Chapter 36 Is this the beginning of space?
Aiden looked at Ariella. "The deal. A week apart. It starts now?"
"If you still want that."
"I don't want it. But I think we need it." He touched her face gently. "I need to figure out who I am without my father's expectations. Without the contract. Without…"
"Without me influencing your choices."
"Yeah."
It hurt more than she expected. But she understood.
"Okay," she said. "A week. I'll go home tonight."
"You could stay tonight. One more night."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"No. Probably not." He pulled her into a hug anyway. "Thank you, for being here, for standing with me. For making this bearable."
"That's what partners do."
"Is that what we are? Partners?"
"I don't know what we are. That's the whole point of the week apart."
He kissed her forehead. "Go pack. I'll have Thomas ready to drive you home whenever you want."
"Aiden…"
"Yeah?"
"This week, it's not goodbye. It's just space."
"Just space," he repeated. "Right."
But they both knew it might be more than that. It might be the beginning of the end.
That night, Ariella packed her things.
Not everything, that would feel too final. But enough. Clothes, books, the photos she'd brought from home. Ethan's journal. Her grandmother's apron.
She was folding her last sweater when the connecting door opened.
Aiden stood there in sweatpants and a t-shirt, hair messy, eyes red.
"Can't sleep," he said.
"Me neither."
"Can I…can we just sit? Like we used to? Before everything got so complicated?"
Ariella wanted to say no. Wanted to establish boundaries. Wanted to start the separation now, cleanly.
But she couldn't.
"Yeah. We can sit."
They settled on her bed, not his, not the chair, somewhere neutral. They didn't touch but they were close enough to feel each other's warmth.
"Tell me something true," Aiden said quietly.
"We haven't done that in a while."
"I know. But I need it. I need something real before you leave."
Ariella thought about all the truths she could tell. About how she was falling for him. About how she was terrified of losing him. About how his father's manipulations had somehow led to the most genuine thing in her life.
"I'm scared," she said instead. "I'm scared that a week apart will turn into forever apart. That we'll both realize this only worked because we were forced together. That once we have actual choices, we'll choose differently."
"Me too."
"Really?"
"Really." He looked at her. "I'm scared that you'll go home and remember what it's like to be free. To not be drowning in Frost family drama. And you'll decide you're better off without me."
"I'm also scared of the opposite. That I'll realize I need you too much. That I've become dependent. That's what I feel isn't real because it was born from trauma bonding."
"God, we're a mess."
"Catastrophically."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Aiden said "What if we're both wrong? What if this is real and scary and messy and still worth it?"
"Then we'll figure it out. In a week. After we've both had time to think."
"A week feels like forever."
"It's seven days."
"Seven days without you in the chair by my window. Without stealing your coffee. Without…" He stopped. "Without pretending I don't care about you way more than the contract says I should."
Ariella's heart clenched. "Aiden…"
"I know. A week apart. Space to think. I'm not trying to manipulate you into staying. I just.., I wanted you to know. Before you leave. That this matters to me. You matter to me."
"You matter to me too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
He took her hand. "Can I stay here tonight? Just to sleep. Nothing else. Just…I don't want to be alone the night before you leave."
Every rational part of Ariella's brain screamed that this was a bad idea. That they needed to start separating now. That one more night together would just make leaving harder.
But the irrational part, the part that had fallen for him despite the contract, despite the manipulation, despite every reason not to won.
"Okay," she said. "Stay."
They lay down on her bed, fully clothed, on top of the covers. Not touching except where their hands were clasped between them.
"Tell me about after," Aiden said quietly.
"After what?"
"After the week. If we decide to try being real. What does that look like?"
Ariella thought about it. "I guess we'd start over. Dating but married. Figuring out who we are when we're not performing for cameras or contracts."
"Would you move back in here?"
"I don't know. Maybe we split time. Some nights here, some nights at the bakery apartment. Keep our own spaces."
"But still together."
"Still together."
"And Winters? The evidence? All of that?"
"We'd have to decide. Together. Whether we're ready to fight that battle."
"What if I'm not? What if I just want to run Frost Industries quietly and let someone else handle Winters?"
"Then we run the company quietly. And hope Winters doesn't come after us."
"He will though. Eventually. That's what my dad kept saying. As long as Winters is free, we're in danger."
"Maybe. Or maybe your dad was paranoid. Maybe Winters will just disappear into whatever rich people do when they lose."
"That's naive."
"I know. But I'm allowed to be naive for a few more years. I'm seventeen."
"For three more weeks. Then you're an adult too."
"Don't remind me."
They were quiet for a while. Ariella thought Aiden had fallen asleep until he spoke again.
"I'm glad it was you," he said.
"What?"
"When my father made his list of potential contract marriages. I'm glad he chose you. I'm glad I got to know you. Even if it ends. Even if we decide we're better apart. I'm glad it was you."
Ariella's throat was tight. "I'm glad it was you too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You're not what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
"A spoiled rich kid. Entitled. Condescending. Someone I'd have to tolerate for three months and then never see again."
"And instead?"
"Instead I got someone sad and kind and funny and so desperate to be good that it breaks my heart." She paused. "Someone I could actually love. If I let myself."
The word hung between them.
Love.
Neither of them had said it before. Not directly. Not without qualifiers.
"Could love," Aiden repeated. "Not do love."
"Not yet. Maybe not ever. But could."
"That's more than I hoped for."
"Me too."
They fell asleep like that, hands clasped, both terrified of what the morning would bring.
Ariella left at nine a.m.
She'd woken up wrapped around Aiden, his arms around her, both of them having gravitated together in sleep. They'd separated quickly, awkwardly, both hyperaware that this was supposed to be the beginning of space.
She'd showered, dressed, and finished packing. Lily had hugged her goodbye with fierce desperation.
"Come back," Lily had whispered. "Please come back."
"I'll come back."
"Promise?"
"I promise."