Page 105 of Vicious Arrangement
I rip myself free and hurl my phone at him. It bounces off his shoulder and smashes to the ground.
The elevator dings, and I shove the man grabbing at me, and for that, I’m nearer.
Before I can do a thing, something heavy slams into the back of my head, and everything turns to black.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
NOAH
I’mglad I put in that extra work over the weekend, because, as I finish up work to get out this fucking door on time… so I can get home to change and take my woman out.
Excitement threads through my veins, heating my blood as something makes my heart beats a little faster and my fingertips tingle.
Am I fucking nervous?
I haven’t stopped looking at my watch since it hit four p.m. It’s five now. Even if the traffic’s shit, I’ll be home by six, but I text her.
Me:Aria, I’m leaving work soon, if I’m not there at six, it’ll be six thirty at the latest because of Manhattan traffic, but it’s going to be one hell of an evening. I can’t wait.
She doesn’t respond. Aria’s not the type to spend hours getting ready, but she might be waking up from a nap or even just getting in from shopping and hitting the shower. I don’t worry about it at all. I just want to be out and home and not late.
And this time, I covered that base.
D’Angelo’s is a place I haven’t been. It’s on the edge of Little Italy and, by all accounts, romantic and top-rated. It’s small, giving it an intimate vibe, and that’s according to each of the reviews I read.
But I chose it because Aria mentioned it.
In fact, I’m so hell-bent on this being a perfect first date that I booked the entire restaurant for the evening. Anyone planning on going tonight who has booked will earn themselves a free meal another night, courtesy of me.
I want it to be just the two of us, me and my girl.
I let that sink in.
My girl.
Aria.
I’m ready to admit the true extent of my feelings for her, and I’m hoping like hell she feels the same. I even broke down and spoke with Asher today, who just told me in a bored voice, “Of course you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you. Can we all get on the same page and move on with our lives? Because if you don’t, you two will be at Josh’s wedding still trying to work out feelings.”
He said “we” as in me and Aria.
Asher meant me.
I’m the idiot with my head in the sand.
And while I wanted to get mad, he’s right.
But I don’t know how she feels. I’ve made wrong turn after wrong turn with her. Fuck the only real thing I’ve gotten right is sex.
I want more. I want it all.
Because, I think, last night’s affecting me more than I’d ever have expected it to. Not the fucking nonsense with Aaron. That I’ve taken care of. But her.
She almost threatened me with leaving me and it hit home. Knocked me around.
I’m fucking forcing her to be here, and I don’t want that. I want her to want to be with me, but who’d want me the way I’ve been behaving? I’m me and I wouldn’t. So how can I expect someone as special as Aria to do so?
I get that my livelihood, Templeton Properties, and my inheritance depend on Aria continuing the marriage.
