Chapter 58 Unspoken
Melissa’s POV
I woke up with my neck aching.
For a moment, I just lay there on Aria’s couch, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to piece together where I was and why every muscle in my body felt stiff.
Then it came back. The bar. My confession, Aria being drunk and bringing her home.
I stretched carefully, wincing at the crick in my neck, and sat up. Morning light filtered through the curtains, painting everything in soft gold. It was a very beautiful sight to see. I reached for my phone and took a picture of it.
After taking a minute to arrange my thoughts, I slipped off the couch and padded quietly toward Aria’s bedroom. The door was open. Her bed was empty, the sheets rumpled but no sign of her.
Then I noticed the bathroom door was slightly ajar,with a sliver of light spilling through.
I walked over and pushed it open gently.
Aria sat on the bathroom floor, with her back against the tub, and her knees pulled to her chest. Just sitting there, staring out the small window above the toilet where morning light streamed in.
She looked so small like that.I didn’t say anything. Just walked in and sat down beside her on the cold tile.
We sat in silence, shoulders touching, both staring at that same square of sky visible through the window.
Then Aria turned her head and looked at me.
I looked back.Still no words were spoken between us.
Then she laughed…soft at first, then louder, the kind of laugh that came when everything was so broken that crying wasn’t enough anymore.
I started laughing too.
We laughed until tears streamed down our faces. Until our stomachs hurt. Until the laughter twisted into something else…something rawer…and we were crying instead, holding each other on that bathroom floor.
Her arms wrapped around me so tight I could barely breathe.
I didn’t want her to let go.
We stayed like that for a long time. Two girls barely holding it together, keeping each other from completely falling apart.
When we finally pulled back, Aria’s face was puffy and red, but something in her eyes looked lighter.
She stood without a word and pulled me up with her.
Back in her bedroom, she gestured to her vanity. I sat. She picked up a brush and started working on my hair…gentle,running her hands through the hard knots, turning the tangles into something softer.
I watched her in the mirror. The way she bit her lip when she concentrated.
When she finished, we switched places. I brushed her purple hair, twisted it up, and made her beautiful again.
Still, we didn’t speak.We never had to.
When I was done, Aria turned to face me.
“Can you please come with me to a gala?” Her voice was hoarse. “I know it’s last minute, but…”
“Of course.”
Relief flooded her face. “Six o’clock. At the Titans Arena.”
I nodded. Gavin’s company was sponsoring it…I’d heard him mention it.
“I’m supposed to go with Christian,” she continued, her voice tightening on his name. “But I can’t. Not alone. I need you there.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
She hugged me quickly, desperately. “Thank you.”
By evening, we stood in front of her full-length mirror.
Aria wore burgundy…a gown that hugged every curve. Her hair swept up elegantly. She looked like royalty.
I wore emerald green with a high slit. My hair fell in loose waves. We looked like we belonged in a different world.
“Ready?” she asked.
I wasn’t. But I nodded anyway.
————
The Titans Arena had been transformed.
Crystal chandeliers. White roses everywhere. A string quartet playing something classical and beautiful.People in tuxedos and gowns filled the space, champagne glasses catching the light.
Aria’s hand gripped mine as we walked in.
We moved through the crowd, and immediately I felt eyes on me.
I turned.
Gavin stood near the bar, surrounded by men in suits. But he wasn’t looking at them.
He was looking at me. He wore a black tuxedo. His hair was styled back. Sharp jaw. Those dark eyes.
But something was wrong. There were shadows under his eyes. And I could see the slight tension in his shoulders.
He looked exhausted. Like he’d been carrying something impossibly heavy.
Before I could process it, arms wrapped around me from behind.
“Melissa!”
Mom.
I turned, and she pulled me into a hug.
But when she pulled back, I froze.
She looked beautiful…stunning, actually, in a champagne-colored gown that made her look ten years younger.
But her eyes.
There was something in her eyes. She looked distressed despite the smile on her face. Like she was holding herself together through sheer force of will.
“Mom?” I searched her face. “Are you okay?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Her smile was too bright. Too forced. “I’m just surprised to see you here. You look absolutely beautiful.”
“You too. But…” I hesitated. “How was your night? Your date with Gavin?”
Something flickered across her face. Fear? Shock? It was gone before I could identify it.
“Very eventful,” she said, her voice carefully neutral.
“Eventful good or eventful bad?”
“Just… eventful.” She squeezed my hands, and I noticed they were trembling slightly. “I’m fine, honey. Really. Just a long night.”
But she wasn’t fine. I could see it in the way she held herself. In the forced brightness of her smile. In the slight tremor in her hands.
Something had happened.
Something bad.
“Mom…”
“Diana!”
Someone called her name from across the room. She looked relieved at the interruption.
“I have to go, sweetheart. But I’m so glad you’re here.” She kissed my cheek quickly. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
Before I could respond, she was gone, disappearing into the crowd.
I stood there, my stomach twisting with unease.
Something was very wrong.
And when I looked up again, Gavin was still watching me.
Still waiting.
His expression unreadable.
But in his eyes…those dark, dangerous eyes…I saw almost the same thing I’d seen in my mother’s.
What was going on?.