Page 62 of Six of Hearts
Aria was standing there, and the sight of her stopped my heart. Her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, like she'd been crying for hours. Mascara streaked down her cheeks in dark rivers, and her face was blotchy and pale.
She was shaking—her whole body trembling like she was standing in a blizzard. Her hair was disheveled, falling around her face in tangled strands. She looked like she might collapse right there on my doorstep, or be sick, or both.
In her hand, she clutched a piece of paper so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
"Aria," I gasped, my mind racing to catch up. What was she doing here? What had happened? "What are you—"
She whispered something, her lips barely moving, the words so quiet they were swallowed by the night air.
"What?" I leaned forward, my concern spiking. "Aria, I can't hear you. What did you say?"
Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and what I saw there made my blood run cold. It wasn't just sadness or fear—it was betrayal. Raw, devastating betrayal.
And then she exploded.
She shoved me in the chest with both hands, putting every ounce of force her body could muster behind it.
I stumbled backward, more from shock than the actual impact, my shoulder hitting the doorframe. She came at me again, her face contorted with rage and anguish, and shoved me a second time. This time I was ready, and I steeled myself, catching her wrists as she tried to push me again.
"Aria, stop—"
She wrenched herself free with a violent twist, flailing away from me like my touch burned her. A sound tore from her throat—half sob, half scream.
"How could you do this?" The words ripped out of her, her voice breaking on every syllable. She could barely get them out through the tears. "How could you?"
My heart was hammering against my ribs. Panic clawed at my chest. "What?" I said, trying to keep my voice calm even as my world tilted. "What are you talking about? Just calm down—"
"Don't tell me to calm down, you monster!" She screamed it so loud I flinched, terrified Finn would wake up.
Her hands were shaking violently as she thrust the paper toward my chest, but her grip faltered and it slipped from her fingers, fluttering to the floor between us.
I stared down at it, my breath caught in my throat.
I didn't want to pick it up. Some primal part of me knew that once I saw what was on that paper, everything would change.
But I had no choice.
I bent down and grabbed it, my hands unsteady. As I lifted it into the light, the world seemed to tilt and fall away beneath me.
In my hands was a photo of Eva, in the position in which she'd died, with me standing, plain as day, in the picture with Eva's blood on my hands.
How had she gotten ahold of the photo? What did she know? Who had managed to find me? Why were they targeting Aria?
"I can explain," I started as softly as I could; I didn't want Finn to overhear.
"Please just give me a minute.”
“A minute," Aria exclaimed. "I'm disgusted with the time I've given you already. I can't believe I was such an idiot. Is this your game? You find stupid, caring, blond-haired, blue-eyed women and lure them into a false sense of security and then kill them? You were always the most quiet and observant. I thought it was because you were just the mature and relaxed one, but it's because you didn't want me to catch on to your plan!”
"I would never, ever hurt you," I started, taking a step towards Aria, but the instant I did, she pulled out a taser and set it straight for me. I held up my hands and backed a few feet away.
"Aria."
"Stay away from me." Aria started to sob once again.
"I can't believe I actually started to fall in love with you."
“Aria, please," I begged.
