Secret Love Affair

"You guys want a drink?" Arabella asks in the kitchen while Lena takes their coats.

"Nah we're fine." Tom says.

"Wait! Arabella can I try your famous tea? Lara told me once you make a killer one!" Danny pipes up.

"Yeah sure. Boys take a seat." Arabella briefly looks at Dougie in an indifferent way and walks away.

"Where's Mina?" Harry asked.

"Oh she's doing some work right now...at some club but she'll be back in like...." Lena looks at her watch, "...well actually, she should be here now."

"That's fashion people for you. Always got to have a meeting late at night in clubs." Arabella hands Danny his tea and plops down on the couch next to Tom. She looks at Dougie who hasn't said a word yet. He sat across from her, not showing any emotion. It was silent for the longest time. It was very painful for everyone too. Danny only accepted a drink because then that would give him something to do. Dougie had a staring contest with Arabella. And everybody watched them, waiting for the first attack.

"Arabella your eyes are watering." Lena said.

"Shut up no they aren’t." And Arabella blinks. Well she lost the staring contest. Will she lose the next part too?

"Where's Lara?" Dougie asked.

"Out." Arabella replied. She didn't want to tell him everything. But she knew it had to happen...whether she liked it or not.

"Where?"

Arabella shrugs.

"Look we should straighten things out." Harry says before Dougie could reply with a nasty remark.

"You're right Harry. Arabella why is Lara still not talking to me when you know the truth?" Dougie asks straightforwardly.

Arabella looks at him. He stares. Arabella wouldn't back down. She had a good reason! Well it was good in her mind anyway....

Lena comes to Arabella's defense because she thought what Arabella told the girls were true. "Well Dougie, when you do nothing and not care about a special person after you make out with another girl, it is kind of obvious that she wouldn't talk to you."

"Not care?" Dougie asks. He looks at Arabella. She looks back. Not with rage. But guilt. For the first time in her life, Arabella feels guilty about Dougie and Lara and all that crap that happened.

"Uh-oh" Tom mumbles. Confrontations sure did get out fast.

"Poodle what the fuck did you tell Lara?" Dougie leans forward in his seat. He clenches his fists in stress. Arabella closes her eyes for a bit as a tear falls.

"I was waiting for this day you know. It would only be a matter of time before you had the guts to go after Lara." Arabella looks at Dougie. She had quickly forgotten about everybody else in the room.

"You have no idea what its like to hear her cry late at night when she things we can't hear. You have no clue to what its like when I see her heart break over and over again during the years in high school. And right before we went to London, I promised myself that I wouldn't let Lara get hurt."

"But you knew what Megan did! I told you."

"I know!" Arabella felt like on trial, "But the fact that Lara lied to me about her relationship with you made me so mad that I forgot about how you really felt and what you really did."

"Wait what did he really do?" Lena interrupts.

"I can't believe you lied to your own best friends." Dougie shakes his head.

"Well Lara lied too!" Arabella pouts.

"How could you say that when it was your fault for making her terrified?"

"What did he really say?" Lena asks again louder.

"Lena, Arabella probably told you I did nothing, nor never cared, but guess what- I did do something. I told her the truth, called Lara, even admitted that I love Lara to Arabella. That Megan chick came on to me!"

"....you love Lara?" Lena asks shocked.

"...Well yeah." Dougie blushes.

Lena laughs, "Wow..." And she remains silent.

"And when Lara came back, and told me her feelings and what she did...I felt so guilty...because...I told Megan to make a move on you." And Arabella starts crying. Lena comforts her. Dougie thought that Arabella was putting on an act. He is shocked, furious, dazed.
"You ruined it! Instead of just finding out and confronting us peacefully, you went and hurt your best friend." Dougie yells. Right now, Tom, Danny and Harry are shocked beyond shocked. Tom's mouth is even hanging open and Danny's tea became cold.

"I was jealous."

"Why?" Dougie said coldly
.
"Because of what you two shared! I never experienced that! And I'm so sorry for being jealous, hurting the both of you, destroying something that I never had." Arabella has this breakdown that no one has ever saw before. Even Dougie is taken aback.

"I wish I could take it back. I wish we didn't hate each other. I wish Lara was happy again. I wish we could just start over! We're family! We're not supposed to do this! And I messed it up. Dougie I'm sorry! Please forgive me."

Dougie blinks. Arabella having a breakdown? He shifts around a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh...guys lets go out for a bit." Lena says and she leaves with Tom, Danny and Harry.

After 5 minutes, Dougie takes a seat next to Arabella. He looks at a smiling Lara in a picture on the table.

"You know I am mad." Dougie struggled with his words, "But you're my cousin. I'm less mad now that you told the truth. And to be honest with you Arabella, I hate fighting with you. You punch well." Arabella hiccups and Dougie guessed that it was an attempted laugh. "I would have forgiven you sooner or later. Well...mostly later...in the future...far future. And I know you WOULDN'T have forgiven me so I had to make you feel bad somewhat for you to say sorry." Dougie nudges her which felt weird for both.

She hiccups, "I've been feeling guilty for the longest time."

"Now you know how Lara felt." Dougie could see Lena and the guys around the corner. He wanted to throw a pillow at them. Dougie looks at the city outside the big window. So different from London. "Arabella you should tell Lara the truth. Because I want her back. No- I NEED Lara. Arabella please. If you want to make things right, tell Lara the truth."

A minute of silence passes by and then she nods, "Can we start over?"

Dougie makes a small grin, "I bet if Jazzie found out she'd faint."

"Yeah she would-"

"Oh my god they made up!" Lena jumped on Dougie and hugged Arabella. "Guys come in the wars over! Yay!!! Party party party!"

"Finally!" They say and Arabella has a small smile on her face, recovering from tears.

"Oh I can't wait to tell Mina! And we need to tell Lara! Both should be home by now." Lena dances around with Danny, who is blushing.

The phone rings, "Oh here's Mina now!" Lena picks up the phone, "Hey Mina guess what!? Arabella and Dougie ma-" Lena stops in midsentence and mid-dance. She furrows her eyebrows.

"What's the matter?" Danny asks, still in mid-dance with her. Lena lets go of him which is surprising because apparently she really likes him.

"Hold on. Say that again? Is that a siren?" Lena asks. Everybody could hear Mina screaming something on the phone. Partially in Korean then partially in English.

Lena shakes her head, "Okay mina calm down. Oh my God...uh...we'll be there in twenty." Lena hangs up and looks at Arabella. Both Arabella and Dougie have that same gut feeling.

"Whats wrong?" Dougie asked. He didn't like her frown.

"Um..." Lena seems lost of words, "I couldn't hear much but uh..."

"Spit it out." Harry urges.

Lena looks at Dougie and Arabella, "Lara is in an ambulance right now heading to the hospital."