The Incubus Under my Bed

Chapter 8

Aria and Stella walked around the Kappa Delta estate. The girls were hot after a couple of hours of drinking and dancing in the house. They were having a good time for what it was worth, but there was some awkwardness between them. Stella knew she promised to let Henrí 's confession go, yet she couldn't. He was an incubus and her saintly cousin was his charge. She felt like she didn't know who Aria was anymore. She was practically a s*x slave and never mumbled a word.

Tyrell was standing in the far corner of the yard watching the girls. "Oh great Henrí 's here," Aria said pulling Stella away from her thoughts. She looked over to see Henrí walking over to them from the opposite corner Tyrell was approaching from. "I hope he's not coming over here."

"You don't even know how much," Stella said bring Aria's attention to Tyrell.

"Is it too late to hide?" Aria asked turning so neither boy could see her face.

"Girl, you are embarrassing me," Stella laughed. "Turn around," she said.

"Hey," Henrí smiled at Aria.

"Hey," she said as her heart went into hyper-drive. She'd never been in a situation where Henrí and Tyrell were in the same place at the same time. Not even when Henrí was in serious pursuit of his freedom. She felt nervous and guilty and sick.

"You look like you need this," Henrí said giving her his drink.

"It’s okay I'll get my own," she said needing a reason to get away.

"I'll get it. Hey Tyrell," Stella said as she headed back to the house for refreshments.

"Hey"- Tyrell started, but Stella was gone before he finished. "Hey Aria I was hoping to see you here tonight," Tyrell smiled.

It had been officially a month since the start of winter break and a month since their breakup. Aria had done everything in her power to stay away from Tyrell so he could easily get over her. That’s what he deserved. She wasn't in love with him anymore and there was no denying it. However, Aria still cared about him, and she hated herself for how she ended things like a coward.

She used a moment of weakness to break off things. Tyrell had just finished the season closing game. Everyone was going to a party at the pool hall down the street from the gym, but he and Aria were having dinner with her family. That is until Markeeda kissed him out of the blue.

"How was your game?" She asked not sure of what to say.

"Good we won," he smiled. "You look really beautiful," he said.

"Th-thank you. I-uh thank you," Aria said rubbing the back of her neck.

"Here," Henrí said giving her his drink. It was amusing and painful to watch Aria struggle through this awkward conversation. A blind person could clearly see the unresolved feelings Tyrell had for Aria, and how hard she was struggling not to give him the wrong impression about where they stood.

Aria was grateful to have something to do with herself. She couldn't bear another second of awkwardly standing there. "Hey man I'm sorry," Tyrell said assuming Henrí was Aria's date.

"Hey, I'm Henrí Aria's suitemate," Henrí said introducing himself because Aria was too terrified to do it herself.

"I'm Tyrell, Aria's bo-fr-friend," he said finally realizing how small his role in her life was. Tyrell really cared about Aria and she dumped him because she was developing feeling for Henrí’s married brother, who happen to be her professor and research manager. This was comical to Henrí and it was just about to get better.

"We used to date," Aria said. "He is the best player on our basketball team," she smiled.

"He's also the best kisser," Markeeda said as she wrapped her arms around Tyrell's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. The girl was drunk and trying too hard to mark her territory.

Aria loath everything there was to loath about Markeeda. It had nothing to do with Tyrell and everything to do with the facts. Markeeda was a conniving, lying, ruthless b***h. Markeeda had no regard for others as long as she got what she wanted. And Tyrell deserved better.

"I wonder how you'd test that theory," Henrí said making Tyrell and Aria laugh. Henrí knew this was not going to end well with the new edition to their group.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked.

"No sweetheart, I was just joking," Henrí smiled. "I'm sure you're a really nice person when you're sober and not draping yourself all over a guy."

"Are you going to just let him talk to me like that?" She yelled at Tyrell.

Tyrell looked helpless and Aria tried to defuse the tension. "You both are just a little drunk. He was just being an ass. He can't really help it," Aria said kind of defending him.

"Yep I'm a d**k through and through," he smiled. "Sorry."

"At least she can take one d**k," Markeeda smiled.

"That was a good one," Henrí laughed breaking the tension. "You're a natural."

"I'm going to go check on Stella," Aria said but Henrí pulled her close. Their foreheads were pressed together, and he held on to her wrists. Aria struggled against the storm of emotions building inside of her and she felt her powers lashing out. Henrí tried to calm and focus her.

"You should stay I'm sure she'll be over any second," he said looking down into her eyes.

The way the two of them looked at one another made the couple across from them uncomfortable. They felt like they were intruding on an intimate moment, not him merely asking her to stay and chat.

Aria needed to get away before she did something that gave away her powers. That was the last thing she needed given all that was happening. "I should make sure she's okay," Aria said.

"She's right their pretending not to be watching us," Henrí pointed out. Henrí snaked his arm around her waist and faced Tyrell. "So, Tyrell how did you and this young lady meet." Instantly Aria knew what Henrí was doing, and her eyes pleaded with him to shut the f**k up.

"Oh, this is Markeeda and well-we met last year when she made the cheer squad."

"That's cool. Was it love at first sight?" he asked.

Tyrell shifted and Aria was going to kill Henrí if he kept at it. "I saw your name on the Walker foundation list. Do you know what you're going to pick for the summer research trip?" Aria asked changing the subject.

"I was hoping to go to Greece and do something on human trafficking, but I might choose something else," Tyrell said happy to not be talking about his love life.

"You are such a prissy little b***h. It’s so annoying how you try to control people. He can ask Tyrell a question without you having to control everything."

Fire lit Aria’s deep-brown irises and Henrí released that he may have pushed this situation a little too far. "I wasn't trying to control anything. I'd just rather not relive the moment you stuck your tongue down my boyfriend's throat."

"Well someone had to do it," she smiled, and kissed Tyrell.

"What is your problem," Tyrell yelled at Markeeda. He pulled away from Markeeda and looked apologetically at Aria.

"She is, she needs to leave you alone and let us be happy," she yelled.

"You're drunk!" was all Tyrell could say, before Aria rushed away.

“Ari,” Henrí said grabbing her arm and stopping her. “I’m sorry.”

She knew her powers were lashing out on her and she didn’t want to hurt anyone. She needed to leave. “Let go of me,” she said between her teeth as dark clouds started to form and thunder sounded. That was not a good sing she told herself.

“Look at me Ari,” Henrí said placing his hand on her cheeks and forcing eye contact. “Breath, just breath. Everything is going to be okay. She isn’t worth being upset over.”

Though Aria wasn’t in love with Tyrell it hurt all the seem to watch him with that vail b***h. “She acts lik”-

“It doesn’t matter. You know who you want to be. All you have to do is be that person,” he said calming her.

As the clouds started to part and the stars reappeared, Henrí and Ari just looked at each other. “Tell Stella I’m really tired and its okay if she stays,” Aria said.

“Let me walk you back,” Henrí said. When his date came over. “Ashley,” he said wrapping his arms around her. “This is my suitemate Aria.”

“Hey, I know Aria. You go out with Tyrell, right?”

“I used to,” she said confused. She thought Henrí liked her, but he was holding Ashley like she was his girlfriend. She should’ve been relieved, but something about it made her uneasy, which made Henrí quite pleased with himself. “I’m fine getting home on my own.”

“Stella would kill me if something happened to you. Ash you don’t mind coming with us?” he asked.

“No, it’s okay,” Aria said absolutely not wanting to go anywhere with Henrí and his girlfriend.

“No, I don’t mind,” she smiled at Aria.

“Hey are you okay?” Stella asked noticing the way Henrí was holding Ashley. She looked at him weird and he smiled at her. Stella watched everything unfold and thought Henrí did a good save, but this was defiantly a twist she didn’t anticipate.

“I’m going to go back to the room,” Aria smiled. She felt drained and it was taking everything in her to hold it together.

“And we’re walking her so you can stay if you want to,” Henrí said squeezing Ashley.

Stella looked Henrí and Ashely over. “And who are we?” she asked.

“This is Ashley,” he smiled at her.

“Hi,” Ashley said shaking Stella’s hand.

“Hey, I’m Aria’s cousin Stella, I didn’t know Henrí had a girlfriend?” she smiled.

“Sorry Stella, I’m taken,” He laughed.

“I know what a shame,” she said punching him in his arm with a playful smile, but hitting him really hard.

“Don’t leave Aria we only got to hangout once when I dated Cohen,” Ashley smiled.

“Oh yeah at the March madness event. I should go I have to work with Dr. DuPont tomorrow,” she smiled.

“Are you his lab assistant?” Ashley asked shocked.

“Yeah,” Aria said nodding her head.

“Aria you are so lucky. I had DuPont for intro to psych, he had me wanting to change my major,” she said fanning herself.

“He is a looker,” Stella smiled.

“I guess,” Aria said with a clear blush growing across her cheeks. Henrí was pissed and Aria could tell. Something about that made her happy. “He’s really nice too, and smart.”

“Always the good ones that are taken,” Henrí smiled.

“It seems that way,” she smiled. “I’m going to see if Whitney has any medicine.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ashley said. “I haven’t seen her the whole time I’ve been here.”

The second they were gone, Stella pinched Henrí’s arm. “What is up with you and Ashley?” she yelled at him.

“She invited me to come here with her, so I came, is that a problem?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah a huge one. Aria is”-

“Aria is a pain in my ass that is the only thing she is to me. She’s not my girlfriend, we aren’t in love. Things are what they are between us, and soon it will be over,” he yelled.

“She really likes you Henrí, don’t hurt her,” Stella warned.

“If she liked me, she’d treat me like she treat’s Tyrell, or my brother, not like I’m crazy,” he said.

“How does she know your brother?” Stella asked as Aria and Ashley came back.

“You two look like you were fighting?” Aria asked narrowing her eyes at Henrí.