｡𖦹°‧ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧' 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐥 ⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ

( 019. 'not my name )

THEY NIGHT AFTER THEY got back from universal studios, the group was winding down in the hotel lobby. they'd spent the entire day running around the park, riding roller coasters, and laughing until they were all wiped out. everyone was on their phones or chatting casually, tired from the excitement. ariella, however, was still buzzing with energy, excited for what the night might bring. she had a feeling it was going to be a good one.

walker, though, was nowhere to be found. he had been more distant since the park closed, like something was weighing on his mind. so when he texted ariella to come up to the roof, it was as much for him as it was for her. a chance to breathe. a chance to talk.

vanillaboy:

come to the roof?

ariella, sitting across from the others in the lobby, glanced at her phone and smiled when she saw the message. she hadn't expected it, but something about it made her heart race a little. a moment alone with walker sounded like exactly what she needed. after a full day with the group, she wanted time just with him. she stood up casually, not wanting to make it obvious she was eager to go.

"hey, i'm gonna head up to the roof," she said, flashing a grin at her friends. "walker texted me."

blake gave her a playful wink. "ooooh"

ariella laughed and waved them off as she stepped into the elevator. she couldn't help but feel a excitement in her chest.

walker scobell, the vanilla ⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ

walker had been waiting for ariella for a few minutes when he heard the door to the roof creak open. his heart gave a little jump, thinking she was coming up, but when he turned, his smile dropped.

it wasn't ariella.

it was kayla.

she walked onto the roof, her shoes clicking sharply against the cement floor. she flashed him a grin, and walker's stomach twisted. 

"well, if it isn't walker scobell," kayla said, her voice filled with sweetness. she was wearing a tight black top and ripped jeans, and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves. her eyes were locked on him with an intensity that made walker's skin crawl, but he tried his best to keep his expression neutral.

"i didn't expect to see you here," he muttered, trying to sound casual, though his voice was tight.

kayla stepped closer, her gaze never leaving his face. "i saw you from below. thought i'd come up and say hi."

walker shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. the last thing he wanted right now was to deal with her. not when he was so focused on ariella, not when everything had been going so well with her.

"i'm actually waiting for someone," walker said, his tone more forceful now, hoping she'd take the hint.

but kayla wasn't about to take the hint. she placed a hand on his arm, her fingers running over his skin with a deliberate slowness. "who, ariella?" she asked, her voice dripping with jealousy. "is she even cute? is she coming, is she too busy to come up here?" her hand slid down his arm as she stepped even closer, closing the space between them.

walker tensed, trying not to look at her, but it was hard. he hated this. he hated how easy it was for her to just be like this, as if nothing had happened. as if he hadn't just been hurt by her less than a year ago.

"i'm not interested," he said flatly, trying to pull away from her touch, but she wasn't having it.

"oh, i'm sure you're not," kayla whispered, leaning in closer, her lips just inches from his ear. "but, hey... what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

before walker could react, she pressed her lips to his, the kiss far too familiar, far too overwhelming. his heart hammered in his chest, his body froze for a split second, but then he pushed her off, his hands going to her shoulders as he created space between them.

"kayla, stop," he said harshly, his breath shaky.

she blinked, her eyes widening in mock surprise, but her lips curled into a smirk. "what? i thought we had something... or is she really that special to you?" she taunted, her tone turning cold.

walker's chest tightened with frustration. "i said stop." he looked away, his hands clenching into fists.

kayla took a step back, clearly not pleased, but she wasn't going to let him off the hook easily. "you know where to find me if you change your mind," she said, her voice laced with a challenge. she gave him one last lingering look before turning and heading toward the door.

as kayla pushed the door open to leave, walker sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. he couldn't believe that just happened. he couldn't believe he had let her get that close to him again.

just then, the door opened again, and walker snapped to attention, expecting it to be ariella. but when he saw her standing there, looking at him with confusion on her face, his heart stopped.

ariella.

her eyes flicked from him to kayla's retreating form, and she immediately stepped onto the roof, her voice cutting through the tension.

"excuse me," she said, her voice sharp as she eyed him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

walker's stomach dropped. he hadn't meant for her to see that. he hadn't wanted this, not at all. he quickly stepped in front of ariella, his voice quick as he tried to explain.

"it's nothing, ariella," he said, too quickly. "nobody." he couldn't let her think anything was going on. not after the day they'd had, not after everything they'd talked about.

ariella looked at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "who was that?" she asked, her voice quieter now, but there was something in her eyes—something that made walker's stomach churn. she wasn't buying it.

"it was just someone i knew," he said, his voice faltering for a moment. he hated how weak he sounded. "she... she's nobody. it's nothing." he paused, trying to make his words come out right. "i swear."

ariella studied him for a moment longer, then seemed to accept his words, even if the doubt was still lingering in her eyes. she sighed and walked over to the railing, looking out at the view.

"i mean," she said softly, after a beat, "idk if im tripping or i saw her kiss you? maybe i was tripping but if you say its nothing i trust you"

walker watched her for a moment, he walked over to her, standing close but not quite touching her.

"yeah," he agreed, the words coming out quietly. "today was amazing. i had a really good time with you."

ariella smiled, turning to face him. "me too," she said, her eyes lighting up. "it was perfect."

they stood there for a moment, the warmth of the sunset falling over them, the quiet settling in between them. walker could feel the tension melting away, and for a moment, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered but the two of them.

and then, as if the moment had slipped away too quickly, walker turned to ariella and said, "i just really... i like you."

ariella smiled, her gaze soft. "i really like you too, walker."

walker's heart fluttered in his chest, but then—without thinking—he mumbled, "kayla..."

ariella froze, her smile vanishing instantly. she pulled back, looking at him with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"what?" she asked, her voice sharp. "whos kayla?"

walker's heart raced. he hadn't meant to. he hadn't even realized what he'd said. "i—no, i didn't—" he immediately went to explain, but ariella was already stepping away from him, her face red with anger and hurt.

"no," she snapped, shaking her head. "i heard you. you called me kayla."

walker felt like the floor had been ripped out from under him. "ariella, please, it's not what you think."

but she was already turning, walking quickly toward the stairs. "i can't do this right now," she muttered, not looking back. "i need some space."

ariella pushed pased him, and stormed into the lobby, her face flushed with embarrassment and confusion. she walked past her friends without a word, her mind racing. what had just happened? why had walker called her kayla? did her kiss her? who even is that? and why was she on his mind while he was saying how he liked me.?"

she didn't want to deal with this right now. not tonight.

when she got back to her room, she slammed the door shut behind her, breathing heavily. she wanted to scream, to shout at him, but she didn't even know where to begin.

"aerilla, what happened?" leah asked, closing the door behind her. "what's going on?"

ariella's head was spinning. she couldn't even look at them yet, too hurt to even explain. but she knew she had to. they were her best friends—they'd know what to do.

"it's walker," ariella said, her voice shaky. "i... i don't know what's going on, but i'm so mad right now."

"what happened?" leah asked again, her voice soft but filled with concern. she stood up, eyes scanning ariella for any sign of distress.

ariella dropped her bag onto the bed, pacing back and forth as she tried to figure out how to explain it. "i saw him with this girl," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "they were on the roof, and when i got there, she was just... there. and then he called me a whole nother girls name"

leah and dior exchanged a quick glance, the air thick with unspoken understanding.

"a girl?" leah asked, her tone suddenly cautious. "what did she look like?"

ariella frowned, trying to piece together the details. "she had blonde hair, wearing a graphic tee and ripped jeans... and she was all over him. touching him, leaning in close. it was like... like they were still together." she bit her lip, frustrated. "i don't even know what to think anymore."

dior's face turned stone cold. she stood up, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "ariella... who was she? did you catch her name?"

"idk i think kayla.? thats what walker called me" ariella admitted, feeling a little embarrassed for not asking. "but i'm pretty sure she knew who i was. she looked at me like i was just in the way."

leah's expression darkened as she shared a quick look with dior. the tension between them was palpable.

"i think i know who you're talking about," dior said, her voice low. "was she... was she acting like she and walker had something?"

ariella nodded, confused by their reaction. "yeah. why?"

leah's eyes were hard now. "if she's who i think she is, ariella, this is a huge problem."

ariella's eyes widened. "kayla? who is she?"

leah's jaw clenched. "kayla is walker's ex. and she's not just any ex. she's... crazy. i mean, she literally cheated on him, and she's been acting like he's still her boyfriend ever since. it's been months, and she still can't let him go."

dior chimed in. "every time there's a new girl, kayla pulls some crazy stunt to get his attention. she's kind of... obsessed. i wouldn't be surprised if she showed up at the hotel just to cause trouble."

ariella's mind was racing. "wait, so... she's the one who cheated on him? and now she's still trying to mess with him?"

"exactly," leah confirmed. "she cheated on him, completely tore his heart up, and then when she saw he was moving on, she couldn't handle it. so now she just keeps popping up, trying to get him back. and when it doesn't work, she acts like this—flirty, clingy, and manipulative."

ariella's chest tightened. she hadn't known any of this. she had no idea what kind of person kayla was, or what she had done to walker. the idea of kayla being so fixated on him—after everything—made her blood boil.

dior was visibly upset now, her voice growing louder. "walker never told you about her, did he?"

ariella shook her head. "no. he didn't say a word."

leah let out a sharp breath, her anger starting to boil over. "that's exactly what i was afraid of. he's letting her play this game, and now she's trying to come between you two."

ariella turned away, her hands shaking slightly. "i just don't get it. he told me she was in the past. that he was over her. but if she's doing this again... then what does that mean for us?"

dior stepped forward, her tone firm. "it means walker hasn't fully cut her off. and that's a problem."

ariella's mind was racing. she couldn't believe all of this was happening. she was just supposed to be having fun, enjoying her time with walker and her friends, but now it felt like everything was turning upside down.

ariella felt her blood boil as she stood there, processing everything. "so, she just keeps showing up? like... what, does she think she can just steal him back whenever she wants?"

leah's face hardened. "yeah, pretty much. and the worst part is that she doesn't even care if she hurts people. all she wants is control."

dior turned to ariella, her expression fierce. "she's a drama queen. and no offense, but if you don't stand up to her, she'll keep pulling this crap. she's the type of girl who can't handle rejection. she doesn't get that walker's done with her. but you shouldn't have to deal with this. you deserve better than that."

ariella's heart thudded in her chest, and she felt a rush of anger flood her veins. "i don't understand why walker didn't tell me. why didn't he warn me about her?" ariella's voice was steady now, but the hurt still lingered. "why did he let this happen?"

blake took her phone out again, scrolling quickly. "well, i'm about to get answers," she muttered. a few seconds later, she froze, her eyes widening. "got it."

after a quick search, they found kayla's instagram. ariella scrolled through it, the pit in her stomach growing deeper with every post. and then, in one of her highlights from eight months ago, ariella froze.

there was a picture. a picture of walker and kayla. together.

a selfie they had taken at a party, their arms wrapped around each other. they looked... happy.

ariella's heart sank.

blake, still scrolling through kayla's instagram, turned the phone to face ariella again. "if you want, we'll get rid of kayla for good. she won't be a problem."

ariella smiled faintly, grateful for her friends. she knew they were just trying to help, but the truth was—she had to figure out where she stood with walker, and if he really could leave the past behind him. but first, she was going off.