Romances de jakemary835

Chapter 5Cole Aria laughed, loud and slurred. “And who are you to ask me that, Cole? Tell me—who are you to me to be asking me that?”I sighed. “Are you at Murphy’s?”“I hate you so much, Cole.” A pause, then a hiccup. “I wish you would just leave me alone. Go to hell.”I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair, frustration and worry tangling together in my chest.I grabbed my car keys off the counter. “Don’t make me come looking for you, Aria.”She blew a raspberry into the phone in response, followed by the unmistakable sound of her taking another drink, then a loud, unbothered belch.I closed my eyes for a second, counting to five before I lost my patience completely.Then a voice cut in on her end—male, way too close to the phone. “Hey, pretty.”My eyes went wide, every ounce of frustration snapping instantly into something sharper.“Aria. Do not answer anyone.” My voice came out harder than I meant it to. “I’m on my way.”She hung up without another word.I didn’t waste tim

Chapter 4ColeSunday morning meant hauling Sage’s luggage down three flights of stairs because she refused to trust the elevator with anything she considered “important.” Apparently that meant all four of her suitcases.I finished loading the last one into the trunk and slammed it shut, rolling my eyes as she and Aria hugged goodbye on the sidewalk like Sage was shipping off to war instead of catching an evening flight to Paris.“I’ll be back next month for Cole’s game, so we’ll definitely see each other soon, I promise,” Sage said, still wrapped around Aria.Aria mumbled something I didn’t catch, muffled against Sage’s shoulder.Sage finally pulled back, wiping at her eyes before turning to point a finger at me. “Treat her right. No fighting. I mean it, Cole.”“No promises,” I said.She rolled her eyes and climbed into the car.I let out a long breath of relief once she was actually buckled in and the sidewalk goodbye was finally over. Aria stood outside waving as I pulled away from

Chapter 3AriaI stood outside Cole’s building with my bags at my feet, trying to talk myself into walking through the entrance.There was no logical reason for the tightness in my chest over the idea of living under the same roof as Cole Carter after Sage had already convinced me everything would be fine.Except there was a reason. There was always a reason where Cole was concerned. Something buried deep enough that I refused to dig it up.I exhaled, shook the thought off before it could take root, and picked up my bags.Sage buzzed me in before I even reached the intercom, like she’d been watching the street the entire time.“You made it!” She pulled the door open before I could knock, already reaching for one of my suitcases. “Don’t worry, Cole isn’t home yet. Come in.”I hesitated on the doorstep, grip tightening on the other bag. “Wait. Does he actually know I’m coming? I don’t want him being shocked to see me or something.”“Sure, sure, he knows.” Sage laughed softly, already dr

Chapter 2 Aria“Miss? Miss? Miss!”I spun around and found Lena, one of my regular staff, staring at me with open concern.“Look,” she said.I glanced down. Milk was still pouring into the café latte, overflowing the cup and spilling across the counter in a slow, widening puddle.“Oh my God.” I jerked the pitcher away, horrified at how long I’d been standing there. “How long was I zoning out?”“I’ll clean it up, don’t worry,” Lena said gently. “Why don’t you just go home and rest?”I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you, Lena.” I squeezed her arm, untied my apron, grabbed my bag, and left the café.Outside I climbed into a waiting taxi.Three months had passed since Julian and I broke up, and I still wasn’t handling it well. Some nights I cried myself to sleep. Other times I completely checked out in the middle of a shift, my body moving while my mind stayed somewhere else.I sighed and rested my head against the seat.“We’re here,” the driver said, pulling me back.I stepped out and w

Chapter 1Aria“You actually did it!” Sage nearly bounced in her seat, grinning as she raised her glass. We tapped them together and each took a slow sip of the dark red wine.“I still can’t believe it,” I said, my voice a little unsteady. “It’s really mine.”After months of searching, I had finally signed the lease on the apartment I’d wanted for so long—completely on my own. Sage and I had been close since high school in Portland. When I moved to Chicago she was already living between cities, building her career as a stylist. She only visited a few times a year now, but every time felt like no time had passed. People had always measured us against each other. If I was being honest, they still did. Sage had always moved through life with a kind of ease I never quite matched.It showed in the way rooms shifted when she entered them. Getting this place without anyone’s help had been something I needed to prove—to myself most of all.The apartment wasn’t the only thing that was new. I