LOGINAria arrived at the cafe the next morning to find Tyler already there. He sat by the window, sunglasses on, eyes down as he scrolled absently through his phone.The moment she stepped inside, he glanced up… and her heart skipped a beat.Just closure, she reminded herself. Two old friends catching up. That’s all.She let out a shaky breath and walked over. ”Hey.”“Hey.” Tyler stood, and they did the awkward half-hug, half-handshake thing.
It was like time stood still.The rest of the world faded into a distant hum as Aria stared up at him.Upclose, he looked even more beautiful—the beard, the sharper angles, the calm in his green eyes.Tyler’s gaze swept over her face for a long second, like he was studying her in the same way she was too… then it dropped to her lips.Reality snapped back like a rubber band, and Aria jerked back slightly, flustered, as she clumsily stepped back out of his hold. “Sorry.”Tyler blinked, clearing his throat as if he’d just remembered where they were too. “No, I— It’s okay. I’m the one who… uh… intercepted you.”
The world didn’t collapse dramatically. There was no thunderclap, no sudden silence, no cinematic crash. It was worse than that.It was quiet. A quiet so sharp it felt like being cut open.Aria knew she had no right to feel this wrecked over the kiss… or his relationship. None.And yet she did.She heard Mia and Jade’s voices, but she knew she would fall apart right there in front of everyone if she opened her mouth.So she didn’t.Instead, she ran.Even as her eyes stung and her throat clenched too tightly that she couldn’t breathe, Aria didn’t stop… not until she reached the bathroom.She moved to the sink and gripped the edge with both hands, knuckles whitening, lips trembling as every emotion she’d been keeping since she got Lena’s email finally crashed down.The memories from the time they met at the campus kiosk to him leaving for London at the airport flashed all at once in her mind.She had destroyed their future because of one selfish choice. And here he was now… but as anoth
It started with the first crack. Then another… until all that was left were a million broken pieces of her heart.Arial quickly turned her head back toward the front, fixing her blurred vision on nothing in particular as the pain gnawed deeper into her chest.The garden lights seemed suddenly too bright. The music too soft. The laughter around her too distant to belong to the same world she was in.Of course, he had someone now.What was she expecting, really?That he had spent three years waiting in some frozen corner of his life, untouched by anyone else, still holding the shape of her in his hands? After everything?He didn’t deserve her. Didn’t deserve someone who broke his trust the way she did.That woman beside him fitted him perfectly. She belonged at his side… and in his world.“Aria?” Mia’s voice cut through the fog in her head, soft and careful.Aria’s throat felt locked, but she nodded. “It’s fine.”Jade’s eyes narrowed, but the tight look on Aria’s face told her she didn’t
Sensing a breakdown, Aria’s mother’s look hardened, anchoring her in place instantly.She swallowed hard and blinked fast, forcing the tears back before they could spill. Her chest still hurt… and all she wanted to do was get back to the hotel and cry until her body emptied itself out.But she stayed seated.Be strong, Aria. You can do this for them.When the ceremony ended and the guests began making their way out, she let out a shaky breath before joining them.The air outside the church was warmer, brighter, noisier. Guests clustered in small groups, laughing, calling out congratulations, and lifting phones for pictures.Until it was time to head to the reception.Aria went in the car with the girls, folding herself quietly in between the chaos of dresses, purses, and excited chatter.“Hey,” Lena turned toward her with a worried glance. “You looked off back there. Are you okay?”She forced a smile. “Yes.”Mia narrowed her eyes from the other seat. “That was a very fake yes.”“You g
The morning of the wedding arrived in a blur of movement, noise, and nerves Aria could feel in her bones.The suite was already alive. It felt both warm and frantic.Her mother was helping someone find a pair of earrings.Lena’s mother had one hand over her chest as if she were trying to calm herself down.Ethan’s mother was fussing over a tray of breakfast pastries no one was touching because everyone was too busy talking, calling, checking, adjusting, and pretending not to be emotional.She was helping wherever she could—holding a phone for one person, fetching water for another, straightening a hanger, reminding someone where the missing shoes had been left.“Hey, Aria,” Max called as he popped his head inside. “Wanna help do last-minute checks at the venue?”“Uh, yeah, sure.” She said, already walking toward the door.The drive was short, but she spent most of it staring out the window and trying to breathe slowly through the restlessness in her chest.Max glanced at her when they
Jason almost turned around.The street he was on was nowhere near where he thought she might be. He checked the screen again. The little blue dot pulsed over the same spot.He was definitely on track.He exhaled through his nose and kept driving.When the golden gate finally came into view, he slo
“Yo!” Mia called as Aria got back to the cafe. “Why were you screaming like some psycho?”“Uh… nothi
He hit play, and immediately, the car filled with noise—thick bass, laughter, a wall of sound that made his speakers buzz.Somewhere under it, he heard Aria’s voice along with another girl, but he couldn’t make out a single word.He frowned and listened to it twice more, thumb hovering over the pau
The smell of something buttery hits Aria before she fully wakes.She blinked her eyes open. The unfamiliar ceiling came into focus first, then the posters on the wall.







