up from my bed, I saunter towards the door but Dylan makes me come to a halt by grabbing my wrist firmly. "Don't think you can just run away, Dean," he says. "You've been doing that for too long."

"In case you forgot, I have an appointment to attend to so excuse me." I finalise, pulling my wrist away from his tight grip, and disappear out of his sight.

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•Dylan's POV•

I. Give. Up.

Nothing I do can get Dean to talk, to tell me the truth. I attempted to suck some information out of him but failed. He just stormed out of the room, diminishing my hope and making me an idiot.

Why do I bother with him? I think.

I leave Dean's bedroom and saunter to mine. After connecting my phone to the charger, I throw myself on my soft bed, shutting my eyelids instantly. I had a long day at the gym: lifting barbells endlessly, running on a treadmill as if I was being chased by a dog, and finally yoga. Staying in shape is a necessity for me since I want to keep my job as a fighter.

Rolling onto my other side, I yawn and make myself comfortable. I'm just beginning to doze off when my phone rings. "Oh no," I speak into my pillow, "why now?"

Irritably, I grunt and force myself to lift my body from the sheets. "What?" I say brusquely into the speaker of the phone. Being interrupted in the midst of my sleep is something I dislike.

A profround sigh can be heard from the other side of the phone. "Dylan, it's me, Ari."

"Baby, what's wrong?" The sudden worry in my voice becomes evident when I hear her sobbing. It hurts me because I'm not there to comfort her, to remind her everything is going to be okay. "Where are you?" Sitting up, I jump off my bed and grab my car keys from the bedside table involuntarily.

Another sigh from Ari is enough to make me want to rip my hair out. What could possibly be troubling her? I think.

"Listen, Dylan," she states with a broken whisper. "No matter what happens to us, just know that . . ."

"Speak, Ari." I say, sounding desperate. I pace out of my bedroom and attempt to control my uneven breathing. "I'm here for you, love, you know."

I don't have a good feeling about this — there's something fishy going on. My stomach ties into a knot. I think I'm going to vomit since I can't bare any of this anymore.

Instead of calming down, Ari's sobbing turns into full-out crying. "I'm so sorry, Dylan! I didn't mean for this to happen," she whines before blowing her nose, sniffling afterwards. "I-I love you."

As I'm walking down the stairs I shake my head in bewilderment. Ari is apologising because she did something, and mentioning she loves me. It's either she's being melodramatic or she really did do something horrible.

I'm hoping it's not the latter.

"Just tell me where you are and I'll be right there." I demand since she is beating around the bush. That's the issue with females; you ask for an explanation and they give you fifty different answers.

"I'm at home but please don't come."

I laugh dryly. "You think I'm gonna listen to that shit?" Turning the handle of the front door, I step out of the house and shut the door behind me. The weather has changed: dark clouds have gathered in the sky and wind is beginning to form. Even the weather corresponds with my fucked up mood.

"Dylan, don't!" Arianna pleads, her voice screeching at the end. I roll my eyes before unlocking my car and sliding into the driver's seat. "Give me one good reason." I close the door, sticking the key into the ignition, and pressing my phone against my ear.

There's a pregnant pause. The only sound that travels to my phone is Ari's soft breathing. I can't make out if she is contemplating of what to say to me, or if she forgot what I said.

I'm about to part my lips so that I can speak, when she disturbs my thoughts. "Because I . . . I cheated." My heart stops right there and then. She can't be serious. First I fought with Dean, and now this. What's happening today?

"I'm so sorry." Ari repeats. "I love you."

The call is cut short. With a heavy chest and questions running through my mind, I call Ari but her phone immediately goes to voicemail. She switched it off, and this results in me slamming my fist angrily against the steering wheel. It starts to rain.

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