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




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![unprovensteemitcover2.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNZyh9qyMZH5pMrCsp9HuudSs99EVWUnnMmxTe5Bo9VHj/unprovensteemitcover2.jpeg)

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Recommend Reading [Introduction to Unproven](https://steemit.com/blog/@dreemit/introducing-unproven-my-technically-published-stand-alone-novel)

DEFINITELY READ [Prologue](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/here-it-is-my-esteemed-steemians-the-prologue-for-my-next-steemit-fictional-novel-venture-unproven)

[**Chapter One**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-one-the-dude-and-the-plan) [**Chapter Two**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-two-aryanne) [**Chapter Three**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-three-the-seasonal-girl-system)

[**Chapter Four**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-four-breathe-ary) [**Chapter Five**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-five-run-in) [**Chapter Six**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-six-extreme-makeovers)

[**Chapter Seven**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-seven-the-proposition) [**Chapter Eight**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-eight-surrealistic) [**Chapter Nine**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-nine-the-big-o)

[**Chapter Ten**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-ten-i-m-in) [**Chapter Eleven**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-eleven) [**Chapter Twelve**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twelve-start-the-morning-out-with-a-bang) 

[**Chapter Thirteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirteen-girl-pow-wow) [**Chapter Fourteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-fourteen-prove-yourself-superior) [**Chapter Fifteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-fifteen-sneak-in-through-my-window)

[**Chapter Sixteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-sixteen-getting-to-know-you-in-more-ways-than-one-warning-sexually-explicit-content-ahead) [**Chapter Seventeen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-seventeen-his-first-mistake-if-he-only-knew) [**Chapter Eighteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-eighteen-grayson-meets-grandma)

[**Chapter Nineteen**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-nineteen-how-the-other-half-lives) [**Chapter Twenty**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-it-sure-the-hell-isn-t) [**Chapter Twenty One**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-one-a-tour-of-extravagance)

[**Chapter Twenty Two**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-two-and-so-it-begins) [**Chapter Twenty Three**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-three-moving-the-pieces-working-the-angles) [**Chapter Twenty Four**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-four-unflattering-nicknames-and-scuba-instructors)

[**Chapter Twenty Five**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-five-grass-skirt) [**Chapter Twenty Six**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-six-souvenirs-and-scuba-divers) [**Chapter Twenty Seven**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-seven-guilt-doubt-and-resolve)

[**Chapter Twenty Eight**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-eight-lies-and-liars) [**Chapter Twenty Nine**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-twenty-nine-interruptions-and-douche-baggery) [**Chapter Thirty**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-treachery-at-every-turn)

[**Chapter Thirty One**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-one-downward-spiral) [**Chapter Thirty Two**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-two-it-s-a-big-bad-world-out-there) [**Chapter Thirty Three**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-three-i-m-back-jack-let-s-hit-the-road)

[**Chapter Thirty Four**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-four-there-is-magic-all-around-if-you-have-eyes-to-see) [**Chapter Thirty Five**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-five-cave-of-wonders)  [**Chapter Thirty Six**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-six-outside-of-time)

[**Chapter Thirty Seven**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-seven-invasion-of-the-body-snatchers) [**Chapter Thirty Eight](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-eight-is-this-the-end) [**Thirty Nine**](https://steemit.com/story/@dreemit/unproven-chapter-thirty-nine-rage-against-the-f-word)

<center>
Chapter Forty
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Ary lay on her bed in her room staring at nothing.  She’d been in the exact same place for the past two days, moving only to use the bathroom or pour water down her throat.  

Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen, her throat raw and burning.  She hadn’t imagined hurt that felt like this.  
She’d been so strong for the first several hours after she’d left his house, telling herself that he was lying.  To himself as much as to her.  Telling herself there had to be more to him, that it wasn’t possible the game was solely about tearing someone’s world apart.  She’d thought about driving back there in the middle of the night, confronting him when he was alone and had had time to think.  Time to work out his ego.  But in the end she kept replaying his words and knew she couldn’t bear to hear anymore, or to see that emotionless void in his eyes.  

After that she’d replayed every moment since they’d met, and oh God, it hurt so bad.  She’d been lying to herself, she was not strong.  

She lay there listlessly, staring at her wallpaper.  *Cheer me up pooh*, she thought, trying for a smile.  It came and went and she went on staring. 

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The following morning she heard her front door open and her heart leaped.  Until Andie poked her head in.

“Oh, nice to see you too,” she stated in response to Ary's deflated gaze.  “You look like shit.”

Ary flopped over and hugged the pillow to her chest.  She felt her mattress sink as Andie sat and buried her face in the sheets.

“Come on, this isn’t healthy.  What was it you said to me about one person not having the power?”

“I was wrong,” Ary said, her voice muffled.

“No you weren’t Ary, you were exactly right.  And you know it, you’re just choosing to ignore it in favor of feeling sorry for yourself.”

Ary lifted her head slightly, “I’m not feeling sorry for myself,” she said in a small voice.

“Oh bullshit you aren’t.  You’re feeling sorry that your almighty Ary-ness was not enough to melt the heart of a glacier.”

Ary turned toward her slightly, narrowing her eyes.

Andie chuckled, “Get mad at me, that’s okay.  But you need to hear the truth.”  She sighed and softened her tone.  

“Come on Ary, I know you’re hurting.  I’m hurting too, for you.  But you’re stronger than this.  You’re stronger than him Ary, your light beats his dark I swear it does.  If anyone could have touched the heart of a dragon, it’s you.  But when the dragon has no heart…” She let that hang.

Ary slowly sat up.  “I’m a mess.”

“Yup.”

She smiled weakly, “Thanks for sugar coating that.”

“You’re welcome. Now come on, get up, get a shower, get some clean clothes, and some deodorant please...peeyoo.”

Ary smacked her with the pillow and slid out of bed.  She grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom.

After she was showered and dressed, deodorant applied, she had to admit she felt better.  She found Andie at the kitchen table flipping through a photo album.  

“Check this out,” she pointed to a picture and Ary smiled.  

It featured Andie, Sonya, Amanda, and herself in the front yard of this house when they were about eleven years old, their arms draped over each other, grinning from ear to ear.

“I remember that day,” Ary said as she sat on the chair next to her, “We made ice-cream sundaes and the cherries kept sliding off onto the floor.”

“Yeah and your grandma was all bent out of shape about the mess, hmphhing from one corner of the house to the other.”

Ary giggled, “Oh yeah and then we snuck into her closet and played dress up-”

“With all of her old lady clothes,” Andie finished. “Wait, where are those pictures?”  She flipped through pages, 

“Ha, here’s some.”  The four of them were doing different poses wearing wigs, pastel sweaters, and yellow polyester pants. They looked at each other and broke into gales of laughter. 

“Oh God,” Ary wheezed.

Andie held her stomach as she tried to say something and finally managed to drag in a deep breath.  “D..did..did…How many…Oh Jesus, I’m gonna die,” she wheezed.

Ary doubled over the table, great guffaws bursting from her.

“Yellow p..pants,” Andie pushed out, “how many…does…she…own?”

Ary shook her head unable to breathe let alone speak.

It took several minutes but when she could speak again Ary managed, “Never mind the yellow pants, how many wigs does she have?”

They stared at each other for a split second before they burst out laughing again, this time sliding off their chairs onto the floor and rolling around.

They were laughing so hard they didn’t hear the door open.

“Um guys, what are you doing?” Sonya stood over them, the sight of her friends writhing and snorting bringing out her own giggle.

They shook their heads unable to answer and pointed up at the table.  

She looked at the pictures and started giggling in earnest, “Oh my gosh, I remember that!”

“W..wwiggs…”

“Yellow p..pants…”

“Wow yeah, how many wigs and yellow pants does she own?” Sonya blinked.

Ary and Andie wrapped their arms around themselves and rocked, their laughter completely soundless, tears running down their faces.

“Oh Goddd,” Andie wheezed, “No more, pleasssee.”

Sonya sat at the table and continued to giggle as she watched her friends gulping for air.

When they finally got it together they sat up in unison, twin grins pasted on their faces.


“God I missed you,” Andie said.

Ary nodded and looked up at Sonya, her smile fading.  “Yeah, me too, both of you. Sonya, I’m so sorry.”  

Sonya dropped beside them. “It’s not your fault, you were lied to.” She put an arm around Ary, and Andie put an arm around them both. They leaned into one another, holding tightly for several seconds.

“Too bad Amanda isn’t here,” Sonya stated when they let go.

Ary made a face, “I think it will be a while before she’s here again.”

“If ever,” Andie sighed.  

“Oh well, we’ve got each other, that’s enough,” Sonya said. 

Ary squeezed them tighter. *It sure is,* she thought.

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