⌗ 60; third person ✎ᝰ

"I don't think you should be doing that." Riley stands from her seat and extends her arm to stop Mason from getting up off her wheelchair.

Mason tilts her head. "I need to check up on her." It had been more than half an hour since Mara had left to put away the antibiotics. The young lady had grown worried as time passed.

Her hands and feet were numb and weak, yet nothing could get in the way of her. Her palms press against the coldness of her armrests. She uses the little strength she had left in her to push her up from her seat. "Fuck."

Riley rushes to her aid and helps her up, "Maisie, I told you to be careful." Her almond eyes find themselves locked in Mason's sharp cat like gaze. "You might hurt yourself."

Her breath hitches when her skin comes in contact with Mason's. It had been a long time coming, and now she was here, the closest she's ever been to her since the day things ended.

Mason sits herself back down with the help of the other girl. "Thank you." A small smile forms on her lips. "I'm sorry. Still a bit stubborn."

Riley chuckles lightly. "I can tell." She hesitates for a split second before giving in. "Hold still."
Mason holds her breath when Riley inches closer. The girl carefully removes a stray lash that had been interfering that whole time.

"There. It's gone."

Mason catches her breath when they pull away. "Thank you. I didn't even notice..." Her voice fades when she catches Riley staring hard. "Is there something else on my face?" She could hardly believe that something so cliche was unraveling at this very moment—with her ex.

She shakes her head. "No, not anymore." Riley felt herself at a calmness that made her feel a lot lighter. "Do you want me to help you?"

The latter creases a brow. "Huh?"

Riley points to the other end of the hall. "Do you want me to take you to Mara? You look worried." The young lady had soon remembered her goal: to check up on her best friend.

Mason nods hastily, "Yes please." The older girl stood up and brought herself to the back of the wheelchair. Her hands grip the handles as she begins to push Mason down the hall and to the door of the guest bedroom. "Thank you."

They fall quiet for a moment. Both their hearts beat against the walls that surround them.

"Mason, can I ask you something?"

The latter doesn't hesitate. "What about?" She looks up at Riley with earnest eyes. If this was the beginning of their new chapter, she might as well do it right. "Should I be worried?"

"No, I don't think so." Riley shook her head as the bedroom door opened. "I—Mara."

The doe eyed girl stands in the middle of the doorframe. "Babi, what happened?" Mason was quick to check up on the older girl. "You told me you'd come back. Though you never did..." Her voice runs small as Mara kneels in front of her.

She looks at Mason level to level. "I know. I'm really sorry." She apologised. "Um, to be honest I wasn't feeling all that great so...I went to bed." Mason looks past Mara's shoulders.

The bed was still made. It didn't look like she had gotten in bed at all. "Are you ok?" A look of worry washes over Mason. "Do you need anything? Anything at all? I can..."

Mara held her hand over Mason's. "Hey, shh. It's ok." She tried to remain composed. "You don't have to worry about me, lovey. In fact, I'm the one that should be looking after you. But I ran off like some coward because I felt..."

She doesn't finish her sentence. Instead, she stands from her place and looks up at Riley. "Don't worry about it, Babi. You should get some rest." Mason looks at her with soft eyes.

Mara swallows the lump that formed at the back of her throat. She watches Mason intently as she drives her wheelchair into their bedroom.

"Riley, we need to talk." Her voice was firm. She tried her hardest to remain calm. Her eyes were still sore from the crying. "If you want."

Mara closes the door behind her. "I'm just going to get some fresh air, Mace." The latter answers in a slight muffle. "Ok. Don't be too long."

"What do you want to talk about?" Riley curls her fingers between the ends of her shirt. She couldn't help but feel anxious. "Mara?"

"Where can we talk without her hearing?"

Riley is quick to guide them back down the hall and to the second level of the apartment. She finds herself up here more often than not. It was a place where she could be on her own without having to worry about everyone else.

The ladies sit side by side against the cold wall. There was an underlying tension that both were very much aware of. "Is this about Maisie?"

Mara nods. "And me." Her reply earned an unreadable expression from the girl beside her.

"You?" Riley was right. She could feel her insides churn. She felt like the air had become suffocating. "Are you guys..."

"No." Her answer was firm and straight to the point. "Look. I want to be honest with you." Mara replied. "And 'we' aren't anything. If you're worried that she has feelings for me..."

"Does she not?" Riley questioned.

"To an extent then yeah, maybe."

"I'm not sure I'm following..."

"There could never be an 'us' because she still loves you." Mara couldn't keep track of how many times her heart had been broken in the hours that had passed. "That has never changed. It's always been you, Riley. I hate to admit it but that's the truth. It was always you." A metallic taste lingers in her mouth.

"What?..." Riley couldn't comprehend it.

Mara's tears fall once more. "When you left I spent countless days trying to get her to eat. She lost weight. She wouldn't sleep. I couldn't do anything but be there and hope for the best."

Riley could feel herself choke up. She did not expect this conversation to go in the direction it had. Part of her felt remorse for the latter.

"Weeks went by and we spent almost every day together. Had we been apart for merely a few hours she'd call. She would tell me that she couldn't breathe, that she needed me. I would drop everything and anything just to be by her."

Riley starts to well with tears. "Mavis. What did she think about all this?" Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She shouldn't have asked. Mara couldn't help but weep.

"Mavis broke up with me." Her voice shaky.

Riley turned to face Mara properly. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"She felt like I was just too good to be true," She scoffed. "Said that we'd fall apart eventually. I thought she was playing some sick game to get back at me for something I did but.. turns out I didn't know anything. She just wanted to end things. It's was so selfish.." Mara bites down on her lower lip. "Her fucked up excuse was horrid. Flew out to Singapore the next day. I haven't heard from her since."

"How did Mason take it? Gosh, she would always tell me about you. She rooted for you guys. She even said she was the captain of the ship. She was such a fan."

Mara laughed. "She really was. But...I never actually told her. I didn't tell Ellie either. I didn't have the heart to tell them that my gi—that our best friend had flee'd the country because I was just too good for her to—" She stops momentarily to catch her breath. "I just wallowed in self pity. And when you guys broke up...all she needed was someone to hold on to. And it just happened that we were two people who were broken at the same time."

"You healed each other." Riley answered.

Mara wipes the tears away with the tips of her fingers. "All that time I spent with her made me forget why I was broken in the first place. And I guess I made her feel the same way too. After a while I just had her in my mind all the time. I didn't know why at first. I believed for moment that it was just me missing her because we had spent all that time together. But in reality, I had fallen in love with Mason and everything that came with her. Be it the long conversations about the things that she likes or even the books she reads and Conrad Fisher. Gosh, sometimes I felt like she'd marry the TV for that man."

Riley couldn't help but laugh. "She might just be the biggest Conrad Fisher enthusiast known to mankind." All the sour feelings she had towards Mara had slowly faded into nothingness.

She didn't feel mad or upset. She felt sorry instead. The latter had taken down her walls to reveal her truth. A truth that hurt her more than she'd care to admit; that she loves Mason, and with full certainty, knows how it all ends.

"I'm really sorry." Mara apologised.

"For what?"

"Aren't you mad?" She chuckled nervously. "I just admitted the fact that I'm in love with your girlfriend. Doesn't that upset you?"

Riley shrugged her shoulders. "I could be. But, I don't think I have the heart to hate someone that's taken down their walls to tell me the truth. I'm not mad because I know. I know how easy it is to fall for her. To be in love with her. It's not hard to love her." They both nod in agreement. "I could be mad. But I'd rather be the person to tell you that it's ok. I love her still, and I fear I always will be. We aren't together anymore. I think it's just up to whether or not she decides on one of us. That way we'll know."

"That's where you're wrong." Mara uttered. "She doesn't have to decide, Riley. It's always been clear from the start. Her heart belongs to you. Nothing. No one could ever change that. Not even me. So please..."

Riley looks into Mara's bloodshot eyes.

"Love her for me. Love her like she's your last love. Love her like she put the stars in the sky. I can't be her love. But you can." Mara cried. "Loving her has been the best and worst thing that could ever happen to me. If I can't love her, and if I can't be her love then please...I don't want to be that person that interferes. What you two have is so special. Just take care of her. Don't let her go. If I can't love her I know you will. You are her greatest love. That alone is a reason I can't ever compete with. It hurts. More than I could ever possibly imagine. But she belongs to you. And I can't keep her when I know full well how much she loves you, Riley. I love her more than life. And I know you know what I mean, because you love her too. But I can't be selfish. I'm her best friend. I should be there for her no matter what. And if that means helping her find her happiness..well that's you."

"Mara..."

"I brought her here because this is where her home lies. Within you. And I'm here to return her to you, Riley. I can't keep her away from her happiness. It will always be you. You have no idea how lucky you are. The universe had always conspired for you to be together. Mason is not for me. I don't want to let her go. But I have to. For me. So please. Love her for the both of us. I can't keep her away from the person she loves most in this world. Even if it hurts."