“

damaged people are dangerous.

they know how to make hell feel like home.

”

NICK did not call that night, the next morning, or the day after that or the week after that.

Ariel sat on her bed everyday as all the days of the week passed, waiting for her phone to ring. Waiting for his call.

She didn't feel the need to clean herself up - only when Agape forces her into the bathtub on a regular basis - and she did nothing but watch over an enthusiastic Jasper.

Agape was always working and had made it a habit to drop Jasper off with one of her neighbours, but Ariel felt guilty. She wasn't contributing anything yet she kept on attaching herself to Agape. The least she could do was watch Jasper.

Watching the little boy was a full-time job. He was energetic and enthusiastic. He hopped around and played everywhere but he was also extremely intelligent.

He had offered to read Ariel a bedtime story when he saw her struggling to stay awake one afternoon - Ariel hadn't been getting a lot of sleep, waiting for Nick was another full-time job that she had - apparently his mother had taught him how to read all the words in all his bedtime stories.

Agape had always bragged her son was a next generation genius - and he was. He had read her a bedtime story that made her take a long nap. The longest nap she had gotten in years.

But that day, after getting some sleep, Ariel plotted out a plan. As usual, Agape had gone off to work after kissing her son on the forehead as a goodbye and setting up warm water in the bathtub before dragging her best friend into it. After all her morning duties were done, she dropped two hundred dollar bills on the dinning table. Just like she always did.

Agape dropped the money in case they ever needed anything. Ariel took that to her advantage.

She had a bath and had given Jasper one too. She had dressed up in one of Agape's cute dresses to look presentable and brought out the warmest clothes Jasper had for him to wear. They both looked perfect.

She took the dollar bills and left the house to take a little walk.

×××

Jasper was excited. He rarely ever got to go out. After buying them both doughnuts to snack on, they made their way to Nick's.

It wasn't that long of a walk and it felt like seconds since Jasper was with her. He was talking about all source of things - he was observant. He talked about how his mother would walk around aimlessly when she was worried or how the old lady who used to babysit him, talked to her cats and always laughed at them evilly like she was plotting something with them.

These small details made Ariel smile. Wanting to know more and more about the little boy Agape proudly called her son.

When they reached the block Nick's house was located in, Ariel smiled widely - happy she was close to home.

She would have to call Agape about her whereabouts once Nick accepted her back. She would also have to beg Nick to let her drop Jasper back at home - she hoped he would agree. If not Agape would have to pick Jasper up.

Nick's house was a boring, typical house. It was a duplex painted white with nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing worth pointing out.

It didn't have a garden or anything - which always made Ariel pout. She loved gardening, but Nick hated her gardening. So she didn't.

"Come on, Jasp," she said the nickname she had for Jasper. "That's our destination!" She pointed at the house and Jasper squeezed her hand to try and get her to slow down, but she didn't even notice.

Seconds later she was in front of his house door with an award winning smile. She couldn't wait to come back home - she wonder what he had eaten because knowing Nick he wouldn't eat a thing. “You're living in my house to cook, or are you not a woman?” were his favourite words to direct at Ariel.

His words had always made Ariel frown but she got used to them. She had learnt how to cook different meals since he never repeated food. She never liked cooking or the idea of it but Nick had made it such a normal thing that she hadn't put thought into it any longer.

Ariel knocked on his door, then rang the doorbell. A habit of hers that she had never grown out of.

"Is anyone home?" Jasper asked Ariel. Ariel had done her best to put his long curls in a pigtail but a few strands of his curly hair had slipped out.

She brushed her fingers against the strands of hair and tucked them behind his ear. "Oh yes, he only leaves the living room lights on when he's home!"

Jasper opened his mouth to ask another question that Ariel regarded as unintelligent when the door swung open, revealing Nick Hart.

Ariel's cheeks went hot in embarrassment when she remembered how he had ended things. It would be one of their thousands of their breakups that he would accept Ariel back after realising he couldn't live without her.

Ariel was sure of it.

His blond hair was disheveled like he had run through it too many times and his cheeks were painted pink. He was as panting - he had probably just come back from a run, was Ariel's first suggestion.

But most of all, the look of disgust in his eyes made Ariel cringe from the intensity. She fidgeted with her fingers, hoping he'd see the determination in her eyes.

"What are you doing here? I thought I asked you never to come back?" He asked Ariel angrily, never once sparing Jasper a glance as he shrunk back to hide behind Ariel's long legs.

"I know but you didn't call me and I-"

"Listen, Ariel. I thought it was obvious but I'll spell it out for you anyway. We were dating for a long time, thank you for that. I loved you, Ariel. Just not anymore. I'm ready to move on with my life and go to greater and better things. You should at least do so too."

And he slammed the door in Ariel's face and just like that - a part of Ariel was gone and her heart was shattered.