On Our First Attempt

Chapter Nine

Kings Place, Summerlin North, Las Vegas

Ariana and Kyle came back to the penthouse the next day after Valeria left for Canada. Kyle couldn't go to work that day even though Lucas called him severally to report something urgent because he promised Valeria to take Ariana out for a tour.

After much wonderful tourism round the whole of Summerlin North, they came back home tired and hungry so Kyle suggested they order some food for dinner which Ariana agreed to because she had no strength to cook. The food was delivered almost immediately and they both ate like a there life depended on it.

"By chance did you study business administration in school?" Kyle asked as he gulped down the last piece of his food.

"Hmmmm....... that's my little secret." Ariana replied sarcastically and left for her room. Kyle smiled at her statement and also left for his room.

Very early the next day, Kyle left for work even before Ariana could wake up so as to make up for the time lost the previous day. Immediately he entered the office, he overheard Lucas, Miguel and Jason discussing about not telling him something they found out.

"What are you deliberating on not telling me?" Kyle asked curiously.

Lucas thought of a way to change the topic and he felt questioning him about his way about will be of help. "Where were you all through yesterday? It's so unlike you to miss work on a Monday. What about the presentation you were supposed to have? You just decided to ditch it just like that?" Lucas questioned.

"I was busy that's all, with a bit of fun. Val and her family left the country." He replied with a smile.

"Really? What did you do to offend them this time?" Lucas, Miguel and Jason chorused worriedly.

"It's obvious you all have no faith in me at all. They only left for her husband's family house in Canada for something urgent." He explained.

"Hmmmm, that's such a relief." Jason sighed.

"So what was I not supposed to hear of?" Kyle asked again drawing them back to their discussion before he arrived.

"Why don't you tell me about your own bit of fun? You're all smiley today, what's your secret?"Miguel asked cunningly, trying to make K forget his own question.

"Be serious guys, I only did few things I haven't done in a while." Kyle said.

"Like." Lucas asked, this time more curiously.

"Like you telling me what the f**k you didn't want me to hear." Kyle lashed at him.

"Hmmmm, you ain't fun to be with. Okay, I finally got something shocking about Ariana." Lucas said anxiously, while the other two just staring at nowhere in particular.

"Let's hear it." Kyle said curiously.

"Only if you promise us to not go back home tonight. We all could spend the night at my place or Jason's." Miguel said worriedly. And the others except Kyle agreed to his suggestion.

"That's not going to happen." Kyle protested. They continued to argue for almost an hour before Kyle finally agreed to their plan just to hear what they were keeping from him.

"Okay, okay......I will stay at wherever you want so just let me hear what you wanna say." Kyle said but Lucas still hesitated before handing over his phone to him.

"What is this for?" Kyle asked cluelessly.

"Just watch it." Lucas replied and Kyle hurriedly played the video.

"What is this?" He asked angrily.

"That's what she went out to do that night you humiliated her." Lucas explained.

"Huh......are...yo......are you trying to say she's a junkie?" Kyle asked, not believing what he saw.

"Literally, Yes." Miguel replied.

"No, no, how can she be a junkie when she..............wait, the pills." I think I need to go." He said and rushed off his office but they were fast enough to stop him at the company's underground parking lot.

"Where are you going this was not what you promised." Jason asked worriedly as they stopped him from getting into his car.

"I'm not going home, I'm only going to confirm something from doctor Hawkins, but where did you get this?" He asked.

"I struck a deal with the owner of the club house." Lucas said.

"Am coming with you." Miguel said and entered the car with Kyle while the rest went back to the office.

Immediately they arrived at the hospital after an hour ride, Kyle rushed over to Dr Hawkins office, but the doctor was in a meeting and he had to wait for a few more minutes or even an hour before the he finishes the meeting. Kyle was devastated and stressed out. It wasn't supposed to be his business what ever she wanted to do with her life, but an addict in his house is one thing he was sure never to accept.

"To what do I owe this unexpected visit? Is it about Ariana again? Is she alright?" Dr Hawkins asked worriedly.

"Is she not supposed to be alright?" Kyle asked cunningly.

"Hmm...what do you mean by that?" Dr Hawkins asked.

"Can you please be sincere with me?" Kyle asked as calmly as he could.

"I still don't get what you are driving at. And you know I'm a busy and won't have much time to waste." Dr Hawkins said, getting impatient.

"The other time she was here, it wasn't a wrong overdose right? It was hard drugs." Kyle asked.

"Where did you........" Dr Hawkins was unable to complete his statement as he was interrupted by Kyle.

"Please be sincere, I know you are doing this because of my sister." He said, showing him the video of Ariana taking the drugs.

Dr Hawkins was taken aback by the video and was forced to tell him the truth, but he still made sure to defend her.

"Yo-You are right, but Valeria talked to her and she's undergoing therapy now. She would be better with time, you have to be understanding, she's gone through a lot." Dr Hawkins explained.

"Therapy?" Kyle and Miguel asked curiously.

"Yes." Dr Hawkins replied.

Kyle accompanied by Miguel left the office without anymore word. He entered into his car and sat for a while thinking about Ana.

"What are you thinking about?" Miguel asked.

"It's a relief right? since she's already undergoing therapy." Kyle asked, hopefully.

"Uhmmmm...yes, Yes of course." Miguel stuttered, not sure of what to say.

Immediately they left, Dr Hawkins tried contacting Valeria to inform her about the unexpected change but her line was not reachable.

Kyle and Miguel drove back to Kyle's office afterwards and they all discussed about Ariana while Kyle just kept quiet listening to their comments and refuting the ones he considered bad.

"Come to think of it, I've never seen her." Miguel said.

"If you hadn't travelled that day, you would have seen her." Jason replied mockingly.

"I-I had a business trip." Miguel replied.

"It must have been really hard for her to start doing drugs. She's really a nice girl to live with." Lucas added, causing Kyle to smile stylishly.

"Someone looks happy to hear that. She's really tried alot in changing someone one I know from been an asshole that he was." Miguel said, trying to get on Kyle's nerves.

"Well as her boss, am going to feign ignorance and afford her sometime until she tells me herself. And I will have to go home early today since I promised to take her out." Kyle said.

"As her boss?" They all chorused, whilst Kyle just looked away.

"Though I haven't seen her but from what I've heard, she seems kinda responsible too." Miguel added. The creaking sound of Kyle's office door interrupted their conversation as they all stopped to see who'd barge in here without as much as a knock.

"Hey Miguel, you wouldn't say that if you knew her well or maybe you might just be feigning ignorance." Jasmine said as she made herself comfortable on one of the chairs in Kyle's office. "How responsible can a lady who ran away from home leaving her only child all alone and barely even call to check on him be?" She added, leaving only Kyle stunned as the others already seem to know about this.

"What are you cooking up now Jasmine?" Kyle asked.

"Why don't you ask Lucas, Jason or Miguel." Jasmine replied, pointing at them as she mentioned their names.

One look at Kyle and they already knew he was burning up in anger.

"What's going on here guys? What the hell is she blabbing about?" Kyle asked anxiously but it doesn't look like any of them were ready to quench his curiosity.

"Let me help you here K. Your.....uhm..... live-in keep is a runaway single mom. The kind of specie you detest the most. But the worst part is that everyone except you already knows about this." Jasmine replied in a subtle manner.

"That's- that's not possible right?" He hopelessly asked no one in particular as he angrily stood up from his seat.

"Look K, you have to calm down." Jason said, holding his hands.

"Get your hands off me Jason, why didn't anyone tell me about this?" He asked angrily.

"Because we knew you'd do this." Lucas replied firmly before turning to see Jasmine who was still sitting, feeling fulfilled with her plans. "I need you to leave this office this moment." He lashed at her and immediately she left the office feeling embarrassed by Lucas's scolding.

Kyle was devastated and appalled by the sudden turn of events. "Can anyone of you explain what she just said." He asked sadly.

"You where already devastated by the fact that she was a junkie so we couldn't bring ourselves to tell you about that, considering what happened the last time." Lucas explained.

"You know what? I need to leave." Kyle said and tried leaving the office but was stopped by Miguel.

"This wasn't what you promised K. Just stay away from that house today. PLEASE." Miguel pleaded earnestly. The others also pleaded with him before he finally discard the idea of going home immediately. Lucas urged Jason to take Kyle to his house which he did immediately and Miguel also left with them. Lucas made sure he stayed back to help Kyle with some of his work and also helped submit Kyle's project after thoroughly going through them.

Kings Palace, Summerlin North

Ariana on the other hand had been eagerly awaiting 5pm since she saw a note from Kyle telling her to be dressed by that time. All through the day, she went through her wardrobe looking for something attractive and catchy to wear. After much deliberation, she finally decided on a perfect dress for the occasion.

As soon as she was contented with what she chose, she went to the kitchen and prepared a yummy chicken stew for herself which she slowly ate as she was awaiting Kyle.

Few hours past the expected time, Kyle was still not home. At first the thought that he might be having an important meeting because of his project but when it started to rain heavily, she became worried.

"It's already past 10pm why is he not home yet?" She wondered, then she tried calling him but all to no avail. She sat in the living room as she waited but soon enough she fell asleep on the couch, but as soon as she heard a creaky noise from the door, she jumped up and rushed to check who it was.

"Where are you coming from all drenched by the rain? You could catch a fever, you know." Ariana said as she saw Kyle enter into the house.

With blood shot eyes, he glared at Ariana for a moment and afterwards went into his room without uttering any a word. Ariana was surprised by his attitude towards her. "What was that?" She wondered as she walked to the front of Kyle's room. She was about to knock the door when it popped open from the inside.

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Ariana asked.

"Shouldn't you be the one explaining to me about your son?" Kyle asked angrily.

Ariana was taken by surprise by Kyle's words. She had no idea on how to reply to Kyle's question.

"Lo-Look Kyle, I can explain." She said.

"That's what I still wanna hear, your stupid excuse of an explanation." He lashed at her.

"You've got no right to talk to me like that." Ariana lashed back at him.

"I will talk to you how ever I want you junkie." He fired at her as he threw her his phone showing her the video he'd seen earlier. Ariana began to tear up as she saw that all her secrets where coming into light, she need someone to run to but no one seemed to be there for her.

"How dare you leave your family and come seek refuge in my house, you monster." He added.

"Look Kyle, an not a junkie, yeah I do pop pills from time to time but am no junkie and I have a prescription for those. I know I left my child but that doesn't make me a monster." Ariana tried explaining, causing Kyle to chuckle wickedly.

"You're not a junkie but you pop pills occasionally? You're no monster? Tell what the hell are you? A shameless single mom?" Kyle asked angrily.

"Yeah, I am no junkie. Occasionally I take pills but that doesn't make me like them. And let me tell you something else because you don't know me. I graduated top of my class. I did all of that, I did all of that with a kid. So am not going to stand here and watch you compare me to those who are actually addicts. And my kid, I cherish him, he means the world to me, and for some reasons best known to you, you hate kids and have a knack for single moms, but I won't have you call me a monster just because I have a kid or because am a single mom. I wonder why I even agreed with Val to keep my son a secret." She lashed back at him and was about to go to her room when he held her hand and pushed her to the wall, causing her to moan painfully. She was about to complain when Kyle moved closer to her and held tightly to her neck, he squeezed her neck and made sure she had no slight chance of breathing. Ariana tried pushing him with all the power she had but soon she became weak for Kyle was too strong an opponent for her to fight.

She couldn't help but weep silently as weeping loudly was impossible for her. One glare at Kyle's eyes and she realized this wasn't the Kyle she knew or lived with.

"What the hell have you become." She managed to say.