Page 13 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
"I'm good, really," she said, shifting the bags and moving past with practiced ease.
Fergus was a truck driver-broad-shouldered, always wearing cargo boots, and relentlessly cheerful. At one point, he'd taken to waiting downstairs most evenings, always 'just passing by' whenever she came home. Somehow, he always seemed to know her shifts.
He meant well, she supposed, but there was a watchful quality to his attention now. The way he leaned in when he talked, always watching and shyly hopeful. He hadn't crossed any lines, but she could feel the shape of them in the air, and she knew they'd be tested if she wasn't careful.
"Well, ye know where tae find me if ye change yer mind, aye?" he called out, still smiling. "I'm no bad company, promise ye that."
"Night, Fergus," she said, already moving to the stairs.
She was halfway to unlocking the door while juggling her grocery bags when it burst open.
"There is my beautiful sister!" Lule cried, tackling her in a hug that nearly knocked her off balance.
"You're squishing me!" Aria laughed, hugging her back, groceries and all.
Inside, the flat smelled of spices and warmth. Shahi paneer bubbled on the stove, and a plastic bag of naan sat on the table. Lule was barefoot, wearing her Oxford hoodie and a pair of frayed denim shorts that clung to her like an old lover. Her long black hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her pale eyes sparkled.
"Dinner's almost ready. Wine's breathing. Ah yes, the 2025 Château de Cardboard, truly a robust bouquet of regret and preservatives. Bought it at Aldi."
They settled in with two mismatched glasses of red. Aria peeled onions while Lule scrolled on her phone.
"Rahul called youdidiagain. He says hi," Lule said, rolling her eyes. "He wants you to meet his family."
Aria raised a brow. "You thinking about it?"
"Too clingy," Lule said breezily, then softened. "Maybe. I don't know. He's sweet. But...I like my space."
Rahul-a tall, easy-going guy with a warm smile and a posh London accent softened by Hindi endearments-had been around for years now, first as a friend since A levels and now as her boyfriend. He'd visited a few times, always arriving with flowers or dessert, greeting Aria respectfully and calling her didi like she was his actual elder sister. He ran a successful tech startup in health data analytics, had investors sniffing around, and came from a polished family where both his parents were GPs.
He wasn't just nice; he was serious. And he worshipped the ground Lule walked on.
Lule, naturally, kept dodging any attempts to define the relationship. But she was still texting him, a flicker of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
Lule looked up suddenly. "Enough about me. What's happening with Crispy Chicken Wings?"
"Crispin," Aria corrected.
"Whatever. I saw him on another society page with that Helga woman."
Aria sighed. "I saw it, too."
"Please tell me you're done with him."
"I'm...thinking about it."
Lule glared. "He's a walking beige flag, Aria. I will hack into his dad's company and change every screen saver to him wearing riding gear with Helga as his donkey if you don't dump him."
Aria snorted water through her nose, choking on her laughter. "Stop. That's awful."
"Tell me I'm wrong. Helga sounds like someone who churns butter and serves beer in a dirndl."
They were howling, wheezing over their wine. Aria wiped her eyes.
Lule nudged her. "Talk to him. Tomorrow."
Aria nodded, quiet again. "Yeah. I will. Soon"
Her phone buzzed.
