Unproven Chapter Sixty Five "I Get Knocked Down"

If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers

Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven

DEFINITELY READ Prologue

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two Chapter Twenty Three Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five Chapter Twenty Six Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight Chapter Twenty Nine Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One Chapter Thirty Two Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four Chapter Thirty Five Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven Chapter Thirty EightChapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty Chapter Forty One Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three Chapter Forty Four Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six Chapter Forty Seven Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two Chapter Fifty Three
Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five Chapter Fifty Six Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight
Chapter Fifty Nine
Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One Chapter Sixty Two Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four

Chapter Sixty Five

"Jen Maranello is the carbon copy of Brooke, anything she says is suspect. They’re friends, I'm sure they plotted this with evil laughter."

Ary looked up from her phone slowly, not quite meeting Dori's eyes. "So these pictures, they mean nothing?"

Dori cleared her throat, "Well, I don't know, I'm just saying that-”

"I hear what you're saying," Ary interrupted quietly. "I can't jump to conclusions or take this girl's word for it. But I want to know what you think. Is he cheating on me? Am I a fool for even considering he might not be?" She raised her head and met the girl's eyes steadily.

Dori looked down, her expression agonized. "I just think it's being exaggerated."

Ary waited, saying nothing.

Dori raised her eyes, the bleak look in them conveying her answer louder than words could have.

Ary swallowed and nodded, her insides vibrating with pain. She glanced back at her phone. She’d texted him thirty minutes ago, sending him everything that had been sent to her. Pictures that featured him with a variety of women, his hands all over them and vice versa, his eyes conveying a message that was far from innocent. And Jen- a girl who had graduated from their school a couple years back and just so happened to be staying at the same hotel as him- had taken it upon herself to alert Ary to his infidelity. In fact her exact words had been ‘Thought you might like to know that your boyfriend's business trip is actually a month-long orgy.’

He'd yet to answer her, and she wondered how he would respond. Would he tell her it was nothing, he was just playing the part his father expected him to play? Would she believe him? She scrolled back to his last text message, sent eighteen hours ago.

Less than two weeks, but it feels like an eternity. I miss you, so much. You are the color in my life, and you know that I'm otherwise Gray (Pun intended)

She felt the inevitable burning behind her lids and closed her eyes. Would she believe him? She would choose to, yes. Did that make her a fool? Maybe. But she knew they were made for each other, that neither of them would find a tenth as much happiness with anyone else than they could find together. It was a choice, and her choice would always be him, be them, as long as she was given one.

She knew what modern society would say, that she was allowing herself to be a victim. But she was not a victim. There was no one to credit or blame for the decisions she made but herself. Fuck society's opinion, she thought, what the hell did they know? Judging by the divorce statistics, the answer was Not Very Fucking Much. She would play this her own way, take her chances.
To thine own-self be true.

"Ary?"

She opened her eyes and met Dori's concerned expression, a smile forming on her lips. "No worries, I'm okay."

Dori studied her expression for a moment before smiling back. "Good for you. I mean that."

Ary nodded and raised a brow. "So back to the slopes?"

Several hours later they were in the lodge eating dinner when Dori felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She glanced at Ary. "I have to use the girl's room, be right back."

Ary looked up from her sandwich and nodded briefly in acknowledgment.

Dori slid off the picnic-style bench and walked through the ski lodge toward the bathrooms, a smile of satisfaction creeping across her face. It was Grayson calling and she found she couldn't wait to tell him that Aryanne had taken it in stride.

She opened a stall and pulled the phone out of her pocket as she shut and latched the door. She hit redial and listened to it ring twice before his voice carried over the airwaves.

"How is she?" He asked.

"She is Aryanne Gilson, sweet, fun, and sexy as hell."

He laughed. "Not devastated then?"

"Nope. She seems to be reserving her opinions until she's talked to you about it."

There was a long silence on the other end. She heard him exhale and wondered whether it was with relief or something else.

"Well, guess I have to up the ante then. I have to go, I'll be in touch," he told her.

She listened to the click as he disconnected and heaved in a breath of her own, leaning her head back against the door of the stall.

"Dori?"

She jerked and straightened, "Uh yeah, I'm in here."

"'Kay."

Dori listened as Ary opened the door to the stall beside her and willed her heart to settle down. It was a strange feeling, an alien feeling, this guilt. She had never cared one way or another about the girls Grayson had played with, doing as he asked without a second thought.

But this time was different.

She was half in love with the little blonde, would be totally in love if the girl wasn't as straight as an arrow and hopelessly in love with Grayson.

Her head dropped forward. Grayson. Her only friend. How pathetic.

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