I was in love with her, and she had no idea.
With Arya, it wasn’t just about the sex–although that was truly fantastic. I loved the little things about her, like how she was so thoughtful. I loved how much she cared about her friends and family. I loved how she was selfless. I loved how she still listened to boy bands and tried to convince me they were actually good. I loved how she twirled her silky hair around her index finger when she was nervous, or she bit her lower lip when she was deep in thought.
I also loved her questionable taste in movies, which was how we ended up here at a drive-in watching this romantic comedy. Well, she was watching it; I was watching her.
But I was frustrated that she could be so indecisive. I ran my life with ruthless efficiency–I had to. It was the only way to make it all work. I was used to being in control but, yeah, relationships don't work like that. At least ones that matter.
I needed Arya to tell me how she felt so we could figure things out. And Iwantedto figure things out. Arya made me feel like something more than just another wealthy, successful businessman; an obnoxious humblebrag, even in my own thoughts. She made me feel like I was just Tristan. Her brother’s best friend. The boy who she knew from next door.
No woman had ever made me feel that way before.
And I didn’t know what I could offer her that would make her want to be with me. I would give her anything I could, but she wasn’t letting me know.
“What?” she asked as she ate her popcorn. “Shit, do I have popcorn on my face? Or in my teeth?”
She whipped down the visor mirror to check.
“Not at all. You look perfect,” I said, laughing at her reaction.
“Then why are you staring at me? If you just wanted to stare at me, we could have stayed home and eaten popcorn on the couch,” she rolled her eyes. “Wait, is this some sort of popcorn fetish? You just get off on watching women eat popcorn?”
She tried to eat a piece of popcorn seductively, as if that were even possible. Although Arya did manage to make popcorn look seductive. But really, this girl was hilarious. I also loved that about her. When she wasn’t overthinking things and taking everything too seriously, she was so funny and carefree.
“No, I don’t think I have a fetish for women eating popcorn,” I said. “I was just thinking…Arya, I really like you.”
She looked at me, stunned, as if she had no idea. Which, quite frankly, was fucking ridiculous. How could she have no idea I liked her?
“I like you too, Tristan,” she finally said as she composed herself. I wasn’t sure if I’d been expecting that or not. I thought maybe she’d try to fight me on it again.
“Then let’s be together,” I said. “Let’s make this official.”
“What do you mean?” she said, with a nervous laugh.
“I mean, let’s be exclusive. A relationship. I want you all to myself.”
Arya was quiet for a moment and I felt my stomach fall, dreading what she would say next.
“Tristan, you know it’s complicated. I can’t afford to piss off your mom. I don’t want our families to turn into enemies. There's just too much at stake here and so many people affected, not just us,” she said.
I understood why Arya hated the circumstances, but I was ready to risk it all.
“Let me worry about my mom, Arya,” I said. “We deserve to be happy and we deserve to have what we want. She’s digging in her heels, but she'll come around. Especially when Regina visits and she sees for herself that it is well and truly over.”
“That’s another thing,” Arya said, and now it was my turn to be confused and surprised. “You won’t even talk to me about Regina. It makes me worried that you have unfinished business. I don’t want to get caught up in anything messy.”
“I don’t talk about her, because she’s my past. I don’t know how I can prove to you that my marriage is over. That chapter of my life is closed. But trust me, I wouldn’t be asking you to be in a relationship with me if I had unfinished business with Regina.”
I was frustrated now, knowing where this was headed.
“I guess I’ll know when she visits,” Arya said. “And when you don’t give in to your mom’s pressure to get back with her.”
I admired how she was standing her ground, even though it was thoroughly pissing me off. It was good for her and I, very begrudgingly, could admit that. What she didn’t fully understand was that there was nothing on God’s green earth that would make me get back together with Regina.
“Okay,” I said, not really knowing what else to say. “Can we still have sex?”
“I think we should put a pin in that,” she said, hesitantly.
I scrubbed my hand across my face.