Page 33 of Aria

Chelsie swallowed abruptly. “Us? What about us?”

“You know…us,” I repeated. “From mortal enemies, to a kindred fellowship.”

“A kindred… what? Are you sure you’re not drunk?” Chelsie pressed, her features pinching with concern.

“Hey, I’m trying to have a moment here.”

“Yeah, an awkward moment. You’re being weird.”

I grumbled, leaning back on one arm and chugging the rest of the wine. “Fine, whatever. I’m just glad we were able to get past our differences, you know? You’re pretty okay, Water Girl.”

Chelsie’s expression softened as she sipped her Moscato. “You’re okay, yourself.” Her eyes glimmered like emeralds over her wine glass. She sat down beside me, holding her beverage primly in her lap as she cleared her throat and shot me a sideways glance. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I suppose.” I poured myself another glass of wine and promptly chugged that one, too—just in case I didn’t like the question.

She tapped her perfectly painted toenails against the carpet. “What happened to the girl you were in love with?”

Chelsie’s question felt like a punch to the gut.

I generally avoided questions about my personal life, and Iespeciallyavoided questions about Ruby. I knew something sinister must have flashed in my eyes because Chelsie recoiled and started to backpedal.

“I – I mean, I’m not trying to pry. You mentioned you were in love before. I was just wondering what came of it. You don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to.”

The look in Chelsie’s eyes shifted from sympathy to annoyance at my hardened tone. “Okay. Sorry I asked.”

I stood up and began pacing the room. “You know, it’s not really customary to bring up ex-girlfriends out of the blue. In fact, it’s a terrible fucking idea.”

Chelsie rose to her feet, accepting my invitation for a fight. “You knowI didn’t mean any harm by it. I said you didn’t have to talk about it if you didn’t want to.” Her hands were firmly planted on her waist.

“I said I didn’t want to. Then you got all… pissy-eyed.” Two fingers waggled in front of her face for emphasis.

“Pissy-eyed?” Her tone turned incredulous. “Excuse me for wanting to learn more about you. Pardon me for caring. In fact… Ithinkit was you I spilled my guts to not that long ago.”

My defenses flared as I leaned in close, her hot breath skimming my face. “You think I wanted to know all about your tortured past?”

The look in Chelsie’s eyes morphed again, this time from aggravation to something along the lines of “you killed my puppy.”

Shit. I’m a dick.

“Really,” she spat back through gritted teeth. “I confide in you, and you throw it in my face? Here I thought maybe I had misjudged you. Maybe you were just…misunderstood.But no.” Chelsie pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest. “You really are an asshole.”

My shoulders sagged, the fight long gone. I didn’t want to hurt her. “Look—”

“Get out.” She pointed a sharp finger toward the door. “Just go.”

“Listen to me, Combs.” Chelsie stiffened, her eyes brimming with tears. I ran a hand over my face, letting out a hard breath. “The girl I loved? Her name was Ruby. She broke my heart into a million fucking pieces, and I’ve never really recovered from it. And it doesn’t help that Ruby gave me something that reminds me of her every day.”

Chelsie’s features softened, but her stance remained rigid. “Yeah, well, Ian gave me scars and bruises that will never heal. What did Ruby give you? Herpes?”

I ignored the well-deserved barb and reached into my back pocket. Hesitating briefly, I pulled out my wallet and fished through the contents, removing a small photo. I handed it to her. “No,” I said, meeting her eyes. My heart squeezed as the next words spilled out: “She gave me Sam.”

CHAPTERNINE

CHELSIE

Noah Hayes had a son.

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