The CEO's Rose

Vivian’s POV

For the first few minutes after she woke up. All that mattered to Vivian was finding a solution to the headache that had made a home for itself in her skull and absolutely refused to leave.

"Argh," She groaned pitifully, feeling like the light coming through the window was trying to burn her eyes out of her head.

Why had she thought that drinking all of that wine was a good idea?

"Argh," She groaned again, flopping around as she tried to find the strength to get up.

"Here," The familiar voice was pitched just low enough that it did not make Vivian’s headache worse, and she was grateful for that. Summoning strength that only a few seconds ago she’d thought she did not have, she squinted her eyes open, and sure enough, her best friend was right next to the bed. Being the amazing person that she was, Amy was not empty-handed. She was holding a glass of water and painkillers towards Vivian.

Trying for a smile despite feeling like she’d just been ran over, Vivian took what was being offered. After swallowing down the pills, she opened her eyes all the way, hoping that the effect of the painkillers would kick in soon enough.

"Thank you," She rasped.

"You are welcome," Amy said tersely. Her response letting it be known that she was not happy with Vivian’s choices in the least. Knowing her, she had probably been glaring at the empty wine bottle as she’d thrown it in the bin.

"Get yourself cleaned up and then join me in the kitchen, I’ll have some hangover food waiting for you,"

Good old Amy, even when she was angry, she was still so helpful. Motivated by the thought of more relief for her pain, Vivian got up and headed to the bathroom.

***

Just as her friend had promised, there really had been a plethora of the greasiest, most unhealthy food waiting for Vivian. It was doing wonders for her hangover as she shoveled it down.

She was almost completely done with it when Amy, who had been silently watching her eat, finally spoke up.

"All right, are you going to tell me what happened last night," Reaching for the tar black coffee next to her plate, Vivian drank some before looking at her friend, trying to look as confused as possible.

"What makes you think that anything happened last night?"

"Quit playing games with me Vivian, the last time I checked you did not have any alcohol in the house. Now this morning I found an empty bottle, which means you bought and finished it, and by the state of you, you did all of that in a single night, so what is going on?"

Realizing that her friend would not be letting things go, Vivian decided it was best to just hit her with a truth that would leave her too stunned to keep digging.

"If you must know, I am talking with Bryce again,"

Bam!

The sound of Amy’s fist meeting the table took Vivian completely by surprise, and it absolutely did no favors for her headache.

"Amy, come on! There was no need for you to do that," She admonished her friend. Rubbing at her temples, she closed her eyes and breathed through her pain.

When she reopened them she was met by the sight of a fuming Amy. She was so red she looked like she could just burst into flames.

’Oh, she was really mad,’ Vivian realized.

In all of the years that they’d been friends she had rarely ever seen her best friend truly angry.

"Vivian why would you do such a thing to yourself," Choosing to deliberately misunderstand Vivian shrugged. "What? It is not like I drink regularly, one bottle of wine in a single night will not hurt me in the long run,"

Amy did not take the bait though. She simply folded her arms over her chest and glared.

"You know good and well that that is not what I am talking about. Why are you letting that parasite back into your life?"

Taking a sip of her coffee, Vivian suppressed a sigh. It seemed that she had miscalculated. Instead of not wanting to talk about the issue. Amy was pushing forward with the Bryce topic. Unable to look her friend in the eye, Vivian stared at a spot just above Amy’s shoulder instead.

"I did not say that the two of us are dating, all I said is that we are talking again. There’s no harm in talking," This time when Amy’s fist met the table, it did not take Vivian by surprise, ( but it still made her feel like she’d been punched in the head).

"That man is a little vampire that does nothing but suck all of the life out of you every time you are in contact, and yet you keep insisting on letting him back into your life. Do you really hate yourself that much?"

’Yes, I do,’ Vivian did not say the words out loud, but something on her face must have given her away, because the look on Amy’s face instantly went from being angry to heartbroken.

"Vivian, no," She whispered, then she carried on in a stronger voice.

"You do not deserve to be tied to somebody like Bryce. You are one of the best people I have ever met. Just why do you think you need to be constantly punished?"

For a moment Vivian could not hide all of the hurt that she’d been keeping down ever since ending things with Ryan.

Amy, hit with the full force of it, actually looked as though she was about to fall backwards in her chair.

"Vivian," She said softly, her hand reaching out, but Vivian was done.

"Maybe a guy like Bryce is all that I deserve. Someone sent to punish me for a sin committed in my past life. You say I have never done anything to deserve being treated the way that he treats me. Maybe all I needed to do was be born, some people are just made to suffer,"

A heartbroken sound made its way out of Amy’s mouth at those words, and before Vivian could fix things. Before she could tell her friend that she was only kidding, that she did not really mean it, Amy was grabbing her keys and leaving without a backwards glance.

***

The best thing to do would have been to go after her best friend. But instead Vivian found herself glued to the spot. All alone in her apartment, the reality of what had just happened sinking in for her. She had finally done it. She had scared away the one person who had been with her through thick and thin over the years. She no longer had a best friend, she did not have a friends with benefits relationship with Ryan Terrell. All that she had was the soul-sucking, toxic thing with Bryce, her luck really was something else.

Just before her dark thoughts could completely eat her up, Vivian’s phone lit up, and she nearly cried when she saw the message from Amy.

[I will be back, I just need some time to process...love you]. With just a few words, Amy had unknowingly added a bit of light to Vivian’s world.