Page 60 of Accidentally Forever
And what if she didn’t want that?
What if I was the person she hadn’t been expecting, and yet was the one who held her back?
“Just talk to her. About everything. There’s so much going on that if you don’t, it’s going to be thrown back in your face. Don’t miss out on what could be because you’re scared about what happened before.”
“When did you get so introspective?” I asked, deflecting his words.
“Maybe when I realized everybody was growing up and I was still figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.”
I studied Lex’s face, wondering why he couldn’t see the great man he was. No amount of me telling him though, would change the way he saw himself. Though I didn’t have much to say on that. Pot and kettle and all that. “Lex. You are the most stable person I know.”
“And isn’t that a sad statement about the state of today’s affairs? And on that note, I’m going to head out. I know you have to leave the studio soon and head back to see Aria. Where I don’t know, but maybe you can have a conversation. That might be good for the both of you.” My best friend leaned forward, cuffed the back of my head, and kissed my forehead. “Don’t be an idiot.”
And with that, he walked out, leaving me confused, tired, and yet, in the right direction.
Because I needed to talk withAria. About so many things. She was going to be upset about the break-in, then maybe I should actually talk about what I was feeling rather than pretending it didn’t matter. And didn’t that sound like pulling teeth?
Frowning, I went back to work, adding a few more colors and realizing maybe I could figure out where this was going.
At least I hoped so.
I stayed an extra hour before heading back to my place.
Aria:
The hike with Dad went amazing. I am on my way to your house. See you soon?
Me:
That’s good to hear.
Me:
See you soon.
Me:
Miss you, babe.
Aria:
I miss you too.
I nearly texted that I loved her. And I wanted to yell at Lex for that. Just because I loved her, didn’t mean she had to know.
Yes, I knew how stupid that sounded. But it wasn’t time yet. What if she wasn’t ready?
What if she was?
I shook my head. It took me a bit to get through traffic and I knew Aria had probably beaten me home. I pulled into my garage, grateful that they hadn’t gotten to this particular car. It had been parked on the other side of the house, so it had been spared. But I was going to have to tell Aria everything.
I walked inside, the scent of garlic hitting me first, and I couldn’t help but smile as Aria danced in my kitchen once again. She looked like she fit there. As if maybe she had always been there.
I didn’t know if I was projecting, or if this was just what I wanted, but damn it, I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted her to stay here. To be mine. And for there not to be any more questions.
Maybe Lex was right. Maybe I just should just shout the damn words.
Aria turned then, a smile on her face. “I am making linner. I hope you’re hungry.”
