Chapter 146 One forty six

Chapter 146 One forty six
Aria’s POV 

The moment I saw him, my chest tightened.

He was walking toward me slowly, carefully, like he wasn’t sure how I would react. Like he already knew something had changed.

And he was right.

Everything had changed.

“Aria…” he called softly.

His voice used to calm me.

Now, it only made my heart feel heavier.
He stepped closer, lifting his hand slightly like he wanted to touch me, to reassure me, maybe.

But before his fingers could reach me…

I flinched.

Instinctively.

It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t something I thought about.

My body just reacted.

And the moment I saw the way his expression shifted, how his hand froze mid-air, I felt something twist painfully inside me.

But I couldn’t help it.

Not after what I just heard.

“I’ll call you back,” I said quickly into the phone, my voice distant, barely recognizing it as my own.

I didn’t wait for Auntie Gianna to respond.
I just ended the call.

Silence fell between us immediately.

He sat down beside me, leaving a small space between us, like he was trying not to push too much.

“Aria…” he said again, softer this time.
I didn’t respond.

I couldn’t.

My mind was still spinning, trying to process everything Auntie Gianna had just told me.

A child.

His child.

With my aunt.

It sounded unreal.

Impossible.

And yet… it wasn’t.

I felt him shift slightly beside me, his hand moving toward mine.

I saw it coming.

And I moved.

Just enough to avoid it.

Don’t touch me.

He paused.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly. “Did something happen?”

But no sound came out.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” he added quickly. “I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

Still nothing from me.

Because if I opened my mouth right now…

I didn’t know what would come out.

Anger?

Pain?

Or something worse?

So I stayed silent.

And that silence seemed to bother him more than anything.

“Aria, please talk to me,” he said, his voice laced with concern now.

I turned my face away.

Because looking at him…

Looking at the man I thought I knew…
It hurt.

After a few seconds, I couldn’t sit there anymore.

I stood up abruptly, needing space. Air. Anything.

“Aria…”

I ignored him.

I walked straight into the kitchen, my steps quick and unsteady.

My throat felt dry.

Like I hadn’t had water in days.

I grabbed a glass and filled it quickly, my hands trembling slightly as I brought it to my lips.

I drank. Like water could somehow wash away everything I had just heard.

It didn’t.

Nothing changed.

The truth was still there. Unavoidable.

I placed the glass down slowly, staring at it for a moment before taking a deep breath.
I needed to get out of here.

Even if it was just for a little while.

Because staying in the same space as him right now…

It was too much.

I turned and walked out of the kitchen, heading straight for the stairs.

But just as I reached the bottom step…
He stepped in front of me.

Blocking my path.

“Aria, wait…”

“Move.”

My voice came out sharper than I intended.

He hesitated.

“We need to talk…”

“Move,” I repeated, louder this time.
My patience was gone.

My emotions were all over the place.

And if he didn’t step aside, I wasn’t sure I could keep myself together.

For a second, we just stood there.
Then finally…

He moved.

I didn’t wait.

I walked past him immediately and went upstairs.

I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall.
Minutes passed.

I didn’t even know.

My thoughts kept replaying everything.
Auntie Gianna’s voice.

Her words.

“He is Maeve’s father.”

I closed my eyes briefly, pressing my lips together.

How?

How did everything get so complicated so fast?

A soft knock broke through my thoughts.
Before I could respond, the door opened.
Damien.

He walked in quietly, holding a glass.

Juice.

Of course.

He always tried to fix things like this.

With small gestures.

With actions instead of words.

He placed the glass on the table beside the bed before sitting down next to me.

Close.

But not too close.

Like he had learned his lesson.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then…

“What did I do wrong?” he asked.

His voice was low.

Careful.

“Why aren’t you talking to me?”

I let out a slow breath.

So he really didn’t know.

Or maybe…

He was pretending not to.

Either way…

I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

I turned to face him fully.

And that was when I snapped.

“how did you know my aunt Gianna?”
The question came out sharp.

Direct.

No room for dodging.

I watched his face carefully.

The way his body stiffened.

The slight pause before he responded.

He knew.

Of course he knew.

He took a deep breath, then started talking.

Explaining.

Telling me everything from his side.
The club.

The one-night stand. The misunderstanding. The way things ended.
I listened.

The pieces started coming together.

It wasn’t love.

It wasn’t a relationship.

It was a mistake.

Two people caught in something messy.
Something unresolved.

Something that spiraled into something bigger than both of them.

By the time he finished, the room felt heavier than before.

But clearer.

At least now, I understood.

Or… I tried to.

I sat there for a few seconds, just looking at him.

Studying his face.

Trying to see the man I thought I knew.
And the man he just revealed himself to be.

Two versions.

Both are real.

Both are complicated.

“Hmmm…” I murmured under my breath.
This wasn’t simple.

Nothing about this was simple.

I stood up slowly.

He watched me, his eyes following my every movement.

“Aria…”

I didn’t let him finish.

I walked to the side drawer and picked up my key.

“I need some air,” I said calmly.

Even to my own ears.

His brows furrowed slightly.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Now?”

I nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

Maybe.

I didn’t add that part out loud.

I turned and walked toward the door without waiting for a response.

“Aria…”

He called my name again.

But this time…

I didn’t stop.

I walked out of the room, my grip tightening around the key as I headed downstairs.

I needed space.

Because right now…

Staying felt harder than leaving.

And as I stepped out, I didn’t look back.
Not even once.

Leaving him sitting there…