CHAPTER 25 – STALE TEARS


“What are you doing here?” Arora inquired softly, it had been at least 3 years since she’d seen Tyler. The funeral was the last time.
Tyler breathed softly. She truly hated Arora, she blamed her for everything, especially for the fact she had never quite recovered from what had happened. Tyler took a small photo from her jacket pocket and lay in on the desk in front of Arora.
“He’s what I'm here for” Tyler announced bitterly as she turned and walked away
Arora starred down at the picture, she remembered it well, Christmas eve 4 years ago, it was a picture of her, Tyler and her twin brother – Kale. She turned it over, the back had a note scribbled on it.
Room 45, Metropolis Hotel.
~ AN HOUR LATER ~

Arora found herself standing in the foyer of the large hotel. She looked over to the elevator, debating whether she should go up to Tyler’s room. She could remember vividly how Tyler had sworn she’d hate Arora for the rest of her life. So why, now, would she be back in the US, and why would she want to see Arora?
“I need some answer’s” Arora huffed as she pushed the elevator button, and stepped inside.

~ 5 MINUTES LATER ~

Arora knocked on the white hotel door, with the number 45 stuck in the center. Tyler opened the door, and gestured for Arora to come inside.
“I suppose you’re wondering why I'm here,” she said quietly as she slipped around the room, her hair falling loosely across her shoulders. She was a bit taller than Arora, and definitely darker, her skin a deep olive color, much like Kale’s had been, her dark intense eyes, shone a shade of blue. She hadn’t changed much, the very sight of her sending a shiver up Arora’s spine; it was Kale was there, standing in front of her.
“I'm wondering why you asked me here” Arora responded
“I still blame you, I’ve tried to move past that, but I don’t think I can” Tyler announced matter-of-factly
“It’s been 3 years Tyler, you need to move on” Arora sighed reaching for the door handle.
Tyler’s reaction was quick as she grabbed Arora hand and yanked it away from the handle.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to share memories with another person, to be able to feel their pain, like they’re a part of you?” she said motioning around the room
Arora closed her eyes briefly. She didn’t want to drudge up the past, not now, not here.
“I need to go” Arora mumbled reaching for the door again
“Answer my question” Tyler hissed placing her body in front of the door
“No, Tyler, I don’t know what that feel’s like” Arora whispered
“I do, but you took that away from me”
“For god sakes when are you going to realize it was an accident Tyler? I had nothing to do with what happened. And you will always be this miserable person until you stop blaming people, that wont bring Kale back, it wont make things better. Move on” Arora announced pushing past Tyler and out the door
“Tell me what happened” Tyler whispered as she walked out into the hallway following Arora
“What do you mean, what happened?”
“I came here for the truth Arora, what happened that night”
“You already know”
“You came to see me, why?”
“I don’t know”
“Because you wanted to tell me something?”
“Don’t play your mind games Tyler, the past is the past leave it at that” Arora sighed, she had once been close to Tyler, they had been good friends, and told each other almost everything. Tyler had this way of seeing right through people, as though she had a window right into her soul. Arora was sure she wasn’t in New York to point the finger, in fact she was probably only saying what she said to see how Arora would respond.
Tyler played with the necklace around her neck, dangling the pendant through her fingers.
“Fine, whatever you say” she mumbled as she strolled back into the hotel and closed the door
Arora turned and headed back out of the hotel, the way she had come.

Tyler placed her hands flat on the wooden table.
“You’re hiding the truth Arora” she sighed “But why? And what?”
Something had lead her to New York, and she was desperate to find who’s face was haunting her dreams at night.

~ THREE DAYS LATER ~

“Argh it’s good to be home” Arora smiled as she dumped her suitcase on her bedroom floor
They had completed the whirlwind tour, and would from now on be gearing up to head out on the Nsync tour within a few weeks. Bianca said nothing as she strolled into her room, throwing her bags onto the floor.
“You okay B?” Arora inquired poking her head in through the door
“Fine” Bianca muttered, opening her top draw and heaving a pile of clothes into it.
Do you love Nick too? Her imagination taunted her to ask How long has this been going on? Bianca pushed the questions from her head, she didn’t want to hear them, she didn’t want to ask them, she didn’t want to know the answers to them.
“Okay then” Arora replied as she headed back down the hall
“Why Arora? Why?” Bianca cried to herself falling onto her queen size bed
She curled up in a ball, as she felt the sense of betrayal hit her again.

“Hello?” Arora answered as the phone beside her rung
“Missed you” Brian purred down the phone line
“Three days and you missed me?” Arora laughed as she sat down at a chair against the breakfast bar
“Can you come over?” Brian inquired
“I dunno, I'm tired and –“
“Please” he pleaded interrupting her
“Okay Littrell, give me 10 minutes to change” she smiled before hanging up the phone

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

Unfortunately for Matt, Alika was a resilient person, and refused to die. His stunt with the buttons had achieved nothing in the long run, she was still in a coma, kept alive with numerous machines, but in Matt’s eyes – alive, which drove him insane. The doctors had been talking around him, offering him “good news” “we’re sure she’ll come out of this one, and soon” they would say, as they patted him on the back.
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” he mumbled splashing his face with the cold water from the sink

Tatum had been in and out of the hospital the past 4 days. Directors were foaming at the mouth, desperate to shoot scene while they were in Florida, Tatum however refused to leave the hospital for more than 2 hours at a time, and to even get her out for that long was a trial.

~ 10 MINUTES LATER ~

“Alright I'm here” Arora smirked as Brian opened the door.
It was a warm Florida night, one where you could open all the windows and still be pretty hot. Brian welcomed her in, wrapping his arms delicately around her waist.
“I love the way you smell” Brian sighed as he kissed her neck, swirling his tongue around the base.
“Well if you’re not careful you’ll lick it all off” she giggled
She turned around to face him, as his hands roamed around her body. He smiled knowingly, then lead her towards the couch, sitting down, and gesturing her to follow. Arora leant against the arm of the couch, as Brian leaned across his lips meeting with hers. His hand wandered up the small sundress she was wearing, rubbing against her thigh, as his other hand rubbed the base of her neck, his lips pushing the intensity of his passion onto hers, with unrestrained lust. Her hands moved under his tank top, climbing up his toned chest with spider-like precision.
“I love you” Brian smiled pulling away
Arora looked up at him, his eyes were shining truth, whilst hers were hiding secrets.
“Everything alright?” Brian smiled, his face still lingering just above hers
“Yeah, just tired that’s all” Arora lied as she squirmed out from underneath Brian
“I’ve been thinking” Brian started as he lay his hand on her leg “Have you got an invite to the MTV awards yet?”
Arora nodded slowly.
“I think we should go together” he scooped her hand into his and continued “let me be your date” she smiled sweetly “I want the world to know about us” he added
“You think that’s wise”
“I don’t want to think about what’s the right career move, or what people will think, I just want to feel and I feel this, I want to do this, that is if you’ll take me” he pouted

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

Bianca wiped away still more stale tears, she wished they would stop, that they would all dry up. The pain she was feeling seemed unbearable, nothing seemed to hold a purpose anymore. She clutched her knees in close to her shaking body, she had so much emotion bottled up inside and now it just kept spilling out. She wondered if it was her fault, if they were together now. She wondered what Nick thought, all the time he spent with her, was he wishing he was with Arora?

Bianca choked down another swig of the vodka she’d half demolished. She wanted to sleep, hoping she’d wake up, and it would all just be some horrible nightmare. She’d wake up with Nick breathing softly beside her. The sound of scratching came from behind the door as her dog begged to come in, as if sensing Bianca’s state. She ignored it and swallowed another handful of sleeping pills, she’s lost a sense on reality now, nothing seemed real, she didn’t want anything to be real.

Her feet fell onto the floor as she skidded around the room. She laid the contents of the bathroom cabinet onto her desk, and scribbled the simple words I’m sorry on a pad. Placing the pen down beside the note she downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills, gulping them down with a mouthful of Vodka. She sat slowly on the floor, the soft white carpet incasing her body as tiredness crept up on her, she closed her eyes to the darkness, and drifted slowly away.



Chapter 26
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