Page 15 of Six of Hearts
"I knew that already, but thank you so much for the update. I appreciate it. Things are slowing down at work a little bit, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to see it more in person," I said.
"So… Tell me about you.”
"What about?" Aria asked.
"I don't know, siblings, hobbies, boyfriends?" I wasn't purposely trying to fish for information about her romantic availability, but I also wasn't not trying to find out.
"Uh, I have none of those things," Aria said with an adorable chuckle.
"None?" I responded.
"Well, I have no siblings. My parents could barely take care of the one they had. I mean, my mum was amazing, but my dad abandoned us when I was a kid, and she had to do it all on her own. She didn't really trust men after that, so she didn't really date or re-marry, and then I guess I hung onto that a little bit," she explained.
"I get that," I responded. "That's kind of what my ex, Kristin, did to Mila and me. I do eventually want there to be another woman around Mila though. She deserves that.”
I was internally hoping that woman could be Aria; Mila already loved her so much. But I kept that thought to myself, watching the way Aria's expression softened with understanding.
"I have dated here and there, but never found anything I was really interested in, so I just focused on school more than guys. I suppose none of them were really my type," Aria said.
I tilted my head to the side.
"So, what's your type?" The question came out more interested than I'd intended, but I didn't take it back.
Aria shrugged. "I don't know. Someone who has their life together. I hate trying to teach a man how to be a man. I just want someone mature. Someone like…"
Aria looked up and her eyes locked into mine. Her voice trailed off and in a split second I knew…
…I may end up breaking the rules.
Aria
I was elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing the remnants of Caleb's mac and cheese off a pot, when I heard the front door open and close. My heart did a little skip—which was ridiculous, considering I'd been around these men for weeks now. But something about Gabriel always set me on edge in the best possible way.
"Aria?" His voice carried through the house, rough and tired.
"Kitchen," I called back, rinsing the pot and setting it in the drying rack.
Heavy footsteps approached, and then he was there, filling the doorway in his uniform. His dark hair was slightly mussed, his jaw tight with the kind of tension that came from a long shift. Those intense eyes found mine immediately, and I felt that familiar flutter low in my stomach.
"Caleb asleep?" he asked, loosening his collar.
"Out like a light. We read three books and he was done." I dried my hands on a towel, trying not to stare at the way his uniform stretched across his shoulders. "Long day?"
"You could say that." He moved into the kitchen, and suddenly the space felt smaller. He opened the fridge, stared at the contents for a moment, then closed it without taking anything. "I'm starving, but I'm too tired to figure out what I want."
"When's the last time you ate?"
He had to think about it. "Lunch? Maybe?"
I shook my head, moving toward the fridge. "That's not okay. Sit down. I'll make you something."
"You don't have to—"
"Gabriel." I turned to look at him, one hand on my hip. “Sit down. Down."
A slow smile curved his lips, transforming his whole face. "Bossy."
"You have no idea," I shot back, pulling out eggs, cheese, and some leftover vegetables. “Omelet, okay?"
