𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

Aubrey

April 5, 2023

I had been back in Orlando because Maddie asked to see me. Aside from that though, my parents resided here, and being here on my own was refreshing. Sure, things were okay with Nova, but I was not only reeling from the fact that I had been cheated on, I was also recovering from the whole idea of a baby.

"Hey sweetheart," my father greeted me as I struggled to drag my luggage through the front door. "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you guys all holding up in Tallahassee? I heard the news about Lewis." I smiled faintly, "better, given that he's no longer guilty of anything, but he has yet to forgive himself." My father nodded.

"He's a good kid," my mom joined in, placing a cup of what I assume was coffee on the living room table. "I doubt he was guilty, but I'm sure the embarrassment of the nation knowing he cheated on May is playing with him." I scoffed, "yeah," I agreed, "and on top of that, some people do think he's guilty. Like Naya, Jason's girlfriend I told y'all about a while back? She left Jason because he was friends with Lewis." My parents both dramatically hung their mouths. "That's horrible!"

I shrugged, "it seems like relationships just aren't really...our group's forte." My mom took my heavy suitcase and placed it off to the side. "Well I mean, you and Nova are still going strong?" she asked, "right baby girl?" I made a face.

"Oh no," my dad groaned, "what happened?"

Before I spoke on Nova again, I looked around. "Is, um, grandma here?" My father shook his head.

"You know how she feels about those Friday night bingo games," my dad joked, she's at the Bentley Hills Rehab center with some of her friends. I smiled, "glad to see she's making friends."

"Aubrey," my mom said sternly, sitting down. "What's going on with you and Nova baby?"

"Drama, I guess," I managed to get out after a moment of silence. "I don't know, maybe we'll be as good as new one day." My mom didn't look sure of my words, "why would drama cause a big issue?" she questioned, "unless this was some serious drama?"

"You guys were together since you were like, seventeen right?" I asked, to which both my parents nodded. "Okay," I said, "cool. Did you two ever separate, or see anybody else during these last two and a half decades. Maybe have an open relationship?" My mom's scrunched up face told me that she and my dad have definitely been loyal to one another, and only one another.

"Are you and Nova thinking about going separate ways?" my dad asked, and I shrugged. "The ball is kind of like, in my court," I informed them, "if you're catching my drift." It was silent for a moment, but I could tell that mom and dad were just thinking.

"I didn't know you two played basketball!" my dad exclaimed, and my mom looked at him like he had two heads. "No, Nathaniel," mom corrected him, "it means Nova did something, and now lost her right to handling the situation. So Aubrey gets to choose what she wants to do now."

"Oh," my dad said, understanding. "Well, what did Nova do?" I folded my arms and leaned against the front door. "I don't know if I wanna say it."

"Why?" my parents asked in unison.

"Because I might forgive Nova," I began, "but you two won't. While I will have moved on in our relationship, you guys might be stuck on this. I guess I just don't wanna really announce it unless our divorce is finalized." My mom stood up.

"Divorce?" she asked, "Aubrey did Nova cheat on you?" I could feel the tears coming on, and I decided to let them flow. I figured that if I did this, I wouldn't have to explain what happened, nor would I feel the guilt of explaining what happened say my parents do end up hating Nova in the future.

"Oh baby," my mom said, trying to comfort me as I began to sob uncontrollably. My dad rushed over to me and picked me up as if I were a child again. I kept trying to catch my breath, but I just couldn't. I had done a really good job of hiding my feelings regarding this topic, because I typically had to. But right now, with just my parents, I felt like I could be honest. I could cry and cry until blood was coming out of my eyeballs, and they wouldn't mind.

"Is that why you chose to visit now?" my mom asked as my dad placed me awkwardly on the couch. I sniffled, "no," I said simply, "Maddie invited me to see my goddaughter, which I hadn't done in a while. I just figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."

"Do you know the full details of Nova's infidelity? Or just that she cheated?" my father asked, "do you know who she cheated with, are you and this third person close to one another at all?"

"She cheated on me with Nick," I mumbled, to which my mom gasped. "Oh dear," my father groaned. During the summer after Norwood, as we all got close, my parents met most of the group. Of course Nick never told my parents about all our drama, but the Norwood Newsletter and a combination of Nova and I had as time went on. My parents were aware that Nick was once madly-in-love with Nova.

"So, is she seeing him again or something?" my dad asked, and I shook my head. "No," I said, "she's not. Even with them sleeping together, it was a pressure thing. I don't think Nova wanted to do it, but she didn't exactly speak up for herself either."

"Have you and Nick spoken?" my mom asked, and I rolled my eyes. "Nope, and I hope we never speak again. I don't care for what he has to say."

***

"Look who's finally here!" Maddie said hugging me. I pulled away and instantly looked around the room for baby Aubrey. "Where is my goddaughter?"

"Here," Nick said, as he entered the living room with baby Aubrey in hand. I sighed dramatically and looked at Maddie, who folded her lip in for a second before speaking. "Hear me out."

"I know there's tension, and I know you hate Nick right now," Maddie said, as I had my arms folded and refused to break eye contact with her. "But don't you think it's weird to not wanna fix things with him, yet be open to fixing things with Nova?" I swear I shouldn't have helped Nick's sorry ass with coach Latrell, because he now seemingly thinks all is good with us. Dumb home-wrecking quarterback hoe.

"Maddie, Nova is my wife. I owe her obligation. When I married her, I agreed to 'for better or for worse.' Nick is just my friend, who happens to be Nova's ex and happens to have quite a history with control, not respecting boundaries, and just being an ass," I hissed. Nick placed baby Aubrey back in her cradle before walking towards us.

"Don't!" I exclaimed, stopping Nick in his tracks. "I don't wanna hear another sob story," I said. "I understand what happened Nick, and I'm not saying Nova is innocent, but I am saying that she's the only person in this situation that I made a promise to."

"Aubrey I'm not gonna go back and forth with you regarding Nova's involvement," Nick said, "because you're right, you promised to stick with her through better and worse. On top of that, I'm at fault. I was the one who made the moves. All she did was allow them." I nodded, "I think I know that," I said sarcastically, "thank you."

"But I am a human Aubrey. A teenage boy with raging hormones that sometimes thinks with his dick before he does his head. How do you think Lewis ended up in the position he ended up in?"

"Don't think Lewis is a good example pal," I retorted, as Maddie looked back and forth between Nick and I. Nick scoffed, "you know why I mentioned him," he said, "and you were all open to May forgiving him and what not, but you can't do the same for me."

"May didn't know the girl that Lewis was seeing. There was no emotional or platonic connection between Cassidy and May," I answered, "that's the difference." Nick opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him by speaking again.

"You know what this looks like Nick?" I questioned, "it seems almost as if you chose to be close to Nova after all that Norwood mess, so that you could slip in between the crack and pull her in again."

"Aubrey," Nick said, "I promise you that's not what my intentions were at all." I cocked an eyebrow, "then what were they Nicholas?" I asked, getting annoyed. "Was it to disease my wife? Hopefully she spreads whatever you gave her to me so that I can somehow get the bitter end of the stick and die? Is that what this was?"

"It literally could have been you!" Nick exclaimed in what I'm sure was frustration. "It wasn't about wanting Nova, it was about wanting something I couldn't have. Just being in that moment of forbidden intimacy, it felt like some movie scene. It didn't matter if it were Nova, you, May, Hailey, or somebody else who is off limits."

I looked at the floor for a second, thinking of how I was gonna word this before I spoke.

"Remeber that time that you and Nova attended therapy?" I asked, to which Nick raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I remember" he said, "what about it?"

"Have you ever seen a therapist alone?"

"Why?"

"Because you sounds like you suffer from hyper-sexuality," I stated bluntly. "You want me to forgive you? Go see a therapist and find out why you feel the way you do Nick. Wanting unavailable people isn't normal nor is it okay."

"Hold on y'all," Maddie said, as her phone began ringing, "don't talk, I wanna hear this whole convo between you two. I'll be right back."

Nick walked closer to me, then turned so that he and I were both facing the direction that Maddie walked in. The fact that she left the room to have this conversation made me curious. I stood around, damn near silent, trying to see if I could hear anything.

"Any update?" I heard Maddie whisper, and then it was a long moment of silence, with a mumble or two in between. "Huh?" she asked.

"You said it was minor!" she went on, and I could hear her sniffling as if she were about to cry.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, and her sniffling soon became little cries. Nick looked at me and began walking towards the kitchen, where Maddie stood, but I grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"She'll come back," I lightly whispered, as I could hear Maddie saying her goodbyes to whomever she was on the phone with.

"Shit, you guys, I-I think I need to do something," Maddie said, as she picked up her daughter.

"Is there anyway we can help?" Nick asked, as Maddie broke down even more.

"Maddie!" I exclaimed, "what's wrong?"

"I'm gonna need so much help," she admitted, "from everybody." Both Nick and I nodded, "can you give us an idea of what's going on?" Nick asked.

"Matt was killed in combat today."

Nova

"What?" Lewis asked into the phone as he walked into the kitchen to greet May, Hailey, Jason, and I. "Do you need us to head down there?"

Jason stood up, "what's going on?" He whispered.

"One sec" Lewis mouthed, and we all curiously tried to make out what whomever was on the other end of the line was saying. "Shit, Maddie I am so sorry. Yeah, we're on our way right now. All of us."

"What happened man?" Jason asked as we all sat around, waiting to hear what it was that had Lewis shocked. "You won't even believe it," he insisted, still sounding very shocked by the sound of his voice.

"Shoot," I said, "we've been through it all Lewis. What can't we handle at this point?"

"Matt was killed I'm combat today" he said in a low tone, causing all of us to gasp. I covered my mouth.

"Maddie needs to go to her house," Lewis continued, "they plan on sending his body back home and she just need a shoulder or six to lean on right now."

"They're planning on sending his body already? That soon?" Hailey asked, "what, is he not even gonna get an autopsy or anything?"

"I mean killed in combat most likely means either a bomb took him out, or a gun did. I'm sure they know how he died," May replied.

"True," Hailey said, but I shook my head. "They'll probably do an autopsy still, just, here in Florida." I sighed, "imagine what Maddie's feeling. I don't even wanna think about what gruesome shit she might have to see." Jason nodded.

"Damn," Jason, who had always been the least emotional, said as a tear went down his face. "Knew that kid since we were 8. I imagined that I'd spend the rest of my life knowing him." As we all looked at one another, tears came down from all of our faces. Although I wasn't close to Matt, I still knew him. I was lucky enough to have been his secret Santa, be married by him, and watch him become a dad. He was cool, and though he wasn't on my mind all that often, I knew he would now be in the months to come. Oh, how I am gonna miss that young man.

"I love you all," May said as we stood up, causing us to all pull into a hug.

"The best I have had," Lewis said, "I don't think I could ask for a greater group of friends. I love you all so much." I nodded.

"Me too," I said blankly. "I don't have anything to say right now, but just know I love you guys."

"Now let's go show Maddie some of our love," Hailey insisted. "Yeah," Jason added, "she really needs it."

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