Page 148 of Aria

I combed my hair behind my ears and pressed my lips together, savoring the feel of the moist lip gloss.

I looked different, in the very best way.

Despite the circumstances, there was a light in my eyes that hadn’t been there before. I wondered if Noah would notice it.

Would he recognize my newfound self-worth? Would he appreciate it?

Maybe Noah had been attracted to my darkness. Maybe my demons had pulled him in.

But if Noah was drawn to broken souls, he wouldn’t have married Beth. She was the opposite of damaged… she was pure light.

Noah had likely been captivated by the version of myself that was yet to come. He had seen my potential, unaware thathewould be the sacrifice I’d needed to make in order to get there.

Taking a deep breath, I popped a pair of dangly, turquoise earrings into my ears, straightened out my yellow blouse, and reached for my purse.

It was time.

It was a short ride over to the bar. I stared out the window as the familiar part of town came into view, my stomach fluttering with nerves at the memories connected to the brick buildings, light posts, and cracked sidewalks.

“Here we are, Miss.”

I blinked through a swallow. The sign to Ernie’s Pub flickered before me, tearing down my resolve. I had a physical reaction to it. My palms grew clammy, and my mouth felt like desert sand. It took a fierce pep-talk to force my feet out of the vehicle.

When the driver pulled away, I saw him.

He was standing outside the door, leaning against the distressed brick and puffing on a cigarette. There must have been an unseen force between us because Noah lifted his head at that moment, our eyes locking in a familiar hold.

An ancient swarm of butterflies came to life inside me, tickling parts of me that had been sealed shut. I wondered if he felt it, too.

Noah tossed his cigarette to the ground and tucked his hands into his pockets as he approached me. “You came.”

“You thought I wouldn’t?”

He studied me long and hard, and I had to lower my gaze under his scrutiny. I wondered what he was searching for.

As my eyes landed on a fire hydrant in front of the pub, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. We were standing in the exact spot Noah had collapsed on that fateful winter’s night after taking two bullets from a madman. It was the same place I had cradled him in my arms, blood pooling all around us. I could still see it stained into the cracks and crevices of the cement pavement. It lived there now—an eternal reminder of my troubled past.

No matter what happened between us, we would forever be a part of these city streets.

“Should we grab a table?”

His voice interrupted my thoughts. “Sure.”

It was all I could muster.

The pub was empty for a Thursday night. A few locals glanced up as we made our way to the back of the room. Everything felt so familiar, and yet… it felt like an entirely different life.

We took our seats across from each other as I folded my hands in front of me. I was biting my lip again, my eyes floating everywhere but him. A waitress stopped by the table and filled our glasses with ice water.

I chugged it.

Noah ordered a beer while we sat in silence for a few more minutes.

“Shit, Chelsie… I don’t even know where to begin,” he muttered, sighing as he scratched his head. “How are you?”

I blinked at the question. It was such an ordinary thing to ask, considering our very unordinary circumstances. “I’m good,” I replied. “I’m really good.”

“I saw you onEllen. It’s a great thing you’ve started.”

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