Page 104 of Hunt for the Roses
Aria
“What is this?” my mom asks.
I turn to look her in the face as tears stream down my cheeks. Now that the shock of the situation has subsided, my bottled emotions are slipping free. “I know this seems wrong. I know it doesn’t make sense. But all I can tell you is that I need him, Mom. Ineedhim.”
“Ari,” my mom treads.
I throw my hands in the air in defeat, my voice strained with frustration. “What?! What are you going to tell me?!” I feel my face heat with rising anger, ready to burst out of me and strangle this life of mine. But I feel weak and powerless against it, and my fight can only take me so far, so I blow out a small breath as I run my hands through my hair and look at the ground. “We became really close over the summer, and things just started to develop from there,” I breathe out. When I keep my eyes laser focused on a wood plank below me, my mom’s silence is so loud it booms in my ear, and when I can’t bear the noise anymore, I look up with a snarky expression. “I guess you think I’m some inconsiderate slut, right?”
My mom’s face scrunches. “I never said that, Aria, don’t you dare put words in my mouth.”
“But it’s what you’re thinking isn’t it? It’s what everyone thinks or is going to think,” I affirm.
My mom sighs exhaustingly. “Well, I’m sorry for being a little taken aback. This isn’t exactly a normal situation.”
I huff a mocking laugh out as I shake my head and look off to the side with my hands on my hips. “Because my life has been so normal up until this point. My life’s beenabsolutelywonderful,” I say with blatant bitterness that I can taste at the tip of my tongue.
“No, life hasn’t been great to you, Aria. I kno-”
I whip my head around, flailing my arms in the air again. “No, you don’t know! Nobodyknowsthe pain and misery I’ve endured this past year! So how is it fair that you all get to judge who I choose to love and be happy with?!”
My mom’s brows draw in as she takes in my hurt and confession at the same time, studying me for a few moments before speaking. “You’re in love with him?”
My jaw clenches just enough to show my offense. “Oh, I guess you thought with Dane’s background we couldn’t love each other? That he could never love me back?”
My mom’s brows furrow tighter, and this time she’s in defense mode. “I never said that, Aria! But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little skeptical. You haven’t seen Dane in practically a year, and you’ve fallen in love in such a short amount of time? Not to mention the circumstances don’t make it easy for you or Dane. I worry about you getting hurt.”
I look up to the sky as my palms rest on my lower back, inhaling a controlled breath to restrain myself from lashing out again. “I’m not a child. I can make my own decisions.” Then I tilt my head forward to look back at my mom. “And if Dane and I can’t make this work, that’s for us to figure out,” I breathe out, my voice hoarse.
“You’re right, but something like this doesn’t just fit into place. Ronnie’s not looking through the same lens as you two,” my mom reminds me.
“I think you seem to forget that Dane was the one who owned up to the truth just now, yet he still got a punch to the face. Go figure,” I retort.
My mom points aimlessly in the direction of where Ronnie and Dane were going at it minutes earlier. “I’m not agreeing with how Ronnie handled that, Aria! But Dane had opportunities before this to speak up when Ronnie was asking about you. Your brother feels fooled.”
“I’m not sticking around for this,” I say as I walk quickly past my mom.
“Aria!” I hear my mom call behind me.
I whip my body around once I reach the sliding doors of the terrace. “If you’re so worried about Ronnie’s feelings, chase after him. Clearly you don’t give a crap about mine.”
“That’s not wh-” my mom responds, but I’m inside the restaurant and storming out the front doors before I can listen to another word.
* * *
When I reach the parking lot, I find Dane leaning his back against his car door with his hands in his pockets and head hanging downward. I pull him in for a hug when I reach him, and when his arms wrap around my shoulders, his warm touch alleviates the irritation that’s crawling under my skin.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
Dane kisses the top of my head as he tightens his grip on me. “It’s okay,” he breathes against my hair, and then he rests his chin on the top of my head. “Believe it or not, I can take a punch,” he says lightly.
I pull away just so I can look up at him, and he wipes my tear streaks with his thumbs as I reach up to gently graze his cut lip. “I feel so terrible,” I breathe.
Dane swallows hard as he holds my eyes, and there’s regret and hesitation emitting from them. His warm embrace cools, and I can practically feel a chill run through me as the temperature lowers between us. “Ari, I don’t want to be the one who makes your life more complicated,” Dane says, his voice just above a whisper.
I slowly bring my hand down from his face as I cut a hard stare at him. “You won’t.”
Dane sighs as he looks downward, and then he looks back up at me. The cool temperature drops a little more, descending with every look he gives and every sentence he speaks. “I’m adding more stress. More pain. I can’t keep doing this to you,” he continues.
