Page 81 of Secret Gifts
And it’s going to be hard for you to deal with.
I huff, and then I cringe as I realize he heard that damn thought.
“There’s nothing hard about being with you, Aria. I just now realize I can’t treat you like other girls.”
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
His eyes widen, and then he huffs out a frustrated groan while gripping his head.
“Sorry. It’s just, I meant I expect you to… damn. I think I need some help digging out of my hole,” he chuckles out, but there’s no humor inside me right now.
I lean up and away from him while staring expectantly.
“What do you mean about treating me different? What do you expect?”
He sighs out, and then he guzzles the rest of his whiskey in almost one sip.
“In the past, insecurities and constant worrying agitated me. You’re the first girl I’ve ever tolerated it from. I hate arguing about everything I say or do, or something being taken out of context, but your brother showed me your mind, how you think. It just made me realize I can’t expect that from you.”
Great.
I stand up, my mind blown, and I grab up my phone.
“What are you doing?” he asks curiously.
“I’m about to scream into my brother’s ear.”
“Aria, please don’t,” he says while jumping up and running over to me.
“Don’t what? Expect everyone to stop treating me like some fragile piece of glass? I’m fucking sick of it.”
He sighs out as I walk onto the balcony, and my brother’s worried breaths answer instead of his voice.
“I suppose you’ve seen why I’m calling,” I growl.
“Aria, he needs to be aware. He’s not your counter, so he could very easily destroy you. I’ve seen how easily you break, and I’ve seen the hell that your heart goes through when you do.”
“Damn it, Rex. I broke once! It was a stupid fucking crush. That was hundreds of years ago!”
“And it kept you from ever getting close to anyone for all those years,” he quickly counters.
My teeth grind together, and I grip the side of the balcony railing so hard it folds under my hand.
“I am sick of this. You’re fucking his sister, and he hasn’t said a damn thing out of the way to you.”
“I’m her counter, Aria,” he sighs.
“Don’t act as though that gives you some divine right to escape any drama, jackass. You know as well as I do how badly Dad hurt Mom even though he had the best of intentions. Now listen, I’m not going to deal with this anymore. Either you get the fuck over your issues with my being in control of my own fucking life, or you stay out of it. I’m tired of everyone huddling around me and trying to put me in a bubble. Don’t take this from me. I’ve been wanting this. I’m finally happy, Rex. I finally wake up without feeling empty, dead, and pathetic. I finally feel like I belong, and he accepts me. Don’t make him start treating me like the rest of you do, you asshole,” I sob out, my eyes dripping feverishly with their tears, sizzling my contacts into nothing.
He breathes out hard, and I hear his hand in his hair as he struggles with what to say next.
“I’m sorry, Aria. I just… I worry is all. I never want to see you hurting.”
“Well, people get hurt. It’s the way of the world. You’re hurting me right now by trying to make Jase walk on eggshells. It’s hard to love someone who is afraid to be who they really are.”
He sighs out again, and then I hear the defeat in his breath coming out.
“You’re right. I’ll stay out of it. I swear though, if he hurts you-”
