Page 114 of Aria

Noah leaned back in his chair, the muscles in his cheeks ticking. Saying Ruby’s name always seemed to pull a physical reaction out of him. Sometimes it was a wince or a flinch; sometimes he clenched his jaw. This time he creased his lips together in a thin line and tapped his foot against the rung of his chair.

“Yeah,” he finally answered. “I hated them both for a long time.”

I felt Noah’s pain radiating into me. I could only imagine what it would feel like to find the person you loved with your best friend like that. Ruby was clearly a narcissistic wench, but Devon? How could he do that?

“I’m so sorry, Noah. That’s awful.” My words sounded trivial. All I really wanted to do was take him in my arms and hold him tight, just like he had done for me so many times before. I wanted to press my cheek against his chest and breathe in his sandalwood scent. I wanted him to confide in me like he used to.

But things were different now.

Wewere different—ever since I had crossed that line and stuck my tongue in his mouth.

The memories plagued me. There hadn’t been a single day I hadn’t thought about the way his lips felt pressed to mine, or how natural it felt to be entwined with him in his bed. His erection had ground into me, yearning to take what I was so freely offering. His lustful groans still infiltrated my mind, haunting me.

I often fantasized about unraveling into his hand while his fingers pumped into me, and he kissed away my cries of pleasure.

The thoughts warmed me up from the inside out, and I wondered if Noah noticed me squirming in my seat with clenched thighs.

“Yeah, it was pretty shitty. But I got over it,” Noah replied, tapping his finger against his empty shot glass. “Just like I get over everything.”

His stare bit into me like the edge of a dagger. I swallowed back a thousand responses and raised my cocktail to my lips, sucking down the rest of the liquid with frenzied gulps.

“Want another?” he asked, watching as I inhaled the drink.

“Yes, please.”

My insides felt tingly as I studied him. His striking good looks hadn’t resonated with me at first, overshadowed by his crude attitude.

He was just Noah the Asshole.

Then, he was Noah the Friend.

Now… well, I wasn’t entirely sure what he was. “Noah, can we talk about what happened?” I asked, pulling my lip between my teeth. Nerves raced through me.

He straightened in his chair, reaching for his beer with a shrug. “About when I wasobligatedto go down on you because you were drunk and upset?”

Taking a few swigs of beer, he eyed me with a mix of pain and frustration. I fidgeted in my seat, my cheeks heating. “Noah…”

“I mean, I don’t know what there is to talk about. You made yourself pretty clear.”

“I panicked, okay? I was freaked out and scared because I felt something,” I confessed, the words spilling out of me, leaving me winded.

His eyes flared. Noah went still, faltering mid-sip of beer as he awaited more.

Licking my lips, I blew out a breath and finished, “I never meant to imply that it didn’t mean anything. In fact… it meant more than I ever thought it would,” I said. “Youmean more to me than I ever thought possible. So does Sam. And I feel guilty for that because you’re my friend, and I was with Devon for so long, and I just…” I trailed off, my tongue tying into knots.

Noah stared at me with hopeful anticipation, a spark of life returning to his eyes. “Was?”

I blinked. “Was what?”

“With Devon. Past tense.”

Oh.

He wanted to know if I was single.

Am I?

“He, um… asked me for a second chance. I was terrified Devon would go on a bender before the Grammy’s, or overdose or something. I feel responsible for his downward spiral. So, I’m not really sure where we stand right now, but I’m confused and conflicted, and I don’t know how to fix any of this…” Heaving in a giant breath, I was about to continue when I noticed Noah shaking his head with that look of disappointment again.

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