A change of heart

Ayalla shrugged at his mention of punching Gareth. While she knew she had a darker side, she wanted to do better than what her instincts were telling her. He said he would be going to the party, making her sigh, mostly because she was hoping for him to suggest they just went away. Maybe go to the beach again, just the two of them, speak about everything and nothing. "I'll come with you ... But Vanessa might get angry with me for just ditching her," she said, looking at their hands. She felt a strong connection to Darren, one that was a friendship that went deeper. She leaned in, placing a kiss against his cheek. "Let's go," she said as she started to walk with him.

Ethan frowned, looking at Vanessa as she spoke about them meeting them at the party. "They probs be sneaking off for a snog and a quickie," he chuckled, but he was happy for his friend. Darren had been through a lot of shit, he deserved being happy, at least in the eyes of Ethan. Ethan got up, smacking his hands together. "Aight, G, let's get going," he said ruffling up the daemon's hair before looking at Vanessa. "C'mon, Vane, I promise a dance if it'll make ya happier," he chuckled, moving his hips to be silly.

Ayalla wasn't quite sure what to expect. To be honest she wasn't really in the mood to see Gareth with that girl again, but she also didn't feel like she could just stay away. She was holding Darren's hand, feeling so warm in his presence. "Do you actually like having me around?" she asked while they were walking. The streets was nearly empty, people hadn't left for the night yet, but it wouldn't be long before they would come out. The streetlights turned on, and Ayalla placed her head against his shoulder as they walked. She knew she could be a bit clingy at times, mostly when she felt lesser than, and that girl had made her feel like nothing. "I want to get back at him ... I don't want him to have the upper hand in this, thinking he can just string me along like I'm his personal plaything," she muttered. Stopping at a red light, she felt her eyes hyper focus on the red man standing still. She was staring a little too hard as the light suddenly flickered and the metal made a crackling sound. "Fuck," she mumbled under her breath. She was getting upset and it was showing.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head with a big boyish grin on his face. Ever since the day they had spent together he had felt closer to Vanessa, but perhaps it was just for the better. If he started to feel like she was more of a sister, perhaps his feelings for her could change. One thing he did notice however was how dismissive Gareth suddenly was of the girl he had spent most of the evening so close to. It wasn't weird that he was ditching girls for later, but he was starting to wonder if there was something different going on. Either way, Ethan decided just to try and ignore whatever had been going on. It was easier not to worry about something he couldn't figure out anyways.

Ayalla felt rather happy to hear his reply. Darren was a great guy, and it was a lie to say she wasn't starting to feel something for him. However she didn't feel like it would be fair to drag him in to everything with Gareth, and she hadn't healed from that heartache yet either. His words were sweet, and she turned to look up at him, her eyes gleaming a bit in the darkness. Any guy? Would Gareth be jealous if he saw them? Probably not, and that was going to take some time to get over that thought.
As he mentioned how ruthless Gareth had been towards Darren today, she felt her blood boil slightly. It was only adding to the flame and she just felt like it wasn't fair. "I'm sorry," she apologized, even though she knew she couldn't control the daemon and his actions, but she felt like it was her fault. He was getting targeted just from associating with her, and she felt like she was breaking up a friendship. He reminded her to calm down, and it was as if the squeeze of her hand was enough to bring her back to the surface, looking up at him with a faint smile. "I just hate that you have to get taunted," she said breathing out as the light turned green and they could pass the street. They were getting closer to their usual club, but something in her felt like everything was going to turn out worse by getting there.
She stopped, still holding his hand in hers, looking at how he was just calm. Darren was rarely this calm, but it seemed like around her he was more happy. "I don't know if I can control myself if I see him dancing with that ..." she said, not finishing her words, because in reality it wasn't that woman's fault. It just hurt that she knew she could never sit that close to him around their friends, that he couldn't hold her close unless they were alone and sure no-one was coming around. But Darren never seemed to hesitate, not when it came to letting her hold his hand or resting her head against him. How many times hadn't she fallen asleep against him while watching a movie? It felt like Gareth was an ice-storm, but Darren was like a warm breeze that was thawing up her heart.  

He shook his head at her apology, because to him it wasnt her fault. Why Gareth was being a complete asshat about it was the daemon's own doing, at least in Darren's eyes. It was just better to let him play his game, if Darren had learned anything from his time with Gareth, it was that giving in and burst out in anger would just encourage him to worsen his behaviour. "It's okay," he said in a sure tone, looking at her with eyes as sure as his words.
They passed the street at the green light and he just looked ahead. With the new medicine, he had gotten better at filtering out all the noise, making life a little more bearable and then the thing with her making him so calm was just the perfect mix. He raised an eyebrow as she spoke of Gareth, shrugging, "Maybe you need to see him do that kind of stuff so you can move on," he thought out loud. "If you feel like losing it, just find me. I'll help you the best I can, you know I will," he assured her.
Soon they arrived at the club and were let in quite fast. The doorman knew them and even though he seemed to send Darren a funny look, it was just another perk of being associated with one of the Prideux brothers. The music was loud and Darren looked at Ayalla with a small smile, "What drink do you fancy tonight?" he asked.

Ayalla nodded at his assurance. She felt really lucky to have met the human, even though she still felt bad for putting him in a position like this. She had been so used to be on her own, and she was still independent, no doubt about that, but having someone on your side cheering for you when you needed it was golden. "Thank you," she spoke softly, her eyes saying everything she couldn't. She appreciated him so much, how he could be this calm and step up when she was being so unruly.
Arriving at the club, she felt the doorman look a little extra at Darren, but she didn't know why. She knew that when Darren got angry he could loose his sense a bit, fighting with everyone even though he couldn't match them in strength. The bass of the music sent shivers down her spine with something resembling excitement. He spoke over the loud music, making her smile in return. "Something sweet, maybe a strawberry daiquiri," she urged him, knowing he would go grab it for them. Sometimes it felt like they worked together like two magnets, pulling and pushing each other in just the right amount to make them fit together. "I'll go see if Vane and the others have arrived," she said, feeling a little more brave now that they were actually here. She went in through the crowd where she quickly spotted Ethan sitting at a VIP lounge area drinking and chatting with Vanessa. "Hi," Ayalla said, making the human grin at her. "Look who finally showed up," he teased, looking around to see if he could spot Darren.

He nodded at her urge, smiling softly before he seemed to slip in in the crowd and make his way to the bar. He knew where to find them anyway, it wasnt unknown that Gareth had a place where all his friends could go for some privacy and just avoid the mass of people fighting for booths and a spot on the dancefloor. Vanessa was chuckling at something Ethan had said as Ayalla came. She looked up at her friend and reached out with her hand, "Heyyy girl," she said in a happy tone. "Come sit," she said, patting the spot next to her. She looked around for Darren before she made a deep sigh. "Gareth had to make a call, but he'll be here soon," Vanessa said as Darren came back with their drinks, a strawberry daiquiri like she had wanted and just a beer for himself. He nodded at Ethan and sat down with his drink. Vanessa took a sip of her drink before she pulled out a deck of cards. "Let's play a game," she said with a bright smile. Darren mumbled something in agreement before he made a slight shrug, looking down at his drink for a moment. Clearly he could tell what both her and Ethan were feeling, but it wasnt his place to reveal or mess with, which was why he hadnt even told Ayalla though he had a feeling she knew what things were like on Vanessa's end. Though it felt a little much to carry on his own.

Strangely enough Ayalla felt more comfortable now that they were in a different setting. She couldn't see the girl around, so she simply nodded at Vanessa's request, sitting down as Darren joined them. Mouthing a thank you to the human she took a sip, or perhaps rather a chuck, and felt her nerves calm down a bit as the sweetness hit her tastebuds. Of course the hybrid knew that Vanessa was head over heels for Ethan, but it was only something the daemon had disclosed to her in absolute secrecy. Naturally, Ayalla couldn't see the appeal in the guy, but she wanted her best friend to be happy as could be.
"Sounds like a great idea; I'm feeling a little daring," Ethan said in response to Vanessa, chuckling as he gulped down a good part of his rum and coke. Ayalla raised her eyebrow at the human before eyeing Vanessa, but she decided to shrug it off. "How about truth or dare then?" she suggested, looking at Darren for a while. He was quiet now, not as talkative as he usually was when it was just the two of them. For the first time ever she wished he could read her mind, and that she could read his. But on both ends it was just silence. "How about you start," Ayalla said, smiling as she looked at the daemoness by her side.

Vanessa shook her head at the human with a sigh, though she wasnt angry. On the other hand, she lit up at Ayalla's suggestion and nodded in agreement. She leaned closer to her best friend and poked her gently with her shoulder. "Of course," she said with a bright smile before she looked at Darren, but it being too easy to start with, she looked at Ethan instead. "Okay daredevil. Truth or dare?" she asked with a bright smile.
Darren took a sip of his beer and leaned back, feeling a little thankful that it wasnt his turn to begin with. But he did wonder what Vanessa had in mind, though he wouldnt have to wait long to find out.

Truth:" What is something your friends would never expect that you do?"

Dare: She licked her lips with excitement before she chuckled softly and looked out on the crowd. "Go out in the crowd and boop the prettiest person on the nose," she said with a shrug. It was a light start.

She didnt seem to mind that he picked truth, shrugging at his answer with her eyes narrowed a little. "Not really that surprising," she said but she was lying just a little, because in a way it wasnt something she had thought he would say. Darren looked at Ethan with a sigh as he should have expected that his friend would want to figure out what had been going on. He picked truth to have it over and done with. "We're not a couple," he said truthfully though it felt a little bitter to admit. He then looked at Ayalla. "We're just closer now," he then said just to let her know that he wasnt just dismissing all of it. He then looked at Ethan with a curious expression, was he satisfied with the answer? He wasnt going to say more than that though. Instead he looked to Ayalla and asked her.

Truth: " Do you feel happy?" he asked which might have seemed like a small question, but it was something that meant a lot to him to know.

Dare: He sighed and closed his eyes for a second. "Balance your drink on your head for 30 seconds," he then said, as it was the first thing that came to mind.

Ethan nodded, but it was clear he wasn't completely satisfied with the reply. He knew where Darren stood in all of this, but hadn't he had the balls to tell her yet? It was clear that she wanted to be around him, why not give it a shot and see where it led? However he turned to look at Ayalla.
The hybrid sighed, biting her lower lip after responding dare, hoping he wasn't going to be too mean to her. "It's in a cocktail glass," she complained, but she knew the rules, breathing out as she lifted her half empty glass of strawberry daiquiri and balanced it tryingly on her head. However someone at the booth behind them managed to bump in to her head, making her spill the drink, the glass splintering on the bright colored VIP table. "Damn it," she mumbled, eyeing the guys at the table behind them as they tried apologizing. She got up from her seat, feeling the sweet cocktail sticking on her hands. "Just play on without me, I'm going to go wash myself," she said, getting up from her seat and not really saying more as she moved towards the bathrooms. There was a line, of course there were, and all the while she just felt the drink getting more and more sticky on her hands.

Her complaint made him chuckle as he shook his head. He wasnt going to change it, he wanted to see what would happen. When someone bumped her head, Vanessa frowned and told them to fuck off, looking at her friend with worried eyes. She watched as she left, before she looked at the two others. "I'll go check on her in a second," she said, taking a sip of her drink as she just counted down in her head before it made sense to go.

He had seen her balance the glass on her head and how it had ended in a sticky mess. He asked for a wet cloth from the bar before he decided to go find her by the line at the toilet. "Here," he said in a indifferent tone as he offered her the wet cloth. He looked her in the eyes, shifting between them like he was thinking of what to say. He looked back towards the others before he looked at her once again. "Why did you chose to hang out with Darren all of a sudden?" he asked quite bluntly, mostly out of curiosity. He wasnt sure if she was trying to make him jealous and maybe a part of him was feeling a little possessive.

Ethan got to his feet as someone bumped into Ayalla, but alas his stance wasn't nearly as scary as Vanessa's verbal slurs targeted to the guys. As much as the hybrid and him got in to arguments, but that didn't mean he wouldn't protect her. She meant something to him just as much as all of his friends. He sat down, mumbling in agreeance to what the daemoness said before he just chatted more casually with Darren.

Ayalla heard his voice and for a second she thought she was dreaming. Looking at him she probably looked rather pissed off, but she was more surprised that he was there and offering her help. She took the cloth, cleaning off her hands as Gareth finally spoke to her. She frowned. Was he jealous or just possessive? "Am I not allowed to hang out with my friends?" she replied in a distant tone. She was still angry and hurt, she was just better at hiding it. "I did consider trying to get back at you, but then I remembered it wouldn't even bother you; So why even think about it," she said, placing the cloth around a lock of her hair that had gotten soaked by the sweet liquid. She shook her head. She was so close to just wrap her arms around him, hide away in his chest and plead with him to stop hurting her, but she was far to proud. "Where's your bimbo?" she then asked.

"Sure you are. You've just never shown interest in Darren, which makes it odd that you do now, knowing he feels the way he does about you," he remarked with a raise of his eyebrow. He knew she was angry and hurting but if she really didnt want him to be there, all she had to do was say it. Her conclusion made him chuckle softly, narrowing his eyes a little. He couldnt quite figure out if she was angry because she was hurting or because she had gotten over it by now. A part of him didnt believe it would be the last. "Hell if I know," he said with a shrug to her question. He then smiled at her. "I didnt think it would actually have any sort of effect," he said before he glanced out on the crowd, just to be sure Vanessa wouldnt suddenly come out of nowhere. "Do you think about that night?" he asked as he looked back at her.

"How he feels about me?" she asked rather confused. Ayalla hadn't heard what Gareth had said that night before she left, mostly because she had been so upset and focused on leaving the place. Her heart started racing. Had Darren just been kind to her to eventually gain something from her? Or was he actually genuinely trying to be her friend? The seed of doubt had been planted, but their conversation continued. The fact that the daemon had no clue where the girl he had been spending all night with was made her narrow her eyes as she looked at him. His next words making her scoff, folding her arms in front of her as if to restrain herself.
Then he asked something that made a bitter taste form on her tongue, making her shrug as she looked at the crowd rather than him. "I think about how stupid I was ... How desperate I felt when you couldn't even lie and tell me you cared," she said, her voice becoming weaker. She hadn't told anyone what had been said, but she had been so angry that he had demanded to hear her say such a strong sentence, and he couldn't even pretend to return it. "So yeah, I think about it, and I regret ever opening my mouth because I was caught up in the moment," she said, looking down. She was still hurting, and the worst part was that she still cared about Gareth. Even though she knew it would lead nowhere, the heart wanted what the heart wanted.
"Why you gotta be so rude about it," she mumbled, starting to walk away.

He was right. She had wanted him to say that he loved her. That he couldn't be without her. But that was too much to ask. As she started to walk away she felt him grab her hand, and it was as if all she wanted was to entangle their fingers like they had done so many times before. His words were serious, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at him, her eyes hurting and yet she didn't know if she could trust this. Looking down at their hands she breathed out. "I want that," she confessed looking up at him with her eyes still filled with hurt. "But ... You fucked me up ... And I'm done betraying Vanessa," she whispered. By the gods, if he had done this the night where she left she would've jumped in with both feet, ready to give up everything to be with him. "And who says you wouldn't end up getting bored with me anyways? Am I supposed to just live in a current circle of fear of you stopping to notice me?" she asked, frowning because she hadn't let go of his hand yet.

Ayalla felt torn. On one hand she wanted to believe him, but on the other he hadn't shown how he actually wanted to be with her. "Then what was the whole charade with that girl?" she asked, looking down. "You have a weird way of showing that you want to be with me," she said, letting go of his hand to instead wrap it around herself. She felt like she was going crazy, like she needed to run far away or perhaps just break this whole place to the ground, let there be nothing but rubble and blood left. Her eyes watered a bit, making her look away and that was when Darren joined them. The two guys started bickering at each other, making the hybrid hiss. Would you two stop it?" she pleaded, her voice broken as she felt like she needed to gather her thoughts, but they clearly didn't care.
Gareth mentioned Darren's feelings once more, making her look at the human. There was a certain betrayal in her eyes, the fact that he hadn't told her what he felt despite the fact that she felt so close to him. Did she even really know him? However she then looked at Gareth. "At least he's not afraid to hold my hand in public; He's not scared of getting closer to me when we're out and about," she said, wanting to defend Darren somewhat. The human hadn't even made a move or a suggestion of where he wanted her to be in his life. He had been the friend she needed while healing, and she knew she still had some healing to do, but it all depended on her choices tonight.
She shook her head, looking out at the crowd. "I need some time ... Alone," she just said as she started to leave. She didn't even know if she wanted them to follow her, but she felt like this place was far from the spot to make her choice.