Chapter 2- What Did I Just Do

Aria's POV

I pulled away first, but the feeling of his lips didn’t leave as quickly as I expected, and for a moment I just stood there staring at him like I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.

What did I just do?

My heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my ears, and suddenly everything came rushing back at once—the music, the people, the noise, the fact that I had just kissed a complete stranger in the middle of a crowded bar like I had completely lost my mind.

I took a step back, then another, trying to put some space between us, but it didn’t help because I could still feel the moment clinging to me, like it hadn’t fully ended yet.

He didn’t react the way I expected. He didn’t look angry or confused or even surprised, he just looked at me quietly, like he was trying to understand me, or maybe like he already did.

“I—” I started, but the words didn’t come out properly and I stopped because I didn’t even know what I was trying to say.

Sorry didn’t feel right, and neither did pretending like it meant nothing.

“I’m sorry,” I said eventually, my voice softer than I intended, and I looked away for a second before forcing myself to meet his eyes again. “I didn’t mean to… I mean, I just… I didn’t plan that.”

He tilted his head slightly, still watching me with that same calm expression that somehow made me more nervous than if he had reacted strongly.

“I figured,” he said.

That was it. No anger, no questions, just that, like it didn’t bother him at all.

“You should be angry,” I said, because that would have made more sense.

“I’m not.” He said.

“Why not?”

He paused briefly, then said, “Should I be?”

I blinked, not knowing what to say to that because it felt like he had turned the whole situation back on me.

“I just kissed you without your permission,” I said, like I needed him to understand how strange that was.

“You stopped,” he replied simply, like that was enough explanation.

I didn’t know what to do with that, so I just stood there for a moment, feeling out of place in my own body while everything around us continued like nothing had happened.

“I only did it because…” I started, but the rest of the sentence didn’t come, and the truth was I didn’t even fully understand my own reason.

I shook my head slightly. “Forget it.”

I turned to leave because staying there felt like I would only make things worse.

“Your boyfriend?” he asked.

I stopped immediately.

Of course he saw. Of course anyone paying attention would have noticed what just happened.

I let out a small laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Ex,” I corrected, the word feeling strange in my mouth like I wasn’t used to it yet. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”

That got the smallest reaction from him, something close to a smile, but it didn’t last long.

“I see,” he said.

There was a brief silence after that, and I found it strange how easy it was to stand there with him, a complete stranger, compared to how uncomfortable I had started to feel around Ethan lately.

That thought alone made my chest tighten.

Ethan.

The image came back immediately, like my mind refused to let it go. His hand on her waist. The way he leaned in. The way he smiled. That same smile.

My stomach twisted again.

“I should go,” I said quickly, because I didn’t want to feel that again. “Running away?” he asked. “I’m not running,” I replied, frowning slightly. “Then why are you leaving?” “Because I just kissed a stranger,” I said, letting out a small breath. That’s not exactly normal behavior.”

“You regret it?” The question caught me off guard more than I expected, and I opened my mouth to answer immediately, because there was an obvious answer I was supposed to give.

Yes.

But the word didn’t come out.

Instead, I hesitated, and that hesitation made something shift inside me because I realized I didn’t actually know how I felt about it.

He noticed, I could tell, because his eyes stayed on me like he was paying attention to every little reaction.

I looked away first. “I don’t even know your name,” I said, needing to change the subject.

“Damon.”

Just Damon.

I nodded slowly. “Aria.”

“I know.”

I frowned slightly. “What?”

He glanced past me for a second, and I didn’t need to turn around to understand what he meant.

Ethan.

Still there. Still watching.

“Oh,” I said quietly, feeling a bit exposed all over again. “I should really go,” I added, more firmly this time.

I stepped back again, creating distance between us, but even then it felt like his presence lingered, like I hadn’t really left that moment behind.

He didn’t stop me, but I could still feel his eyes on me as I walked away.

The air outside felt different the moment I stepped out, cooler and quieter, like I could finally breathe again after holding everything in for too long.

I wrapped my arms around myself, not because I was cold, but because I needed something to hold onto.

What did I just do? I kissed a stranger in public. In front of my cheating boyfriend. Well, “ex”.

I let out a slow breath, trying to steady myself, but my thoughts were all over the place and none of it felt real yet.

“Aria!”

I turned at the sound of my name and saw Sophia walking quickly toward me, her expression a mix of shock and excitement.

“What was that?” she asked, slightly out of breath. “I don’t know,” I said honestly.

“You just kissed a random guy.”

“I know.”

“In front of Ethan.”

“I know.”

She stared at me for a moment like she was trying to process everything she had just seen.

“That was insane,” she said finally. I let out a small laugh, even though nothing about tonight felt funny. “Yeah.” There was a pause before she leaned in slightly and said, “But also… kind of iconic.” I shook my head. “Don’t start.”

“I’m serious,” she said. “The way you just walked up to him, Aria, I almost screamed.” “I didn’t plan it,” I said again, because that part mattered more than anything.

That part scared me.

I didn’t think about it. I didn’t prepare for it. I just reacted.

Sophia looked at me more carefully this time. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice softer now. That question stayed in my mind for a moment, because I didn’t have a simple answer.

I thought about Ethan, about the girl, about the kiss, about Damon, and everything felt mixed up in a way I couldn’t explain. "I don’t know,” I admitted quietly.

She nodded. “That’s fair.” We stood there for a moment, the noise from inside the bar fading into the background while cars passed by and everything else continued like nothing had changed.

But something had. I could feel it, even if I couldn’t explain it yet. “Do you think he’s still in there?” Sophia asked after a moment.

I knew who she meant. I hesitated.

“I don’t know.” But a small part of me wondered. Just for a second. Then I pushed the thought away because this was already too much for one night.

“I’m going home,” I said. “Good,” she replied. “You need to rest.”

We started walking, but even as I moved forward, my mind stayed behind, stuck in that moment at the bar. Back with him. And for some reason, I couldn’t explain… I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time I would see Damon.