Page 37 of Hunt for the Roses
“Hey, I have to ask…are either of you involved with Aria?” Blake stands in front of Trent and I as he asks his question.
“No, definitely not,” Trent responds.
I remain silent and choose not to answer right away. I’m strangely overcome with an urge to protect Aria, and the idea of him being with Aria rubs me the wrong way. Blake has no idea what she’s been through this past year, and I’m not about to let him blindly crumble all the progress she’s made if he’s just looking for some quick action.
I narrow my eyes slightly. “No we’re not. But she’s been through a lot, so I wouldn’t overstay your welcome.”
Blake throws his hands up in defense. “I was just thinking about a date. That’s all.”
I ignore his reply as I finish my beer, and walk away to grab another, but mostly just to get away from Blake.
“Hey!” Aria exclaims as she comes up behind me. Her hands are on my shoulders, and she’s peeking over them to see what’s inside the cooler. “You better be gettin’ me another drink.”
I smile as I grab a mango flavored hard seltzer from the cooler, and turn to offer it to her. “Make it last, will ya?”
She gives me a devious smirk as she takes the can from my hand. “Woah,” I say as I grab the bottom of Aria’s can, noticing she’s guzzling her drink. “Slow down there.”
Aria turns her head to the side as she lets out a belch, avoiding burping in my face, and I sigh out a laugh. She just shrugs it off like it’s no big deal, and then grabs my hand and spins herself under me. “I’ve always wanted to take ballroom dancing classes,” she coos, and yeah, she’s definitely getting more drunk by the minute.
“Oh, yeah?” I play along and spin her a couple times, but I’m sure Aria would be amazing at ballroom dancing if she took a few lessons. Hell, I may even go with her if she asked me. I’ve actually taken a class before with my mom for her birthday, and it wasn’t as painful as I imagined. Go figure.
When Aria releases her hand from mine, she stands in front of me as she says, “Yeah, it would be fun.” Then she bobs her head side to side as she considers something. “Embarrassing, but fun, nonetheless.”
“I think you’ll manage just fine,” I smirk as I take a sip of my beer and hold her gaze.
Aria stares at me for a few silent moments in concentration as she studies my face. “You have hazel eyes,” she blurts out.
I’m thrown off by her random observation, let alone the fact that she’s known me for years and this shouldn’t be brand-new, riveting information. But then again, Aria’s tipsy, so a change in subject within conversation is not totally abnormal. “Yes,” I say with a question mark on the end, not too sure how to respond.
Aria’s lips tip up at the corner as her eyes scan back and forth between my own, like she’s mesmerized. “They’re green.”
The popping and crackling sound of fireworks turns our attention to the pier in the distance as long cascading bursts of stars embellish the dark sky. One after another, weaving clusters of light appear in shining golds, blues, and reds, and Aria and I just stand there watching. I peek over at her, and when I see Aria’s contemplative expression, I assume her mind is going haywire with memories.
Out of nowhere, Kate comes up from behind Aria and tackles her into a hug, knocking her a little off balance and both of them into a fit of giggles. “They’re so pretty!” Kate yells as she refers to the fireworks.
Aria turns around to tap her can of White Claw with Kate’s as she raises her free hand up in the air. “Happy Fourth of July!” Aria shouts.
When they finish their cheers, Kate starts to walk past me with Aria following behind, but Aria pauses for a brief moment to look up at me. Her lips are still curled up in the corner, and her elegant fingers come up to brush a few strands of hair off my forehead. The contact startles me when I feel a shiver run down my back, and I’m stunned speechless as my sneakers remain grounded in the sand.
“Your eyes give me hope,” Aria softly says as she pulls her hand away from my face. I think I let out the slightest exhale, but I can’t be sure. Her light brown hues entice me, persuading me to look longer and deeper beyond the surface and peel back her outer layers.
Before I have time to fully comprehend what’s happening, Aria stretches a playful smile across her lips and walks off to follow Kate. I swallow thickly when Aria steps out of view, but the floral and amber scent of her perfume is caught in the gentle breeze around me, provoking and teasing my senses. And as soon as the fumes invade me, I quickly wipe a palm down my face as if to wash them away, and I go to catch up with Trent by the fire.
Another hour passes, and Aria and Kate are drunk as they’re sitting side by side in the sand and looking up at the sky with their canned drinks in hand.
“I’d pay money to hear the gibberish coming out of their mouth right now,” Trent says.
I laugh as I sink back into my chair. “They’re constructing a new language as we speak.”
“I’m getting another beer, do you want one?” Trent asks.
“No, two is my limit tonight,” I say as I tilt my head back and close my eyes. “Not to mention I’m probably going to need my energy to take care of Aria later.”
“Take care?” Trent asks. As soon as I hear the confusion in Trent’s voice, I realize just how misleading my choice of words were.
I open my eyes and turn my head to him with my palm turned upward. “Oh, come on, I didn’t mean I was going to kneel at her bedside. I mean that I’m going to make sure she gets home and into bed safely.”
“Got it,” Trent says as he gets up from his chair and grabs another beer for himself from the cooler.
