Page 120 of Aria

I broke down, collapsing into Lisa’s arms. She didn’t say anything because words could never express how any of us were feeling. There was nothing to do but cry.

When Lisa pulled back, she wiped her own wetness from her cheeks. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “The blood isn’t mine. It’s all Noah’s.”

“Fuck,” Tad said, running his hands over his face.

The group followed me to a far corner. Devon took a seat beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “It’s crazy out there with security and police. They’re swarming the place.”

I shuddered, wishing it was all a bad dream. “I’m glad you made it,” I said to Devon, inching away from him slightly. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get a hold of you.”

Devon leaned back in his seat and tapped his feet in anxious unison against the waiting room floor. “I’m glad you did.”

“Holy fucking shit, Chelsie!”

I jerked my head up to see Julia running through the main entrance. Standing, I gave my friend a tight hug. “Hey,” I whispered, my voice ragged and dry.

“It’s a madhouse outside the hospital,” Julia said. She sighed with worry. “God, I don’t even know what to say. Any word on Noah yet? Any updates?”

Disappointment rippled through me. “Nothing yet.”

“This is so messed up,” she murmured, taking a seat next to Lisa.

When I sat back down, I couldn’t help but notice Devon playing a game on his cell phone. He cracked a smile as his points accumulated. “Really?”

Devon glanced in my direction, then back to the game. “Something wrong?”

I stared at him, my mouth open with amazement. “Yes, something’s wrong. Noah is fighting for his life a few feet away and you’re playing video games?”

“I need the distraction,” he said. “Why does it matter?”

I was about to speak, but the words stopped at my lips.Was I overreacting?Shifting in my chair, I cleared my throat. “Sorry.”

A few moments of silence passed, and Devon slipped his phone into his pocket. “Chelsie, I care about Noah. I’m worried, just like you.”

Nodding, I looked down at the scarlet stain in my lap as I folded in my lips and ran a hand through knotted hair. When my fingers caught on a patch of dried blood, I winced.

The thought of Devon and Ruby crossed my mind, and suddenly, I wanted answers. Maybe I was looking for a fight—maybe I was trying to see the worst in Devon to make my feelings for Noah more justified. Whatever the reason, I needed to know. “Devon… what happened with Ruby?”

He didn’t flinch at the question. Perhaps he’d seen it coming. “Is this really the right time to bring up past indiscretions?” he asked, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

“Probably not,” I admitted. “But I’m curious.”

He sighed and continued to fidget in his seat. “It was a dick move. Not much more to it.”

“So, you slept with your best friend’s girl? The woman he was crazy about?”

“You don’t know anything…shewas the crazy one. We both got drunk one night, and it just happened. I barely drank alcohol after that point. I felt terrible—I didn’t give a shit about anyone but myself back then.”

Swallowing, I pursed my lips together. “Doesn’t seem like much has changed.”

“What?”

“I’m just saying, you’ve been acting like an asshole lately. You haven’t been there for me. You’ve been treating the band like crap. The things you said to Noah earlier were shitty,” I told him, worrying my lip between my teeth. “I’m wondering if something changed in you, or if this is who you’ve always been… and I was too blind to see it.”

An eerie silence enveloped the room; maybe I’d said too much. Devon’s expression shifted from indifference to agitation. He sniffed and folded his hands together before leaning his head back against the seat. “That’s something only you can decide,” he said with closed eyes, shutting himself off from me.

I blinked slowly as the guilt hit me.

---