Page 109 of Hunt for the Roses
“Well I do. Can I please come in?” Ronnie says as he motions his hand forward.
I sigh as I open the door, welcoming him into my home. I shut the door with a little extra force than needed, and then walk past him to resume my cooking in the kitchen. Ronnie follows me and leans his back on the kitchen island, but I keep my back to him as I stir my dinner in the wok.
“Ari, I know I didn’t handle things the way I should have.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh but keep cooking my dinner. “Understatement of the century.”
There’s a pause before I hear him speak from behind me again. “Do you love him?”
“What would it matter? He’s only with me for sex, right?” I respond.
“I honestly don’t know what his intentions are,” Ronnie says. I keep stirring my dinner, ignoring my brother, but he continues on anyway. “But if you love him, you need to make sure his intentions are right. If he wants to be with you long term. If he wants a future with you.”
I slam my spatula in the wok as I turn around and glare at Ronnie. “Well, it’s no longer a concern. Thanks to you and your brotherly protection, Dane and I had a fight after you left Dad’s restaurant. We’re not speaking right now. I ended things.” I throw him a thumbs up. “So great job, big bro, I really appreciate it.”
Ronnie looks away from my face as he purses his lips, but he has no right to feel sympathy now, so I shake my head as I speak again. “I’m not interested in an apology from you if that’s what you came here for. Your damage is done.”
Ronnie turns his head to look at me. “Ari, you have to see this from my side o-”
Oh, no.
He doesn’t get to play victim.
I throw my hands up in the air. “Your side?! It’s always about everyone else’s side! Everyone else’s but my own!” Tears start to well up in the back of my eyes as I lose the controlled grip on my emotions. “No one gives a shit that I finally learned to love again. No one gives a shit that someone loves me the way that I love them. No one gives a shit that I washappyagain.” I set my tears free. “He made mehappy. He made me feelpassion.Love. But no one cares! All everyone cares about is that he’s thewrongperson!” I put my head in my hands and sigh, and after a few seconds, I pick my head back up and speak in a calmer tone. “But the truth is, he was therightperson,” I breathe out as my body wracks with sobs.
Ronnie’s hand grabs my arm, and on instinct, I clutch onto the sleeves of his t-shirt like an SOS as he lets me sink into his embrace.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
It’s now Sunday, and I am meeting my mom for a coffee date. Aria and I still have not spoken since a week ago, and I’ve been spending later days at work and more nights at Trent’s to avoid being in Aria’s presence. Not because I don’t want to see her, but because I can’t witness her ignore me or reject my attempts to speak with her.
It’s too much to handle.
I leave the house to pick up my mom, and we drive to Roasters Cafe. Once we order our drinks, we take a seat at a small table by the window, and my elbows are leaning on the table as I take a sip of my cold brew when my mom is the first to speak.
“Thanks for taking me on a coffee date. It’s not often I get to see my son on Sundays. It’s nice,” my mom says with a smile.
“I’m always happy to take you out,” I say, and then I lean back in my chair while holding my drink on the table. “But you’re right, I don’t see you as much as I should on the weekend. Maybe we should make this a monthly thing.”
She dismisses my comment by waving her hand. “Oh stop, you’re young. You don’t need me to crash the party on weekends.”
I take a sip of my drink and then respond. “My life isn’t too much of a party right now, so you wouldn’t be crashing much,” I admit as I look out the window to avoid her inevitable questions.
My mom furrows her brows. “Dane?”
I shrug. “I just bit off more than I could chew with Aria.”
“What are you talking about?” my mom asks.
I lean my elbows back on the table as I sigh. “I caught feelings for her.”
My mom’s eyes light up. “See, I knew when I saw your smile that day, there was something about this girl that was giving you that special feeling.”
I hold out a hand to my mom before she gets ahead of herself. “Things didn’t work out.”
“Why not?”
I purse my lips as I shake my head, trying to think of a way to explain everything that’s been going on in a “Cliffs Notes” version. “I let my head win out. I can’t help but think of all the craziness us being together has created. Her family is upset, Aria’s upset because they’re upset…” I trail off.
