Page 126 of Tempting the President
She touched his arm. “Kellion...” Her eyes turned pleading. “Can we...can we start over again?”
He gently but firmly took her hand away. Once, he would have given everything for her to touch him first. But not anymore. It no longer felt right. “Why are you here, Jack?”
Jack looked at him for a long time before saying sadly, “I’m too late, aren’t I?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s...”
Aria.
Desperation burned inside him. Something was fucking wrong, and until he found her, Kellion knew everything would feel wrong. He gazed around him wildly.Aria.Where the hell was she?
When Jack reached for his arm again, he had to control himself with an effort since his first instinct was to shake her off. He felt her press something into his palm then, making him frown. “Jack—-”
Jack said softly, “She told me to give this to you. It was her...surprise.”
Kellion whitened.
He almost didn’t want to read it, but he forced himself to.
Be happy.
Ah, fuck, fuck, fuck.
“You met her, didn’t you?” he asked hoarsely.
Jack nodded slowly, saying shakily, “She loved you very much.”
FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.
Her words made him want to kill himself. Even Jack had known how much Aria had loved him with just one look and yet he had been with her for so long, and he had taken her feelings for granted until it was too late.
Aria, where the hell are you?
He rode his bike to the club, turning it upside down in his search for her, but she wasn’t there. She wasn’t in her dorm either, wasn’t with any of her friends.
Aria, come back.
Aria, I love you.
Aria, please, I just want to see you.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dear Ashton,
I’m coming to see you. I’m sorry it took so long.
Love, Your Big Sis
ARIA
“I’M SORRY...IT TOOKso...long...kiddo.” Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground and sat in front of his tombstone. It was a really pretty one, something I spent a good amount of my earnings for. The marble was a nice dark shade of blue, and the words engraved on it were gold.
The cutest little brother in the world sleeps here.
I started to cry.
“I miss you...so much, Ash. So...somuch.” I pulled my knees up, hugging them close. “I’m sorry,” I said shakily, “it took me...so long before...I could find the strength...to visityou.” I closed my eyes. “I have so many...stories to share with...you. So...many. But the most...important—-” My voice broke, and I had to take several deep gulps of breath before I could continue.
