Chapter 6: Songbird to a Lovebird With No Voice

Aria’s frozen body is followed by a pounding heart as Lucas’s face leans closer to hers. She instinctively closed her eyes just to hide her panic mostly. As she begins to feel his warm breath against her skin, a knock at her office’s door makes the lovebirds jump and spin around right as Aria’s boss walks in.

“Are you two- oh…” Her eyes were wide with awkward surprise when she saw what she had just walked in on and then she pretended to fix her shirt and act professional, even lifting her chin a bit as she spoke. “Ms. La Bella. Don’t forget you have an appointment with someone else as well. You’ll have to wrap up what you’re doing with Mr. Augustine soon.”  The woman says before walking out of the room, her high-heeled shoes leaving behind loud clacks as they hear her walk down the hall.

The black-haired woman lets out a tired sigh. “Oh, gosh, I almost forgot!” She then looked at the man apologetically. “Sorry, Lucas. We’ll pick it back up again tomorrow.”

The look in Lucas’s eyes showed disappointment but at least he managed a smile. “Right… right, of course. I should’ve known someone as hardworking as you has her hands full most of the time.”

Taking in a shaky inhale, Aria still tries to shake off what had just happened a few moments ago. Was he about to kiss her? Surely not… maybe she just had something on her face and he was getting closer to take a better look.

Aria finally convinces herself that she’s thinking too hard about what has just happened between them. As she stands up out of her chair, she reaches a hand out to him. “It was nice working with you today, Lucas.” She says with a genuine smile.

Lucas grabs her hand but instead of shaking it, he pulls it closer. “By the way… Songbird,” He says with a blush still lining his cheeks, he even looks away this time as he says her stage name. “Maybe you can sing for me again…? As in tonight?” 

“T- tonight?! I…! I mean…” Aria hesitates with her chosen words and she looks away. She hasn’t ever truly sung since she accidentally killed her friend, Mandy. Losing her spirit meant losing the beauty in her voice and that’s the whole reason her band fell apart. But since Lucas has amnesia, he probably has no idea that this even happened.

“...I’m sorry, but I can’t do that tonight. I’ll be busy. I’m sorry…” Aria apologizes twice with a quiet voice without looking him in the eyes.

Lucas’s eyebrows knit together with confusion over Aria’s reaction. He couldn’t tell whether or not she was lying, but he could see that his question had made her uncomfortable. Was he too forward by asking for privacy with her tonight? It couldn’t possibly be about her singing. She loves to sing and has been listening to music since he’s known her.

Since he’s known her?

“Huh…?” Lucas blinks a few times as his curiosity turns into confusion. Not over Aria’s change in behavior, but because of the odd thought that crossed his mind. He could feel a tingling in his head and he dreaded another migraine to attack his brain and shoot pain into his skull so painfully that it could make him pass out if he wasn’t careful. But, thankfully, the migraine never came and a memory didn’t cross his mind. Only just a few simple words that he tells himself that it was just his imagination.

“Lucas?” Aria tilts her head cutely as she looks up at him.

“It’s nothing. Anyways… you don’t need to apologize. I understand if you’re busy. So, here.” He takes a pencil and writes on one of the papers they are working on. Of all things, he has his phone number on it. He then flashes her a grin. “Hit me up.” 

Aria could feel that her blush was remaining on her cheeks. Of all things, the heir CEO was still charming as ever. “O- ok… I’ll contact you tonight.” She says while trying to sound like they’ll only be talking about business. Lucas can’t help but smile as he watches her attempt to act calm and cool on the outside.

“Your co-workers must be waiting on you. I’ll see you later then.” He gives her a short wave.

Aria’s lips purse as she watches him walk away. She didn’t want him to go and she had wished he could have said her name one last time, or at least her stage name. Despite how much she wanted their time together to not end so soon, the woman still forced a sweet smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Augustine.”

She addressed him formally just to feel humored when he turned around and corrected her. “Likewise, Ms. Songbird.” 

Lucas’s comeback took Aria by surprise as he left as if he had heard her wish. He’s a man of many things, she’ll admit to that. And she’s very happy about the kind of man he has grown up to be. So much so that she always wanted to be around him. And yet… 

Aria’s hands ball up into fists as dark thoughts flow through her head. She did want to sing for him, desperately. And yet, her heart wouldn’t let her. Mandy’s ghost haunts her dreams. If only she hadn’t drunk that last beverage. If only she didn’t get behind the wheel when she could tell that there was something wrong with her. Even if the alcohol in the drink was very little, Aria knew she was a bit of a lightweight. It must’ve taken a few moments for it to all hit her stomach at one time. There was no other explanation for how she could get that drunk so quickly. 

And now Mandy is dead.

Lucas will surely have questions, no doubt. It’ll be painfully hard, but she wants to tell him. Despite how shameful it is to admit she got arrested for a DUI homicide. But at the same time… though Aria knows she’s a lightweight, she also knows that the drinks she drank shouldn’t have been enough to get her that drunk. Was it all her fault for running over Mandy? Or was there a third party that caused the casualty that killed her friend?