Page 130 of Aria

Because it was different. Everything changed in that alleyway.

I stepped out of Lisa’s apartment complex, biting my lip at the sight of the freezing rain. The temperature had warmed over the past couple of weeks, the snow turning into icy droplets. Pulling my hood up over my head, I made a mad dash to the BMW Devon had bought for me.

When I parked the car in Noah’s driveway, I sat in silence.

I watched as the windshield wipers darted back and forth, unable to keep up with the falling rain.

Swish, swish.

Glancing up at the living room window, I squinted through the half-parted curtains. A welcoming yellow light beckoned me inside as shadows scattered across the room. I didn’t even know why I was stalling.

It was just Noah.

The front door opened, and Rosa stepped outside with a giant red umbrella. I finally removed my keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car to greet the caretaker before she disappeared into the night.

“Rosa,” I called out, trying to overpower the sound of the howling wind and rainfall.

“Señorita.” Rosa quickened her pace. “You’re going to freeze out here in this storm. Hurry on inside and get warm.”

I huddled into Rosa, sharing her umbrella. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything.”

“Que?”

I didn’t know why I needed to say it—I just did. “Thank you, Rosa. I hope one day you’ll see your Paco again.”

Her eyes widened, then glazed over with a thousand memories. “Muchacha…”

“It’s never too late. You can screw it up a million times, but love is love. It will always be there, waiting.”

The rain and wind seemed to go silent as we faced each other. I wasn’t sure where the words were coming from—I had no intention of offering sage wisdom to this woman in Noah’s driveway, freezing cold and soaking wet.

Rosa extended her free hand, cupping the side of my face. “The song in your heart… it only plays for one.”

I smiled as my eyes closed.

“Chelsie?”

My head turned, finding Noah standing in the doorway with his arm in a sling.

“Adios, mi querido.”

Rosa gave my cheek a strong pinch before hurrying to her car. Returning my attention to Noah, I made my way up the pebbled path to his doorstep. “Hi.”

Noah moved aside so I could enter. “Jesus, Combs. You’re drenched.”

I pulled back my hood, shaking out my arms and watching as the raindrops dispersed across the room. Glancing up at the mirror across the way, I chuckled at my appearance—I’d actually put effort into not looking homeless, and I still ended up resembling a drowned rat. I scrubbed the mascara streaks from under my eyes and slipped out of my soggy coat.

Noah was leaning against the wall with his good arm, holding himself steady. His wheelchair was abandoned next to the sofa.

“Are you walking okay?” I inquired, hanging my jacket up on an adjacent hook. I pivoted toward him, my eyes casing his appearance. Worry fused with affection as I awaited his response.

Noah gave a dismissive shrug. “Working on it,” he said. “I’m improving with my physical therapy and moving on my own pretty well now.”

He removed his hand from the wall and straightened, approaching me on unsteady feet.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed the gap between us, wrapping my arms around his neck and releasing a sigh of relief into the collar of his shirt. His right arm encircled my waist, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks,” I whispered against his shoulder.

Noah gave me a squeeze, his breath tickling the hairs on my head. “I can’t say I haven’t missed having you around,” he murmured. Then his voice lowered as he said, “And I can’t say I haven’t thought about—”

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