Page 53 of Sinful Storms

The three of us startled at the new voice. Knox’s dad strode into the office, followed by my uncle and my two best mates.

“Got it all recorded.” Roman tapped his phone, shooting me a grin.

“Oh.” Aria’s mouth curved downwards. Why was she upset about that? “I recorded it, too.” She lifted the flap of the tiny bag she had strapped across her body. “I ruined this bag for the cause. See? I cut a hole in it for the phone camera. You’re telling me it was for no reason?”

I smiled. Could this woman be any more fucking perfect? “I’ll buy you a new one,” I said.

Her expression hardened, giving me sudden whiplash. “You won’t be buying me anything. Not now and not in the future. I’ve had enough of your family’s tainted money,” she bit out. “In fact, I’ve had enough of your family, full stop. I’ll send my video to Knox. Please don’t contact me again. I mean it.” Before I could even think of how to reply to that statement, she pushed past me, sweeping out of the room and out of my life.

There was a shocked silence left in her wake. Ignoring the glances my friends were shooting me, I slumped back against the wall, rubbing my hand over my face. What the hell washappening? We’d been united a minute ago, and now, there was a gulf between us that I had no idea how to breach.

28

ARIA

The nail technician swept the brush across my thumbnail, coating it in a deep, glossy black. Next to me, Quinn was picking out her chosen shade of polish, eventually settling on a royal blue and navy combination matching our school colours.

“Hopefully, this will bring us luck. It’s the final lacrosse game tomorrow. Are you coming?”

I shook my head, staring down at my hands as, one by one, my bare nails were coated in black. “No. I can’t. I don’t want to see Tristan.”

“Aria…”

“Quinn.” Elena shook her head. She leaned around Quinn to look at me. “No one expects you to come. But…but you know that what happened wasn’t Tristan’s fault, right?”

I did know that. Logically. Illogically, a part of me had been irreparably hurt by all the revelations. A big part. I’d made the decision to keep the truth of how my great-uncle had died from my grandparents. I knew it would be far too upsetting, and I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting them, even though it wouldn’t be my fault. So I couldn’t talk to them about it, andI couldn’t even talk to my two closest friends about it properly because they were too close to Tristan’s best friends.

“I know it wasn’t his fault.” That apology he’d given me at the courts… The truth was written all over his face. How deeply sorry he was. But I knew that was the guilt talking. Anyone who wasn’t a monster would feel remorse. Finding out a close family member, someone you had looked up to all your life, had done that? I couldn’t even imagine.

But it didn’t mean anything. Not really. I’d accepted his apology, but it was best for everyone to draw a line under it all. Nothing had changed. The obstacles between us were still there, even if there had been a universe where he wanted something real with me. As soon as my exams were over, I’d leave Hatherley Hall and Nottswood behind, and I wouldn’t look back. I had offers from four different universities, and no matter which of the four I chose, I’d finally have a chance to put everything behind me and have a fresh start.

As for the money…there was no way I could pay my school fees back now, but the rest…I was going to put every penny aside to make my grandparents’ life easier in retirement. A little way for Tristan’s grandfather to pay for what he’d done.

“Ro said Tristan’s been really down,” Quinn said quietly. “I’m not saying that to make you feel bad. I’m only saying it so you know he’s been affected by everything, too.”

I sighed. “Yeah. Please can we change the subject now? How’s revision going?”

“It’s…going,” Elena said, placing her hand under the UV lamp to cure her first coat of polish. “I can’t believe it’ll all be over in just a few weeks.” The machine beeped, and she pulled her hand out, lifting it to admire the navy to royal blue ombre effect.

“That’s so pretty.” Quinn nudged me. “Don’t you even want to get one nail done in our school colours? It might bring you luck in your exams.”

“Oh, fine. If it makes you both happy.” I turned to my nail technician, holding out my left hand, which he hadn’t started working on. “Can you do me one nail in navy? With the school crest in that royal blue?”

“Do you have a picture of the crest?”

“Yes, hang on.” I pulled up the internet browser on my phone. “Here.”

He studied it carefully and then nodded. “I can do that.”

“Thank you.” Maybe it would bring me luck in my exams. Maybe I’d just look at it to remind myself that once my exams were over, I could start again, that Hatherley Hall would one day be a memory, easily wiped away to be replaced by something newer and better.

All I had to do was to get through the next few weeks, and then I’d be free.

“Aria. Thank you for returning our call.”

I leaned back on my bed, balancing my phone on my thigh. My dorm room was currently empty, and so I’d decided that I might as well take the opportunity to get this conversation over with. I’d had four missed calls, two voicemails, and a text message today, and there was only so long I could avoid my godparents without the guilt setting in.

“What did you want?”

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