But honestly no one is sad that Liam won’t be joining us for Christmas dinner this year.
No one, except Aria.
“I guess I deserve this,” Aria says, more tears spilling from her eyes. “And Nash deserved a chance to kick me while I was down.”
“No, Ra.” I sit down next to my sister, careful not to disturb the baby as I brush her hair from her face. “Whatever happened between you and Nash, you were only a kid. And as far as Liam is concerned, I don’t know what he did to make you leave, but I have no doubt that you did not deserve it.”
Aria’s face crumples. “He was with someone else,” she whispers, swiping at her damp cheeks as she sits up. “While I was pregnant with Felicity.”
“That bastard.” I curse softly. “You were always too good for him.” I grit my teeth and shake my head, holding back the much more colorful things I’d like to call Liam, wishing Nashville was closer so I could go punch the jerk in his pompous face.
Or somewhere else…
Somewhere more befitting his crime.
“He promised he was going to end it, and I think he did,” Aria says. “But right after Felicity was born, he started up again. With someone else.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I say, rubbing Aria’s back. “Slowly. With whatever weapon will hurt the most. A fork. Or a toothpick. Ten thousand paper cuts.”
“He’s not worth it.” Aria lets out a bitter laugh-sniff. “After I found out about the second woman, I did a little snooping… He’d been cheating the entire time we were together. With Becky who worked publicity at the record label, and then with some barely legal girl in that British girl band he was helping put together when we first met.” Her head bows and her shoulders shudder. “He was making a fool of me the whole time.”
“I’m so sorry, Ra.” I put an arm around my sister and hug her close. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Like I said, maybe I deserved it,” she says, her breath hitching. “I mean I never cheated on a boyfriend, but I wasn’t always gentle when I ended it with someone. Back in the day.”
“Teenagers are stupid,” I assure her. “They can’t help it. We’re all thoughtlessly cruel when we’re young.”
“You weren’t,” she whispers.
“Sure I was. Just not about boys. Mostly because I was too shy to date anyone seriously until I was almost twenty,” I say, continuing to pet her back, grateful for the chance to offer what little comfort I can. “How old were you when you dated Nash?”
“We never really dated.,” Aria whispers. “We met at that arts camp I went to when I was fifteen.”
“Fifteen,” I echo, vindicated. “See? You were practically a baby. You couldn’t be expected to know what you were doing when it came to feelings and boys and relationships. You didn’t even have real boobs back then. I remember. It was the only thing that kept me from being insanely jealous of how beautiful and popular and talented you were. At least I had the boobs.”
“You still do.” Aria snorts. “Glory days, huh?”
“No way. Your glory days are still ahead of you,” I say, smiling when Aria turns wistful eyes my way. “You are an amazing person and mother, you have a precious little girl, and you make the most gorgeous works of cake art I’ve ever seen. The future is so bright, Ra. Just give me a few years and I know we’ll be bringing in enough for you and Felicity to get your own place. I swear I’m going to make Ever After Catering so big we’ll all be rolling in dough. Or frosting.”
“Or cheese balls,” Aria says, her lips lifting on one side. “I could go for a cheese ball right now.”
“How about a cheese plate? I’ve got feta and brie and some only slightly funky bleu cheese in the fridge. Why don’t I whip up a cheese plate and find some more wine, and we’ll make Melody play cards with us?”
Aria’s smile crumples in the middle. “That sounds really nice,” she says, and promptly begins to cry again, even harder than before. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying now.”
“Because you need to cry. And you deserve to cry, so don’t you dare apologize.” I hurry to the bathroom to fetch some tissues and return to the bed to press them into Aria’s hand as she stands. “Now, go on. Go downstairs. I’ll put Felicity in her crib and be right down.”
Aria hesitates a beat before lunging at me, pulling me in for a tight hug. “Thank you. I love you, you know that?”
“You, too.” I hug my sister hard, feeling closer to her than I have in years.
Since…Liam came into the picture, as a matter of fact.
He was the kind of guy who erected barriers between Aria and anything he feared would distract her focus from their relationship—including her work, friends, and family. He was selfish with her love, the total opposite of Mason.