Friends with Benefits [m.c.]

Encounter

This is dedicated to @kieyrastyles because she's awesome and finds joy in my writing. Thanks so much! <3

Hailey (Yael Grobglas aka Petra in Jane the Virgin) is shown above!

Alyssa's POV

"Come on, Lyss," my roommate and best friend, Hailey, says to me.

I shake my head and take another bite of ice cream, curling myself deeper into the couch. My eyes stay fixed on The Fault in Our Stars.

"You've been sitting on this dámn couch for the past three days!" she huffs. "Go do something with me! You need to get out of this house for a little while, please? You and I both know James wouldn't want you to be like this!"

I wince at the mention of his name. The wounds are still incredibly fresh.

She continues to press on about him until finally I sigh and turn to her. "What are you asking me to do?" I ask. I suppose she's right. James hated it when I would just sit around and do nothing, but now that he's gone, what else do I have to do?

"I'll tell you what," she begins, "why do we go get some groceries? You've seemed to have eaten all the ice cream within a five mile radius of here anyway," she tells me as she rolls her eyes with a smile.

"Fine," I tell her as I put a finger in the air. "Under one condition."

She knits her brows. "And what would that be?"

"Make me a huge Italian dinner like James used to?" I plead with her.

I miss James, and I need something to make me forget he is actually gone. I haven't talked to him since he told me he had gotten to New York safely. I just hope he's doing okay.

"Fine," she sighs. Elated, I smile and get up to take the first shower I've had in four days. I stand in there for a good half hour, just letting the warm water run down my body as I scrub myself clean.

I finally finish up and get dressed. After doing the bare minimum to make myself look like a presentable human being in public, I smile at my appearance in the mirror. It feels good to wash away some of the sadness.

I walk to the front door, where Hailey is waiting. "Thank God," she says. "You smelled like dog shît. I didn't wanna be the one to break it to you, though."

I laugh a little and flip her off as we walk out the door. The silent drive keeps my mind focused on how much I miss James, but I try to bring myself out of my funk. He wouldn't want me like this, I tell myself. When we get to the store, she brings me out of my thoughts by handing me a list.

"Alright," Hailey begins. "Since I'm making you all this food, you have to get all of the ingredients for it. I'll get everything else we needed to buy before."

I nod and walk toward the pasta aisle, knowing exactly what I needed. James used to me make chicken parmesan with fettuccine alfredo and double chocolate biscotti for dessert, holidays or even date nights. It's my favourite meal of all time. I can feel the saliva flood into my mouth as I think about the meal.

I grab most of the ingredients on the list. The only thing left is marinara sauce.

After walking along some of the other aisles for a couple minutes, I find the section where the sauce should be to find it completely bare of the kind he used.

"Of course," I mutter under my breath in exasperation. I run a hand through my hair as I turn around and press my back against the shelves.

Dear God, I pray. Please help me get this meal together so I can have a small piece of happiness back. Please.