A bet that changed their lives

Part 1 - Arya

Her room was bathed in darkness, with the sound of her table clock echoing in the eerie quietness of the night. Arya woke up with a jerk, with tears threatening to spill and sweat making her clothes stick to her like second skin. Her breathing was uneven, vision blurry, as she tried to focus on something thatwould remind her that all hope wasn't lost. She took more than a moment to get out of her trance, blinking rapidly and looking around her dull room, giving herself time to realise that it had all been a nightmare. No, he wasn't around her, she was being paranoid in the aftermath of her nightmare. She was safe in her room, with Brooke laying sound asleep across from her. She couldn't shake off the uneasiness that engulfed her as she could still recollect how his touch felt. His scent, which she used to like once upon a time, had become the source of her nightmares, the very source to fill her core with disgust and hatred. She could still sense a ringing in her ear, his voice just as clear as if he were right next to her, saying those same disgusting words that he had spoken years ago. Except, his voice had come out raspy. She could still sense a tingling sensation on her leg, as if the wound had been freshly inflicted. Subconsciouly, her palm hovered over the mark that was still there, her mind trying hard to ward off those unpleasant memories, yet again. Still struggling, after all these years, still feeling just as helpless.

She took a few deep breaths and took a sip of water from a bottle on her nightstand to calm her nerves. She wiped off droplets of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and tried to lay down on the bed. It had been months since she got this kind of nightmare, she thought she was doing well. All those months of therapy had finally healed her. She tried to fall asleep, her mind running wild with the anxiety of her job interview tomorrow and the flood of memories from her past. She tried to fight hard against the invasion of her past trauma, feeling scared to fall asleep and dream about him yet again. She had had enough of him to last a thousand lifetimes, and she didn't desire to see him ever again. In an attempt to distract herself, she looked around to name five objects that were present in the room; a technique she had learnt in therapy.

Bed. Duvet. Clock. Table. File.

File... file... she had an interview tomorrow, an important one at that. She couldn't really effort to let her past ruin her present yet again. No, she had had enough. She got up and took another sip of water. She had an interview important to worry over. She had to stop allowing her past to sabotage so much in her life! She lay down again and distracted herself by thinking about the interview - what she was going to wear, how she was going to conduct herself. After dealing with these exhausting thoughts, she looked at the clock again. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow," was her last thought as she fell asleep, after taking a long look at the peaceful sleeping form of Brooke.

***

Arya Davis was no stranger to hardships. Having lost her parents at an early age, she was sheltered by her father's benevolent friend and his wife - Mr. and Mrs. Allen. The Allens and her father had been together since they were kids, their friendship strong enough to withstand whatever life had thrown at them. Arya's mother become a part of their group much later, after Arya's father had proposed to her. She had gotten along with everyone, as if she knew them since years. And therefore, it had come as no surprise when the Allens had taken Arya under their care, after the untimely death of her parents, for they had always been second parents to her, and she their favourite kid whom they loved to pamper . She was grateful to the couple for their kindness and love, despite their humble means - what with looking after her and their daughter, Brooke.

Arya had worked hard to complete her graduation in business administration, along with an unrelated diploma in creative writing. She knew that her business degree would be instrumental in securing a well-paying job, while her passion for writing would be enough to keep her stimulated and sane. Having earned scholarships and worked odd jobs to support her education, she wanted Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan to never think twice before fulfilling Brooke's wishes. Brooke, her sweet little Brooke, was her strength and her weakness. She was 9 years younger than Arya and loved calling her 'Mimi' - the first word that Brooke had uttered upon seeing Arya and it had kind of stuck for all these years.

She had just one aim in life - to honour the memory of her parents, to make them and her aunt and uncle proud by becoming successful in life. Given her past experiences, she had ceased being a romantic at heart, never waiting or wanting the supposed Prince Charming to enter her life and sweep her off her feet. To be honest, she didn't have the time or the energy to deal with the matters of the heart. She had her life planned out - to fulfil every wish of her uncle, aunt and Brooke, without a life partner. She was an independant woman, who didn't need a man by her side to complete her. And of course, not to forget what had happened in her past. Who would want such a woman after all? And how could she still find it in her heart to fall for someone without being afraid? Without fearing for her safety? Without letting the glimpses of her past ruin her present?