Surviving Summer Ari Novels & Stories

Bethany's expression froze, the joy in her eyes vanishing as sheer panic took its place. The terror she felt was laid bare in front of Mitchell, and in that moment, it looked almost comical. Though it was the height of summer, Bethany felt a chill crawl over her skin, a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. She had already experienced the madness that Mitchell could descend into for Heather's sake, twice now, and the fear of reliving it a third time made her stomach turn.

My heart skipped a beat. Without a word, he tapped the screen, his face tense as he read the message. "You should’ve protected them better." The words hit me like a slap, but it was the photo that came next that sent a chill through me. It was Summer and Max, sitting in a dimly lit room. They were alive. But they were scared. Summer had her arms protectively around Max, her eyes wide with fear but still defiant. “They’re alive,” Hollis whispered, his voice barely audible.

But Bianca had always been a survivor in her own twisted way. And Logan—well, he had become a ghost in my life. Whatever he was doing now, I didn’t care. He had taken enough of my time, my tears, my peace. That chapter was closed. Permanently. Sometimes I wondered how I had managed to survive all of them. But the truth was simple: I had no choice but to survive. Because life wasn’t going to hand me peace—I had to fight for it. And I won. “Mommy, Daddy—look!” Aria said suddenly, standing on the couch and pointing to the TV.

The head of the orphanage found me in the middle of the scorching summer, which was why he named me Theros Sommar. When Daisy learned of it, she then said that moving forward, the summer solstice every year would be my birthday. She then prepared birthday gifts for me and even baked a birthday cake for me to celebrate. Ever since my gastric bleeding the other day, she had forbidden me from drinking again. But the mood back then had been just right, so I pestered her until she gave in and allowed me to drink some red wine. One thing led to another, and that night, she finally gave herself wholly to me.

Zariah was charged and ready to be let out and I honestly couldn't say I blamed her. The summer air was warm and smelt like flowers and greated us with a soft gentle breeze as we stepped out into the night air. The crickets chirped happily and fireflies danced in the trees just a little ways away from the clearing we used for large pack gatherings out back of the pack house. As I looked around I slightly groaned but smiled at the same time when I realized my mom had kind of overdone it.

We can trade and end it all. Clicking on the video, I watch as Aria is sunbathing in the backyard, topless. She starts out on her stomach, but then turns onto her back, showing off her magnificent tits. The video is only about ninety seconds long, but it’s enough to get my blood boiling. This is way too close for comfort! They could have snatched her right from under our noses. The video is time stamped from just a few hours ago, so it’s possible that they could have taken her.

“He’s been going through a rough patch. Honestly, I think if you just stick around and give him some time, he might be more willing to get to know you. You can only resist the pulls from the mate bonds for so long.” The music suddenly stops, and I see Arienne making his way up to the stage. Everyone turns their eyes to him and falls silent. “Thank you, everyone for joining us this evening. I wish you all an exciting evening as we celebrate Summer Solstice this year. I’d like to thank everyone who helped out today and made this happen, especially, my sister Carmen. She’s been a big help recently and I owe her a lot. So please give carmen a round of applause.” Arienne stops to allow for Carmen

Vivian said. Not the question Aria expected. "What do you want to know?" "How did you survive him?" Aria studied Vivian's face. The question was genuine. The need behind it was desperate. "I didn't survive him," Aria said. "Not the way people mean when they say that. I didn't overcome him or defeat him. I just... kept existing. One day at a time. One hit at a time. I woke up every morning and decided to still be here. That's not survival. That's endurance."

I don’t plan on sharing what happened with Arya because I don’t want any drama or to hurt her. This summer wasn’t supposed to be this complicated! I came here to relax and escape the drama, not create anymore.

“See? This is why summers are better when everyone’s wet!” The four of us—well, five if you count Gemma—splash, dodge, and laugh, the water carrying our chaos across the pier. Even with all the noise and antics, I notice a rhythm in the way Gavin moves—silent, careful, just enough to keep pace with the chaos but never letting himself get fully swept away. Gemma glances at me, grin wide. “This is exactly what I needed. Ari, we have to survive this summer, chaos and all.”