Naya looked down from her plane window and saw the white strips of sand meeting the deep blue ocean below. She breathed hard. Probably, Heather was still sleepy right now or … cuddled in Taylor's arm. Naya's features clouded for a second.
Hang on Rivera; you're out of it already.
She looked down San Juan and remembered her vacations in Ensenada de Boca Vieja. Back then, she did not even have a job as an actress at Glee. She just stayed as an underdog, not giving away to attention. She drew in a slow, long breath.
Rivera, try to be happy, please.
And with that, she pushed Heather away from her mind. She looked to the silver clouds beyond and tried to forget Heather as she felt the plane's descent.
Naya looked beyond the blue Atlantic. It's roughly a year since she saw Heather. It's almost a year since she felt too broken, and up until that moment, Naya still felt her heart was still broken. She is still in love with the tall blonde that played a great role in her messy life. It was the same blonde who caused her too much pain. But she can't blame Heather for it. Heather just did something so that she can be happy. And Heather deserved it.
Her phone rang. It was Heather. Like all other times through the year, hesitation registered on Naya's face, however, her heart got the best of her.
"Hello, Hemo? How are you?"
"Naynay, I miss you so much. Why don't you come back here? Ryan said you can have ta slot back in Glee the Homecoming or, whatever. Just come back Naynay," Heather was whimpering like a kicked puppy from over the line.
"Oh, Hemo…" Naya tried to sound comforting. "I miss you too Hemo."
"Naynay… I miss you. So much, Naynay."
"I will be back, Heather. I will be back in Los Angeles before you know it. I miss you guys so much. It sucks in here. I hate working alone and I can't seem to get my ass off of things," Naya assured her.
"Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise." Naya had to smile. Heather had that effect on her, she always makes her smile.
"Honey, who is that?" a male voice called Heather on the other line.
"Oh I was just calling Naya. She's in Puerto Rico." Naya could hear Heather call to the man.
"Okay, Naya, it was Taylor."
Jealousy crawled inside Naya like an ugly maggot and curled itself up into her heart. "Hemo, I think I gotta go. Bye." Naya dropped the phone. She held her hand on her mouth to mute the sobbing that came from her own self as she slid down to her feet and sat on the floor.
Why was I like this? Why is it that she can hurt me with just a single phone call?
She pounded on the floor till her hand swelled and hurt. Her breathing became very heavy, and her eyes were very puffy.
She had cried for hours and her phone rang again.
Please, don't tell me it's Heather again.
With shaking hands, Naya picked up her phone.
"Hello?" her voice was shaking.
"Hello? Rivera? Is this you?" a distant, yet very familiar voice asked.
"Yes. Is this you, Ryan?" Naya's mouth hung open.
"Yes," Ryan answered. "And I need your ass back here in L.A."
"Mierda! Why?" Naya blurted out. As much as possible, she wanted to avoid Heather. She wanted to avoid the person who is capable of giving her sheer joy and happiness and is also capable of breaking her heart into tiny shattered pieces.
She wanted so much to let go.
"Columbia Records is hunting for you across the goddamned globe. Now, get that lazy ass of yours out of that forsaken island!"
"I'll try Ryan."
"Please don't tell me you just got married."
"No." Naya chuckled. She's married, to a married person. She was married in an incomplete, fatal way. Her heart had always belonged to that blonde.
"Are you a property already, Rivera?"
"Heck, no! Alright, Ryan, I'll come to L.A. in a couple of days."
"Make it a couple of weeks, so that we can prepare for your big come back."
Ryan is just like that.
Naya was excited, yet scared too. How could she walk in front of her? How could she look her way when she knows someone else is making her happy?
That night, Naya was torn from going and staying. She wanted to get it over with, yet the hauntings and memories would never make her drift to sleep.
fifteen months ago
"Naya," Heather was cuddled beside her on her bed. They were wearing their favourite PJ's. Naya looked at her best friend. She looked so happy and peaceful and she meant everything to Naya. She tweaked the blonde's hair that flowed on the white pillows.
"Naynay," obviously, Heather was dreaming.
"Shh…I'm here, Hemo."
Heather swung her arms above and landed on Naya's chest. She then wrapped them across Naya's waist. It all felt natural, with Heather's breathe continuously grazing across Naya's neck. It was too perfect for Naya.
A week passed Naya called Ryan.
"Okay, show me what you got."
"Alright, so I have made the creases clear and I've got it ironed out so you can get out of freaking Puerto Rico in like three weeks or so."
"Okay," Naya nodded.
"So, I was thinking, of your condominium unit, you still have it, right?"
"Ryan, the reason why I left for Puerto Rico was because of Heather and you know that. And the reason I don't wanna go back in L.A. was still her."
"But, Naya…"
"What?"
"Heather is leaving for…New York."
"What?" Naya blurted out. "She just called me a week ago and you're telling me they're leaving?"
"It's just that…will you say yes to my offer?"
"Fine. Yes. But I need to know why Heather had to leave."
"Call her and see for yourself," Ryan quipped.
Naya quipped at Ryan. "Forget it, if she wants to move out, fine, I'm out of it."
"So are you coming back?"
"If that's what you're up about, fine. It sucks here." Naya rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so…bye for now."
"Fine, Ryan. Just don't egg up on me." Naya hung up the phone.
Okay, Rivera, breathe. One. Two. Three.
She called JetBlue Airlines. A lady answered her.
"I'm booking a flight for Los Angeles for the next week."
"Wait for a second ma'am."
Naya waited. Finally, the woman came back and answered. "We already have your ticket, ma'am. You're scheduled on Thursday morning."
The next Thursday, Naya was patiently waiting at the foyer. Clutching her shoulder bag, she went into the file that entered the plane. She wanted to spend the flight alone, even if Ryan Murphy had offered her that he'd come for her.
The flight was long and monotonous, and Naya was sleeping all the way. However, Naya was able to wake up just as they were having the final descent to LAX. She rubbed the sleep of her eyes and saw the runway.
She retrieved her duffel bag and started walking. Not much had changed, just that the people were more than a year ago. Naya remembered. A year ago she left this town with a broken heart. Now she's got it taped together. But a single word form Heather and it will break apart again. Just that, and Heather knows.