Chapter One: Alone once more

Ariana pov

“God, I’ve missed you,” David whispered against my neck, his hands sliding over hardened peeks of my nipples.

I laughed, pulling him closer on the bed. “ Babe, we just had sex ten minutes ago, I’m exhausted." I said burying my head on his neck.

“Ten minutes too long.” He kissed me deeply, and I melted into him like I always did. 

We’d been together for three years, and somehow it still felt exciting.

His phone buzzed on the coffee table, but he ignored it, kissing down my collarbone instead.

“You should get that,” I murmured, feeling his hardened dick, even though I didn’t want him to stop.

“It can wait.” His hands moved lower, and I was about to completely give in when his phone rang. Loud and insistent.

He groaned, pulling back. “Hold that thought.”

I grinned, adjusting my shirt as he grabbed his phone. His expression changed the moment he looked at the screen.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s just… work stuff. I need to take this.” He stood up quickly, running a hand through his messy hair. “Give me five minutes?”

“Sure.” I watched him disappear into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

I sat there for a moment, catching my breath, my heart still racing. Then I remembered…I’d left the resort tickets in my apartment . The ones I’d fought tooth and nail to get today, I didn’t have much but after a month of saving every penny I finally did it. The last pair available at the counter in all of Riverdale City. Some crazy woman had nearly tackled me for them, but I won.

I wanted to surprise David with them. Graduation is next week, and this trip would be perfect.

I grabbed my keys and purse. “Babe, I’m running home real quick to grab my laptop and other stuff !” I called toward his bedroom door. “Be back in an hour!”

I didn’t wait for a response. He was probably deep in his work call anyway. I ended up spending a longer time than I expected , literally the whole day. 

Five hours and fifteen minutes later.

Traffic had been worse than expected. I sat in my car outside David’s apartment building, with my laptop bag in one hand, the bottle of wine I’d picked up in the other.

Perfect. Everything was perfect.

I let myself back into the apartment with my spare key. The living room was empty, but I could hear voices upstairs. David’s bedroom door was slightly open.

I smiled, ready to burst in and surprise him.

Then I heard someone speak “David… we can’t keep doing this…”

My stomach dropped. That was Jessica’s voice. My best friend Jessica.

“I know, I know,” David said, his voice strained. “But it feels so good…”

I froze at the bottom of the stairs, my hand gripping the wine bottle so hard I thought it might shatter.

No. No, this wasn’t happening.

I forced my feet to move, climbing the stairs like I was walking through mud. Each step felt heavier than the last.

“Please, David…we need to tell her”

Tears were already streaming down my face before I even reached the door.

I knew that voice. I knew it better than my own.

I pushed the door open.

The wine bottle fell from my hand and hit the floor with a dull thud. It didn’t break.

But I did.

David was on top of Jessica. On his bed. Her legs wrapped around him. Both of them half-naked.

Time stopped.

“Fuck…Ariana! What are you doing here?” David scrambled off her, panic written all over his face. He grabbed at his pants on the floor.

Jessica sat up fast, clutching the bedsheet to her chest. Her face went completely white.

“What… what is this?” My voice came out broken. Shaking.

“Wait…no, it’s not…” David started, pulling his pants on with trembling hands.

“Not what?” I could barely breathe. “Because it looks like you’re fucking my best friend.”

“Ari, please…” Jessica’s voice was small, terrified.

“Don’t.” I held up a hand, tears pouring down my face. “Don’t you dare say my name.”

“It’s not what you think!” David said, his voice desperate. “We weren’t…she was just helping me with…”

“Helping you with what?” I screamed. “I leave for a few hours and you’re in bed with her? How long has this been going on?”

“It’s not like that,” Jessica whispered, tears running down her cheeks too. “I swear, Ari, we weren’t…”

“You’re both liars!” My hands were shaking. My whole body was shaking. “I trusted you. Both of you. You were the only people I had.”

“Babe, please, just listen…” David reached for me.

I stepped back. “Don’t touch me.”

“It just happened,” he said weakly. “You’re always so busy with school and work. She was there when you weren’t…”

“When I wasn’t?” My voice cracked. “I’ve been working myself to death to pay for this trip. For us. I just bought tickets to that resort you’ve been begging me to take you to. And you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants for one week?”

His face went pale. “You… you got the tickets?”

I looked at Jessica, waiting for her to say something. Anything. An apology. An explanation.

But she just sat there, crying, the sheet pulled up to her chin like it could protect her from what she’d done.

“I didn’t plan this,” she finally whispered. “I swear. We were just talking about you, and then we had some wine, and it just… it just happened.”

“Stop talking.” My voice was cold now. Empty. “I never want to see either of you again.”

“Ari, don’t be like that,” Jessica said softly, like I was the one being unreasonable. “You’re hurt right now, but…”

“I made a mistake,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“You didn’t mean to sleep with him?”

She flinched. “You don’t have to be cruel.”

Something inside me snapped.

I walked up to David and slapped him across the face as hard as I could.

Then I ran.

I couldn’t stop crying.

I sat in my car in the parking lot for twenty minutes, sobbing so hard I couldn’t breathe. My chest hurt. My throat burned. My eyes stung.

And the worst part?

I had no one to call.

David wasn’t just my boyfriend. He was my best friend. My person. The one I told everything to.

And Jessica? She was like a sister to me. We’d known each other since middle school.

I’d built my entire world around the two of them. I never made other friends. I never needed to.

And now I was completely alone.

My phone buzzed.

Jessica: “Ari, please let me explain. It’s not what you think.”

I deleted it.

Another buzz.

David: “Baby, come back. We can work through this.”

I blocked his number.

Then I looked down at the resort tickets still clutched in my hand. It was crumpled and tear-stained.

I’d fought for these tickets. Saved for months. Nearly got into a fistfight with a stranger at the counter.

I wasn’t going to let him ruin this too.

-----

Two days later

I stood outside the resort, suitcase in hand, sunglasses barely hiding how exhausted I looked.

The place was beautiful. White stone buildings, tropical gardens everywhere, and the ocean sparkling in the distance.

This was supposed to be our trip. Mine and David’s.

But he’d destroyed that. Destroyed everything.

I swallowed hard and walked into the lobby. The receptionist smiled warmly.

“Welcome! You must be Ms. Cross. You’re in the Oceanview Suite on the top floor, room 412.” She handed me a keycard. “Enjoy your stay.”

“Thanks,” I managed, my voice hoarse from crying.

When I got to the room, I dropped my bag and just stood there.

Floor-to-ceiling windows. Ocean view. Huge bed with white sheets. A minibar full of expensive drinks.

It was perfect.

And I was completely, totally alone.

I collapsed onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. I wanted to cry again, but I had nothing left. I’d cried so much the past two days that I felt hollow inside.

I needed a distraction. Something to stop my brain from replaying what I’d seen over and over.

I know it’s pathetic…flying to a luxury resort just to watch movies in bed…but I couldn’t do anything else. I scrolled for a while and picked something. 

Twenty minutes in, I wasn’t even watching anymore.

I was thinking about David. How he used to touch me. Kiss me. Want me.

And now he’d chosen someone else.

I let my hands wander over my body, touching myself through my clothes. A soft sound escaped my lips.

I pulled my shirt up, exposing my skin to the empty room. My breathing got heavier as I kept going, losing myself in the feeling.

My underwear was already damp. I slid them off, opening my legs, The anger mixed with something else…something heated and desperate. I wanted to feel desired again. Wanted. Even if it was just by myself.

I traced the outlines of my breast with my hands .. softly pinching my nipples through the fabric of my clothes .. I moaned a little, patting my lips to make a little oh sound..

I raised my top exposing my perky breast. I pinched it harder until it became pebble hard.

I was starting to get into it. My panties were already damp showing how aroused I was.

Taking it off I opened my leg sliding a finger in…while pressing my nipple moaning softly. 

I inserted another finger, the wetness and the sound from the movie was making me overly sensitive .

I was just about to cum when the sound of the door opening pulled me out of my ecstasy.

On the door was a very handsome man who looked like he belonged on the cover of forb magazine.

He was easily the most handsome man I have ever seen, the main issue was my hands were still buried in my soaked pussy and everything was totally exposed to him.

We froze. Both of us. For what felt like an eternity but was probably three seconds.

Then I screamed struggling to cover myself with a blanket.

What the fuck is going on, how can astranger have my room key?

“This is a pleasant surprise…”he said with an infuriating smirk.

“Get out!” I snatched at the bedsheet, my face burning hot enough to fry eggs.

“Okay!” He nodded, before walking out calmly.