Between Friendship and Sin

"Hello, Ndra?"

Reisa, who had already been asleep, was jolted awake when her phone rang at two in the morning. She actually didn't want to answer the call, but Andra wouldn't contact her unless it was something important.

Finally, Reisa picked up. Worry outweighed her drowsiness.

"Can you pick him up now?" asked a woman on the other end.

"Who are you?"

Reisa's voice was tight with emotion when she heard the woman speaking so casually through Andra's phone—Andra, her best friend.

"Just pick him up, please. Your friend is drunk."

"Andra's drunk?" Reisa asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, he's wasted."

"Where are you?"

"The Paradise."

The woman on the phone named a club in the city center.

After getting all the details, Reisa hurriedly grabbed her sweater and wallet. Without thinking twice that it was already late at night, she started her car.

"Oh, my God!"

When she arrived, Reisa could only shake her head at the sight of Andra. The man was sprawled, drunk, on the lap of the same woman who had called.

Andra lay there with his shirt open, clutching a bottle of liquor. As Reisa approached, the woman smiled smugly, kissing and groping her friend.

"Oh, my God."

Reisa averted her gaze, embarrassed. All these years of friendship, she had never seen Andra like this.

Again and again, she turned her head away, feeling uneasy and disgusted, especially seeing Andra seemingly enjoying the attention.

"You're Reisa?" the woman asked, puffing on a cigarette, her lipstick smudged all over—including on Andra's face.

"Yes."

"He was dancing with me, then asked for a drink and got drunk. He keeps saying your name."

"Oh, Ndra ..." Reisa cursed inwardly. If Andra had a problem, he should have talked to her instead of drowning himself in a place like this.

"I unlocked his phone with his fingerprint and called you. I think this guy's heartbroken."

"Come on, Ndra! Since when do you hang out in places like this?"

"You'd better take him home. He's useless like this," the woman said, flirtatiously.

Reisa muttered under her breath and gestured for the woman to help.

"Help me get him to the car. Now!"

Without further delay, Reisa acted quickly. She didn't want to stay there any longer.

The woman nodded, and together they struggled to carry Andra to the car. His long legs were hard to fold, and his head nearly hit the frame.

"He hasn't paid," the woman said, extending her hand.

"What were you two even doing?"

"Just kissing. Some touching. But that's not free," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Damn it!" Reisa muttered.

She pulled some bills from her wallet.

"This should cover it."

"Thanks, pretty," the woman said before heading back into the club. Reisa exhaled sharply, trying to calm her mind.

"You're the one playing around, and I'm the one paying. What were you even doing with a woman like that?"

"Rei—" Andra's hoarse voice barely called the name of the woman he loved.

"Ndra, if something's wrong, talk to me. Don't make trouble for me like this."

After making sure everything was settled, Reisa drove toward a housing complex in the capital city, to Andra's house.

The streets were quiet. Even the security guard was surprised when her car arrived.

"Pretty late, Ma'am," the guard greeted when Reisa stopped at the post.

"Andra's drunk," she said, irritated.

The guard offered to escort them, but Reisa declined. She drove around and stopped at a large, two-story house with a wooden gate.

She rang the bell. Luckily, the gate was unlocked, so she could open it and park in the yard.

"Inah open the door please!" Reisa called, knocking.

After a long wait, and fighting her drowsiness, the door finally opened.

"Oh dear, what's happened?" asked Inah, the housekeeper who had worked for Andra's family since he was little.

"Andra's looking for trouble again," Reisa whispered.

Andra was an only child and an orphan. Several staff worked here, but none stayed overnight except Inah.

Reisa and Andra had been close since high school—two lonely souls needing someone to share life with.

Reisa once found comfort in Andra. And Andra had quietly fallen in love with her.

Seeing their closeness, Reisa's father had asked about their relationship several times, but she always insisted they were just friends. She treated Andra like a replacement for Wahyu, her late brother.

Andra said the same, though secretly he harbored deeper feelings.

"Help me. He's heavy."

They helped Andra upstairs.

"What happened, Miss?" Inah asked.

"Drunk."

"That's odd. He never does this."

"Maybe he's heartbroken," Reisa answered vaguely. She just wanted to get him to bed and leave.

"With who?" Inah frowned.

"I don't know. I just got a call from some woman telling me to pick him up."

Her father had already forbidden her to go out tonight, but she had convinced him it was just to fetch Andra and bring him home.

"Who's his girlfriend? Andra never said anything. He usually tells me everything," Inah said while taking off his shoes and socks, while Reisa looked for clean clothes.

"No idea. I'll ask when he's sober."

"Maybe it's you, Miss. Since you announced your engagement to Mr. Dimas, Master Andra's been moody. I've seen him daydreaming a lot."

"No way. We're just friends, you know that."

Reisa worked quickly, changing Andra's clothes and tucking him in comfortably.

"I'll head to the back, Miss. If anything happens, knock on my door—I might not wake up otherwise."

"It's fine. Go rest. I'll handle Andra."

Inah slipped out quietly.

"Rei—"

Reisa turned at the sound of Andra's voice.

"You want some water?" she asked gently, pity stirring inside her.

Andra nodded.

"Don't leave me."

Half-conscious, Andra clutched her arm.

"I'm just getting water, Ndra ... ow!" Reisa fell onto the bed as Andra pulled her into his embrace.

"Sweetheart ..." he murmured, burying his face in her neck.

"Let go, Ndra! What are you doing?" Reisa struggled, unwilling to be touched like this.

"I want you."

Andra pressed on, determined to have the woman of his dreams.

"You're drunk. Snap out of it!"

Reisa fought, nauseated by the sour alcohol on his breath.

Andra ignored her protests, pinning her down, not letting her move.

"Ndra, let go! I'm Reisa, not that woman from the club."

Her small hands slapped at his cheeks, trying to wake him. In this position, she felt powerless, desperate to protect her dignity.

"Rei, don't reject me," Andra muttered as his hands roamed.

"Let go, let go! Somebody help!" Reisa cried, fighting with all her might, but no one heard. No one came.

She kicked and scratched, but her slight frame was no match.

"STOP, REI!" Andra barked.

In that instant, Reisa realized Andra wasn't drunk at all. His eyes were clear—this was deliberate.

"You ...?"

Andra silenced her with a rough kiss. His body moved at will, taking what he wanted.

From there, Reisa could do nothing. She had no strength left to resist. Beneath Andra's weight, she lost everything.

The purity Reisa had guarded was taken by the very person she trusted most, the one she cared for. Her pain spilled only as silent tears.

Was this truly her fate? Couldn't she, like any other woman, hope to marry and live happily with the man she loved?

"Why does it have to be like this?"

"Why me, Andra?"