She turns her face away from me. “Remember when I told you Eli broke up with me because I’m high maintenance?”
I wanted to punch the bastard so fucking hard. “Yeah?”
“I lied.” The word is soft.
There’s a twinge in my heart, and a weird sense of dread trickles down the back of my neck.
She takes a deep breath but then coughs. I move my right hand to her back and pat her, but then the coughing turns into a sob, and she whispers, “It was bad, Forest… and I’m… I’m too ashamed to tell you.”
It feels as if ice is poured over me, and my muscles tightening intensifies the pain in my chest. I keep still, willing my body to relax, and when I can talk, I ask, “Did Eli do something to you?”
God, I’ll kill him.
The fucking second I get out of here.
The thought makes me feel trapped, like a caged animal, and when I try to shift my body, the throbbing in my arm and chest increases – forcing me to sit still, powerless and fucking weak.
Then Aria continues, “I caught him cheating on me with Taytum. Remember they used to date before he started seeing me?”
Clenching my jaw, I whisper, “Yeah.”
Aria tightens her hold around her legs. “He compared me to her.”
My frown deepens. “What do you mean?”
She presses her face against her knees, and her voice sounds fragile as she says, “He compared my body to hers, saying I looked like a boy and not a woman.”
Her words hit hard, and I close my eyes against the heartache ripping through me.
God, let me survive this so I can kill him.
Taking hold of her shoulder, I pull her to me. I move my hand to the side of her head and press my mouth to her temple.
“I walked in while they were having sex and froze like an idiot. They finished, and then Eli groped Taytum all over while telling me that’s what a woman’s body should look and feel like…” Aria’s voice cracks over the words.
It’s so hard to keep quiet while she finally opens up to me, and now I fucking understand why Aria’s been such a mess. Eli mentally fucking abused her.
Her breath hitches. “I know I’m small, but did they have to be so mean?”
I press my lips to her temple, then lower my mouth to her ear. “I’m so sorry. I wish you had told me sooner.”
She pulls a little back, and when I see the trauma that fucker caused her on her face, a lump swells in my throat.
“He’s a bastard, Aria. A fucked up piece of shit. There’s nothing wrong with you.” Her chin begins to quiver, and a tear escapes, leaving a trail through the dust on her cheek. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re otherworldly gorgeous.”
“It hurt so much,” she admits. “Until you and I slept together, I thought there was something wrong with me.” She swallows hard. “You…” she lifts her eyes to me, “you made me feel like a woman.” She shrugs. “Then Kennedy came back, and it felt like I was back in that room with Eli and Taytum.”
I hold her as tight as I can with my right arm. “I’m so fucking sorry. If I had known, I would’ve handled things differently.” Unable to lift my left arm, I whisper, “Look at me.” When Aria’s eyes meet mine, I say, “I’ll never hurt you, Aria. I love you. Not just as my best friend, but as a hot as fuck woman. I love your body, your mind, your soul. Fuck, I love you more than anything in this world.”
Her face crumbles, and she wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I was scared.”
I hold her until she pulls away. Using the fabric from her dress, she wipes the tears from her face. When she doesn’t look at me, I murmur, “Please don’t feel ashamed.”
Once we’re out of here, I’m going to do everything I can to show her how attractive she is to me.
“The feeling is always there,” she whispers. Her gaze darts to my face. “Like it’s a part of me.”
Lifting my right hand to her face, I cup her cheek. “We’ll work on that once we get out of here. Okay? I’ll just keep reminding you how beautiful you are.”
The corner of her mouth lifts a little.
I try to take a deep breath but instantly stop, and again I have to wait for the pain to lessen before I can exhale.
Swallowing, it feels like there’s sand stuck in my throat. “I have something to confess, as well.”
Aria’s eyes lock on mine. “What?”
“The reason I haven’t dated since Kennedy left.” There’s a flash of heartache on Aria’s face, and I quickly continue, “It was because of you.”