Page 29 of Tied and Tangled

I had been right this morning when I woke up with her in my arms.

Life had felt too good to be true.

10

ARIA

“Have you talked to her?” Sara, the second oldest, whispered loudly. I rolled my eyes. She was never good at being stealthy. I turned in my small twin-size bed and faced the wall.

The empty beige wall. One that matched what was left inside my chest where my heart used to be.

“No. She’s been in her room. See?” Gemma answered, not bothering to even pretend to whisper at the door. “We know you’re awake, by the way!” Gem, the youngest of us, added, but I ignored her.

Leaving Aiden’s penthouse had been hard. Not because of the luxury or opulence, but because of who lived there. The way it had somehow felt like home. Especially after the way we had decorated it.

Not that it mattered.

He was gone by the time I’d finished packing. He obviously wasn’t broken up about my quitting.

Not only had he broken my heart by callously stating my opinion didn’t matter when it came to the girls and planning on sending him away, but I’d lost my job. My very well-paying job. I shut my eyes tighter and felt the warm tears leaking through. He hadn’t even waited to say goodbye.

Nothing.

I’d been an itch he’d scratched and nothing more.

My mattress dipped, and I felt one of my sisters slide in behind me. Her arm wrapped around my waist, and she hugged me. It didn’t matter which one it was either. Not that they were interchangeable, but the love we all had for one another had tears prickling in my eyes. They fell freely now, and I hiccupped.

“Shit!” Gem cursed, and the end of my mattress dopped again. “Why are you crying?” she whined.

“Gem!” Sara groaned from somewhere in our room.

“I thought you were being dramatic! I’m so sorry,” Gem apologized. Her hand covered my ankle over my sheet. “I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

“I was… But…” A sob ripped through me.

I couldn’t talk.

I couldn’t breathe.

I’d lost everything.

The girls.

Aiden.

“Shh, it’s okay. Breathe.” I recognized the raspier feminine voice immediately. I turned around, and my eyes connected with Fernie’s dark ones. She was the one hugging me. My lips wobbled.

My twin sisters were identical, but I could tell them apart without a blink of an eye. I loved all my sisters, but I was closest to Fernanda.

“Here.” She handed Sara what looked like a wad of cash. “Take this and go get all the necessities,” she ordered. Sara and Gem nodded. “Sweet or salty?” Fernie turned to me, but before I could say anything, she answered her own question, “What am I asking?” She shook her head. “Both,” she answered all too knowingly. I gave her a watery smile. “Add a bottle of the good stuff, too!”

“Tequila, vodka, or wine?” Sara asked and then made a face. “Forget that stupid question. This is an all-of-the-above situation. We’ll be right back.” She winked and together, Gem and Sara left, leaving me and Fernie alone.

“Okay, now that that is taken care of, you need to get up.”

“Fern—”

“Shower and get dressed.”

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