Hack

III.

"I'm so sorry."

Arianna was sick of those words. She was sick of everyone saying how sorry they were for her.

"So you've heard," She would reply deadened. Hollow.

"I saw." They would clarify.

They all saw the pictures. Of her. Of him.

All Arianna could do was shrug her shoulders, pretend that none of it hurt. Everywhere she turned were sympathetic eyes. They didn't see the strong face she put on every day. They didn't see the intelligent, hardworking art director with all the qualifications and more.

All they saw was the victim. The girl that got burned. The girl that ignored the warnings.

And Arianna was sick of it.

"So, Arianna, I fully support and understand, if you would prefer to return to Stamford, or even back to Texas and work from home," Stephanie folded her hands primly in front of her.

"Thank you, Stephanie," Arianna paused, despite being sure of her answer, "But, I would like to continue working on the road."

"Okay, if you're sure," Stephanie drew out slowly, taken aback.

"I assure you that I will remain professional."

"It's not you I'm worried about," She mumbled. "I'm glad you're staying on the road with us. Honestly, but do you not want even a little time off?"

"If he's not being punished for this, I will not be either. I refuse to be his whipping boy," Arianna's eyes aglow with the passion that first made Stephanie want to hire her, "I honestly worked too damn hard and too damn long to run away from a job that I love this much. Excuse my language, but I sure as hell am not going to let any man take my career away from me."

A smirk settled on Stephanie's lips, "Good. This is why I hired you."

"May I return to work now?"

"Yes," Stephanie waved her off, "And Arianna, don't let any man take that fire away from you," She paused, thinking of her three daughters, "In fact, don't let any man take anything away from you."

"I won't that is one thing I can guarantee you."

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"You know you're handling this really well," Nikki said as she held up a dress and then another, in front of the mirror.

"Like too well," Brie added more powder to her already flawless face.

"I mean I cried yesterday," Arianna sat cross-legged on Brie's hotel bed. She cringed, "In front of Colby after I confronted him about it. We are in an open relationship so-"

"Open relationship. Girl you have got to be kidding me!" Brie looked over her shoulder at Arianna incredulously.

"It's what we agreed to," Arianna threw her hands up in defense.

"Like everyone knows those do not work. Ever." Brie punctuated her words with a wave of her powder brush.

"Also, you are still referring to you two in the present tense," Nikki added, "You haven't broken up?"

"We're in an open relationship, which I will admit I am having doubts about, but yeah we haven't officially broken up. We're just kind of in limbo I guess?"

"Girl the amount of times you've had to qualify your statements with 'I guess' and 'I mean' is way too many times."

Arianna paused. "I g- It hurts, you know, like everything and everywhere. Everyone saw those pictures," She furrowed her brow, "We haven't officially broken up, but still it hurts my pride to have to admit that Colby and I didn't work out. Everyone warned me against him. Even when I was down in Florida, everyone told me that it would be bad news. I didn't listen to them. I thought I knew better than everyone else. But I guess I don't."

"It's okay to cry," Nikki sat down next to her, rubbing the younger woman's shoulder, "God knows how many times I've cried because of John and- and I want you to know that's okay. It's okay to cry and it's okay to admit that you made a mistake because that's what life is about. It's about making mistakes and growing from them."

"I'm sick of crying. It feels like I've been crying all my life," The words slipped out of Arianna's mouth and she felt like a whining child.

"You know what I think we need," The mattress sank under Brie's weight and she sat next to Arianna, pulling her into a side hug. "I think we need to go shopping and get a mani-pedi."

"Really?" Arianna quirked an eyebrow, "I don't think a mani-pedi is gonna make me feel that much better."

"If you look good, you feel good and if you feel good, you'll make him eat it, when you come out with us tonight," Nikki said matter of factly.

"Guys, you know, I hate going out with y'all," Arianna's Texas roots slipping out.

"Just tonight, I promise it'll make you feel better. A couple cosmos and dancing will cheer anyone up."

"But, Colby will be there," Arianna whined, "Probably looking for another girl to send a dick pic to."

"Exactly! You'll show up all dolled up and sexified and make him realize that he messed up royally, thinking he needed an open relationship and all this nonsense."

And that's how Arianna showed up to a club in Louisville dolled up and sexified in a dress that she called "fallopian length" and heels that put her work stilettos to shame. She felt like Texas Barbie with her lashes lacquered and her lips slicked red and her hair teased to no return; she remembered her mother's hair and how Mama June would remind her that the higher the hair, the closer to God. Well, God would sure be disappointed in how much skin she was showing.

"Come on!" Nikki urged, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the club. The bouncer giving them an appraising nod.

Arianna stumbled after the Bella twin and tried to keep up with her as they moved through the jostling crowd to the VIP area. Between the flashing lights and the loud music, Arianna decided this wasn't such a bad idea. She needed this. The bass was thumping hard enough that she couldn't think and thinking was bad because thinking meant thinking about Colby.

"Here!" Brie shoved a bright blue drink into Arianna's hand, "Drink it! Quick! I want to dance!"

Arianna only nodded, taking large gulps of what felt like fire down her throat. "What was that?"

"An Adios motherf-" Brie giggled, "Well I think you know. Come on, I love this song!" She grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor, pulling Arianna in close as they started moving to the music.

Hey baby even though I hate ya! I wanna love ya I want you! And even though I can't forgive you I really want to I want you!

"I like this song," Arianna tried to shout over the music, but Brie didn't hear her.

"Me too," A deep voice whispered into Arianna's ear, his breath tickling her exposed back.

Tell me, tell me baby Why can't you leave me? Cause even though I shouldn't want it I gotta have it I want you!

Arianna turned around, "Dean!" She exclaimed in glee, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's been forever!"

Dean's hands settled around her waist, "That's not my fault," he teased.

Head in the clouds Got no weight on my shoulders I should be wiser And realize that I've got


"Not mine either!" Not wanting to think about Seth, Arianna pressed herself against Dean, "Dance with me!"

He could only chuckle, "Can't say no, when you got yourself looking like that."

One less problem without ya! I got! One less problem without ya! I got!

She breathed in his cologne and found herself comparing it to Seth's. "No. Stop it," she chastised herself. "I missed you," She sighed into Dean's neck.

I know you're never gonna wake up I gotta give up But it's you! I know I shouldn't ever call back Or let you come back But it's you! Every time you touch me And say you love me I get a little bit breathless I shouldn't want it But it's you!

"I missed you, too," Dean held onto her, sensing a change in her mood, "Let's get you another drink."

"I'd like that," She smiled that dimpled smile that Seth said he loved.

"What do you want?"

"Jack!"

He laughed again, "God, I missed you, Texas." He ruffled her hair and he grabbed her hand again and led her to the bar.

"You too, Cinci!" She beamed as he handed her the frosty highball.

"Let's go onto the balcony, I can barely hear myself think in here," He gestured to the open air space.

"Uh-uh," She shook her head as he lead her to the balcony. "I don't want to think. That's why I'm here."

"That's what I liked most about you, doll. Now come on," He grabbed her hand again.

This time, Arianna wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "No. I'm tired of everyone telling me what to do."

"Tex, you're drunk. Please come out onto the balcony with me. I'll give you a cig." He shook an old carton of Marlboros in front of her face.

She made a face, scrunching her face up, "Those have to be stale. You don't smoke, Ohio."

"Yeah but you do. I'll smoke one with you."

"Why do you want me to go out there?" Suddenly suspicious.

"I just want to talk. Kill myself slowly one carbon monoxide filled breath at a time."

"No. I'm not a piece of meat people can just order around to Stamford or to Texas or to anywhere!"

"Arianna Rose, I am not telling you. I am asking you, as a friend."

Maybe it was because he said her middle name or maybe because he said he was her friend and he was, but suddenly Arianna felt warm and safe and she knew it wasn't because of the drink in her hand.

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"Steph asked if I wanted to go back to Stamford. Get off the road." Arianna kicked her heels off to sit on the railing of the balcony, swinging her legs back and forth. "I said no."

"I don't think you should be doing that," He handed her a cigarette and clicked on the lighter.

"Are you the police?" Instead of just leaning down and lighting the cigarette, she reached out to make a cup around the lighter with their hands, which is something people do when it's windy.

But it wasn't windy.

Maybe she just wanted to touch his hands because while she was lighting the cigarette, she did it for a lot longer than necessary. Maybe she wanted him to see her dolled up face over the glow of the match. To see how pretty she looked, who knows.

"You don't miss it. Home?" Dean took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled without a single cough.

"Not your first time, Ohio?"

"First time in five years," Dean grimaced as the bitter, yet comforting smoke filled his lungs. He leaned his back against the railing, looking at Arianna. "Arianna Rose," he repeated again, adding a Texas drawl for emphasis, "Good Southern name," Dean laughed.

"Got to be right up there Jack Daniels and Scarlett O'Hara," She raised her glass of Jack and ginger ale to him in a mock toast.

"To the South," Dean took a swallow of his beer.

"To the South, shall they ever rise again," She held the glass to her lips, staining it red with her lipstick.

"To the projects, whether it's deep in the heart of Texas or the Midwest."

"Now, you know I refuse to toast Ohio," Arianna laid her Texas drawl on thick. The accent she kept tucked away out of embarrassment, "But, the projects deserve a long drink."

"Amen," Dean took a healthy swig, followed by a long drag.

"Texas is better though," Arianna grinned, tossing her cigarette butt onto the street below her.

"That I doubt," Dean smirked, handing her another cigarette.

She downed the rest of her drink and then dropped the glass, seeing it shatter into a million pieces on the street.

"Hey!" The guard yelled.

"I'll pay for it, relax," Dean barked back and let out another lungful of smoke. "Jesus, it's true what they say about you Texas girls."

"It's true. We're crazy," She took a deep drag of her cigarette, the filter sticking to her lipsticked and glossed lips. Arianna turned to him, eyes heavy lidded.

Dean knew what she wanted, he turned to her, looking at her, really looking at her in the moonlight and all he could think was that she looked small. He narrowed his eyes trying to focus on her and how she looked in the moonlight.

She cocked her head to the side, pausing when her lips were an inch from his. She exhaled as he inhaled, the smoke from her lungs infiltrating his system. She closed his eyes as everything clouded, letting go when the light-headedness and the need for oxygen became too much. Exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes almost surprised to see that it was Dean and not Seth in front of her.

"Kiss me," the words barely left her lips, when Dean pressed his lips against hers, his hand curving around her cheek as if to feel that she was real and not a whisper of smoke. They tasted of smoke and whiskey. She pulled away, "I'm sorry."

"God he really did a number on you, didn't he?"
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Hi! I'm back! This is a little bit longer and kind of more of a set-up, fluffy chapter but I kind of wanted y'all to get a better feel for Arianna. Thanks for the faves and subs! Please keep them coming and don't feel shy about reviewing or messaging me some feedback :D