Cold coffee and trembling hands

ARIA POV

“Don't flatter yourself, Vance. Nothing happened last night."

I spat the words out the moment Aria stepped into the sunlit kitchen, my voice dripping with as much icy venom as I could muster.

I stood by the marble island, clad in my usual sharp black button-down and trousers, leaning casually against the counter with a steaming mug of black coffee in my hand. On the outside, I looked completely composed, relaxed, and in control. But on the inside, my mind was a chaotic mess.

Every time I closed my eyes, I didn't see my cold, calculated plans or the image of my vintage Ducati. I saw Aria's soft dark eyes in the flash of lightning. I felt the steady, reassuring warmth of her hands wrapped around mine, guiding me out of the suffocating dark while I choked like a pathetic coward on the floor.

It made my stomach twist in knots. I hated her for seeing me like that. I hated her even more for not using it against me.

Aria froze near the doorway, her hand lingering on her backpack strap. She looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes from the viral video tormenting her all night, but when her eyes met mine, there was no anger in them. Instead, she looked at me with a soft, quiet understanding that made my skin prickle.

"I didn't say anything, Jaxon," she said quietly, stepping toward the counter to reach for a glass.

"Good. Keep it that way," I sneered, taking a sharp sip of my scalding coffee. "The storm knocked out the power grid, the room got hot, and I had a temporary reaction. That's all it was. You didn't 'save' me, so don't go running around school boasting about it to your little friends."

Aria paused, setting her glass down on the marble surface. She looked up at me, her gaze steady. "I wouldn't do that. I know what it feels like to panic, Jaxon. I'm not going to weaponize your pain."

Her words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. Any other person at Crestwood University would have recorded my weakness, posted it online, or used it to blackmail me. But here she was, standing in a plain, oversized sweater, protecting my pride without asking for a single thing in return.

A strange, unwanted spark ignited deep inside my chest, a sudden, sharp pulse of realization that she wasn't the greedy, manipulative parasite I had convinced myself she was. She seemed genuine.

The thought terrified me. I needed to crush it immediately. I couldn't afford to feel soft toward her. I had a bet to manage, a reputation to keep, and a point to prove.

"Save the saint act for someone who actually cares," I growled, stepping past her to grab the carton of whole milk from the refrigerator. "You're still an unwanted nuisance in this house, and nothing that happened in the dark changes that."

I unscrewed the cap and reached over to hand her the milk carton so she could finish making her breakfast, determined to show her that I was completely back to normal.

"Take it," I commanded gruffly, thrusting the carton toward her.

Aria reached out her hand, her fingers lightly brushing against the side of the container as she took hold of it.

I tried to pull my arm back smoothly, but as our fingers neared each other, a sudden, violent spasm ran down my wrist.

My right hand began to shake.

It wasn't a tiny, subtle twitch. My entire hand was visibly trembling, shaking so hard that the cold white milk sloshed against the rim of the carton, making a tiny splashing sound in the quiet kitchen.

I instantly pulled my hand back, shoving it deep into the pocket of my dark trousers, my jaw locking so tightly my teeth ached. My face burned with a sudden wave of fierce, furious shame. I stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her, waiting for her to mock me, waiting for her to laugh at my weakness.

I sneaked a quick side-eye glance at her.

Aria wasn't laughing. She was staring directly at my pocketed hand, her dark eyes wide with shock and quiet realization.

In that single, quiet moment, the invisible shield I had built around myself for years shattered completely. She saw right through my rude, arrogant words. She saw right through my expensive clothes and cold insults.

She realized that the mighty, invincible Jaxon Hayes was completely broken inside, and now, she held the key to my biggest secret.