I was meeting up with Aarav.

It was starting to get dark out, and I told him to come to the soccer field at Shirley Town Center. No one was there, and only a few people walked along the trail next to the field. As I waited, I paced around, my thoughts running wild.

This couldn't be happening. Arya apologized, and it sounded sincere, but how could what she said be real?

How could Aarav do something like that?

Darian was vouching for Arya, and I trusted him. I loved him, but this was a lot to take in. I had to speak to Aarav and hear things from his perspective.

"Kenji." I jumped back at the voice, and I turned around to see Aarav. "You good?"

I took a step back as I faced him. "We need to talk."

"This sounds serious."

I placed my hands into my pockets, clearing my throat. "Have you slept with Arya?"

His expression was unreadable. "What'd she say?"

"Answer my question."

"What'd she say?" he repeated.

"She told me everything," I said. "About your manipulation. How you forced her to sleep with you multiple times and every control tactic you inflicted upon her."

Aarav chuckled. "Manipulation? Control tactic? You make me sound like some villain."

"Can we stay on topic?"

"We are on topic," he said. "What do you think I am, Kenji? You know that's not me."

"I don't know, Aarav," I admitted. "I've only known you for a couple months, and you have a lot of issues."

His face dropped into a frown. "You have a lot of issues, too. That doesn't mean I go around accusing you of rape." 

I studied him, and not even for a second, did his demeanor waver. "She's telling the truth."

"Kenji."

I stepped back some more. "You're not even denying it. If you were really innocent, you would have. But no. You're trying to twist things in a way that avoids you admitting guilt."

"She's gotten to you." His tone was so nonchalant.

No normal person would have this discussion in a nonchalant tone.

"No," I said with my voice raising. "You're trying to get to me. You're trying to manipulate me, just like Arya said."

"Arya treated you like shit," he hollered. "She tossed you aside and battered you, and you take her side? You don't even give me the benefit of the doubt when I've done nothing to you? The only crime I've committed is trying to understand what goes on through your head."

"Stop." I rubbed my hands down my face. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Getting into my head!" I yelled. "Arya's the most honest person I know. She's a little too honest most of the time, but she's honest."

"Whatever me and Arya did, she wanted," he said. "She never stopped it. She never told on me. She wanted it."

My throat tightened, and I struggled to speak. "You're sick."

He shook his head. "Don't judge me, Kenji. Because of your sucky driving skills, you couldn't save your best friend. Because you couldn't control your dick, you broke her sister's heart. Don't judge me."

"You're wrong, Aarav," I said. "You're trying to use it against me, but Camila's death wasn't my fault. It took a while, but I know that now. It was out of my control, and Rosalyn's situation was my fault. I've accepted my mistake and its consequences. That's what separates me from you. You think Arya wanted it. You claim no responsibility. So yes, I have my issues, too, but yours go way beyond mine."

He clapped slowly, looking around the park before zeroing in on me. "Congratulations, Kenji. You've been enlightened."

"This isn't a joke, Aarav."

"Believe whatever she tells you," he said. "Don't have a mind of your own."

"Stop it."

How was I friends with this guy? Everything Arya said about him was right. I shouldn't have doubted her or Darian.

"I let you in," I said. "I became your friend, and I thought you got me."

"I do," he said. "Darian will never get you, no matter how hard he tries. To understand a fucked up person, you have to be a little fucked up yourself. And Darian is fucked up, but he's not your fucked up."

"I'm not fucked up," I said. "The battles I deal with don't make me a fucked up person. Not everyone is like you, Aarav. Problems don't equal being fucked up."

"Tell Arya that."

This guy.

"You're disgusting," I said, and he smiled. "This shit isn't funny. After everything your mother went through. After all your father put you through. How could you do this to Arya?"

"You make it sound like she's some victim," he said. "She's one of the few people I actually give a shit about. Me and her have our own relationship, just like me and you."

I put a hand up. "Don't bring me into this."

"I thought we had our own relationship." He moved closer to me, and I stood still. I wasn't afraid of him. "Just like her, when I'm around you, I feel strong. Powerful. Less tormented." He got into my face. "You think I abuse her or whatever, but I show her love."

"That's not love."

"And you know what love is?"

"Yes," I said. "Love is when you're willing to take your heart out and put it in their hands, and you trust them not to crush it even though everything in your body is telling you to take it back."

He smirked. "Poetic. Darian taught you that?"

"Yes," I said. "Because he loves me, and I love him."

"That's your definition of love," Aarav said. "I have my own, and I show Arya love. I love her the best I can."

I pushed him back, needing my space. "You screwed us over. You screwed Arya over, and now me. You hurt her, and you used me."

"I didn't."

"You did," I said. "Why did you befriend me? To piss Arya off? Darian off? You tried to get me to break up with Darian. You tried to turn me against Arya. If this is your way of being compassionate, Aarav, I don't want it."

He grabbed my arm before I could turn around. "You don't understand."

"You're right," I said. "I don't understand, and I don't care enough to. Your biggest fear was letting people in and having them screw you over. Well, that's exactly what you did to me. Do you know what my biggest fear is?"

He gulped. "Letting people in and having them leave."

"Yeah," I said. "Guess what I'm about to do?" He didn't answer, and I jerked my hand back. "Bye, Aarav."

I turned around to leave.

"Kenji, don't do this," he shouted out to me, but I kept walking, not looking back. "This is exactly what they want."

I was done with his bullshit. For the first time in months, when it came to Aarav, I was finally thinking for myself.

"Kenji?" Arya was at the window of the passenger side of the Hatchback. "What are you doing here?"

I drove to the Guptas' after seeing Aarav. Hopefully he wasn't coming home yet because I needed to talk to Arya alone.

I waved her in. "Hop in."

She hesitated for a second before entering the car. I reversed out of the driveway as she buckled herself in. We drove away from the house.

"I spoke to Aarav." Arya glanced my way as I stared forward. "He's full of shit." She scoffed. "And I'm an ass for the way I reacted yesterday." I peeked over at her. "I'm sorry."

"You believe me?"

"I never should have not believed you," I said. "The couple months I was friends with Aarav will never surpass the nine years we were friends. Even though you treated me like shit and even though our relationship has been through hell lately, you'll always come first." She smiled. "And I forgive you. It's time to move on from the past."

"Oh." Disappointment took over her face. "I'm guessing you don't wanna be friends then?"

"No," I said. "I wanna be friends, but it's not possible to have the friendship we had before. We've changed, so our friendship will change. It'll be different, but there's nothing wrong with different."

She smirked. "I guess you have grown up, kid."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Our old friendship is behind us. Now, let's put our beef behind us. It's time for a fresh start."

"I'll love that," she said. "Thank you, Kenji." I nodded, focusing on the road. "You're driving."

"I am."

"So you're not scared anymore?"

"I am."

I was scared shitless, and a lot of things still scared me. However, I was finally tired of the fear winning. Driving scared me, but I wasn't hiding from it anymore. I had to learn to live my life doing the things that scared me.

"Well, you don't show it."

I smirked at her. "Because I'm an OG."

Arya burst into laughter. "Sure, Kenji."

"I'm done with, Aarav," I said when we stopped at a red light. "From now on, I have your back a hundred percent."

"I have yours, too."

I smiled as the light turned green. It was settled. Aarav Gaurav was dead to me, and whatever I had to do to bring him down, I was game.

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* What do you guys think about Aarav and Kenji talking? Kenji and Arya making up?