Page 83 of Queen Rose

Nate

Aria’s parents are acting like the rich, uncaring assholes they are—they’ve gone on vacation. It’s Friday. Only a week after Aria’s eighteenth birthday. Only a week after their friend hurt her. Who the fuck goes on a vacation in the middle of an investigation into the murder of their family member and the kidnapping and attempted rape of their daughter? Yeah. The Warringtons do.

But with no one at the Warrington home to take care of, Franny has come to the rescue for my family. I didn’t know how I could be there for Aria and my family at the same time until she’d texted me and offered her services. She gets paid whether the Warringtons are home or not, so she said she’d be happy to help us out. It turns out that she’d had her suspicions about Conner’s obsession for a while, but no real proof. She’d broken down in my arms when she arrived at our home and, through her tears, made me promise to take care of Aria.

I’m doing my best to fulfill that promise. Ever since all the shit went down with Conner, we’ve been staying afternoons with Becca, Brandon, and Mom—Aria demanded it, unwilling to let me sacrifice time with my family—then I’ve been staying nights at the Danbrooks’ with her. Aria and Mom have spent a lot of time alone talking, which I think has been good for Aria. All the motherly hugs have helped, too.

Becca and Brandon seem to sense that Aria’s been in a slightly fragile state, so they’ve been distracting her with games of Candyland. And yesterday, when Brandon found Aria a little teary-eyed, he’d offered her the last bite of his hot dog. Honestly, I think that made her cry even more. In any case, I think she understands between my family and our friends, she’s loved. She’s not alone.

As for me, it’s been hard to know my girlfriend has suffered for years… but for Aria, it’s been nothing short of nightmarish torture. She’d been so strong when she told our friends all of her deepest, darkest secrets. But she’s had to relive her trauma over and over again as the detectives on the case ask her questions and attempt to get a detailed accounting of the abuse she’s endured, as well as exactly what Conner told her about what had happened the night Christina died. How they expect her to remember every last detail is beyond me, and putting her through that… I know it’s hurting her. But she’s been a trooper. Stoic, even. Giving them as much information as she can to add to the phone records, text messages, and video footage from Conner’s laptop.

They’ve also discovered the source of the video recordings—a nanny-cam, tucked into a teddy bear. A gift from Conner, of course, that had sat on a shelf across from her bed since she was five. It’s proof of just how long Conner has been fixated on her. In fact, that discovery is what made Will and Elle take off. There’s no denying they’d ignored how infatuated their friend was with their daughter. I don’t know if it was willful ignorance or if they were somehow complicit, but actions speak louder than words. Their absence right now has come across loud and clear.

It looks like there’s enough evidence to lock Conner up for the rest of his life. And I’ll be cheering when that day comes. We all will.

Aria and I did game night with Becca and Brandon earlier this evening, and now, seated around the Danbrooks’ huge rectangular dining room table with our friends for a late pizza dinner, I put my arm around Aria’s shoulders. Leaning in to press a kiss to her temple, I whisper, “Are you okay? You’re awfully quiet.”

She gives a despondent shrug, responding with a whispered, “Just in my head a little bit, I guess,” before turning away from me to see what Beau and Lyla are laughing about. Only, she doesn’t fool me. Not by a long shot. A few seconds go by, and I begin to feel very uneasy. She’s studiously avoiding eye contact with me, and I’m on the verge of asking her to come talk to me when there’s a commotion from the direction of the garage.

Beau looks up and winks. “Sounds like the parents are finally home.”

In all the time I’ve spent here, I’ve never met Beau and Griff’s parents. From what the guys have told me, Mike’s job as a sports broadcaster takes him out of town a lot and his wife, Carissa, goes with him everywhere. No one else seems bothered by their appearance. But me? I’m internally freaking out. Mike Danbrook is one of my idols.

Everyone waves as they appear, but my eyes get really big. I can’t even help it. Mike Danbrook is a damn legend on the football field. And here I am, eating pizza at his table. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the thought I’m not good enough to even be in his home. But he has no idea that I wanted so badly to follow in great footsteps like his, and I fucked it all up. He doesn’t know that my dream died. Breathe, Nate. Stop acting like a loser.

Mike’s voice booms. “Well, this is nice to see, everyone gathered together like this.” His eyes roam the group until they land on Aria. “I’m glad to hear you’re okay, sweetheart.”

Aria’s cheeks turn pink. She’s still not used to everyone knowing her business, but when a prominent community member is arrested for not one but two heinous crimes, well, the story becomes juicy public knowledge.

Carissa walks directly over to her and gives her a brief hug. “You’re welcome here for as long as you need. Even if that means through graduation and beyond. When we were first raising the boys, we always said we wanted to be the home everyone hung out at.”

Max grins at his boyfriend’s mother. “I think you got your wish.”

“You have a whole damn houseful.” Micah shoots her a smile from across the table. “You know I’m grateful.”

Aria nods. “Yes. Thank you.” She surprises me when she grabs my hand, fingers reflexively squeezing. “This is Nate, by the way.”

“Nate, I’m Carissa, and this is Mike.” She gestures to her husband.

As if I wouldn’t know who he was. Holy shit. I’m meeting Mike Danbrook. “Um. It’s very nice to meet both of you.”

* * *

A little while later, I head up to the bedroom that Aria has claimed. I’d gone out after we finished our late dinner to grab her a bag of Dove chocolates. I don’t know what to make of her behavior at dinner, but I’m aware things won’t right themselves in her world all at once. She has good days and bad ones. And if a little chocolate helps, then so be it.

Even though I’m staying here with her, I give a soft tap to the door to give her warning that I’m coming in. When I push the door open, her back is to me as she sits cross-legged on the bed, looking out the window. “Hey. I’m back.”

She glances over her shoulder. “Where’d you go?”

Sensing something still isn’t quite right, I approach carefully. I stop at the side of the bed and hold up the bag. “To the grocery store for Dove Promises.” I shrug. “I thought maybe they’d help.”

“Nate?” Her voice shakes. “Do you think I’m too broken?”

I set the chocolates down on the nightstand and notice she’s turned away from me to look out the window again. I toe out of my shoes and sit next to her on the edge of the bed. “Why would you ask that?”

She turns, looking at me with big, wet eyes. “Y-you haven’t. Um…” She blinks rapidly. “Did learning about everything that happened to me turn you off?”

Of its own volition, my head rears back as I stare at her. “Turn me off? What are you talking about?”

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