Chapter 75: I wonder if Dominic can get through to her

Aria

One hour ago I watched my mom and Dominic get married. Said their vows. Promised forever to each other.

And God, I wanted to ruin this whole wedding. Trash it. But I could not.

What would people say if I did? They would ask why. And there is no way I could tell them, "Because I like Dominic."

One month. That is how long it has been since that night with him. That secret night. That night is proof of how I really feel about him.

It sounds crazy. I know it does. But what am I supposed to do about it? What happened between us made something grow in my chest for Dominic. And now he is my stepfather.

God, you really can not tell the difference between good and bad, can you, Aria?

I walked over to the food table. I thought I should eat something, even though I knew it would not fix how wrecked I felt inside.

Especially not with him up there. The guy I want is on that stage with my mom, both of them smiling, shaking hands with guests, accepting congratulations like they are actually happy.

I looked at the food. Nothing looked good. Nothing made me want to eat.

I put the small plate down and walked away from everyone. I needed to get out. I heard about the rooftop terrace here. My friend told me the hotel designed it for guests who want to look at stars at night.

I left the ballroom. I did not care about the guests anymore. The important thing is none of my friends are here anyway. I did not invite them.

I got to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. And my friend was right. This place is beautiful. They made it look like a garden. Even if some of the flowers are fake.

The roof has two kinds of retractable roofing. The first layer blocks the sun when it is too hot. At night, they slide it open so you can see the stars while lying on these mats the hotel provides.

There is even a corner with grills, in case people want to have a barbecue party up here. I stood there for a second, surprised at how nice it actually is. Then I saw the lounge mats. My body really wanted to lie down. I took off my ten centimeter heels and climbed onto one of the mats.

From up here, I can see the sunset sky. This building is so tall it almost feels like it touches the sky. I know that sounds dramatic. No building in Jakarta actually touches the sky. But it feels that way from up here.

I stretched out on my back and looked up. The orange from the sun made me feel a little better.

Aria let out a heavy breath. Her chest felt tight. Confused. She did not know what to do with her feelings now. How did she fall for Dominic so fast? Her own stepdad.

She glanced at her phone and opened her notes app.

January 23rd: Graduation day. Also the day I leave for America.

That is what she had written there.

She sighed. "Two more weeks. Why does it have to be so long? Can not time just speed up?"

At least if she left tomorrow, she would not have to watch her mom act all lovey-dovey with Dominic. Would not have to see them being all over each other.

Because if she does have to watch that, she will lose her mind. For real.

Aria looked back at the sky. There were clouds gathering. A bunch of them. Dark ones.

Maybe because it is getting late. Or maybe it is going to rain.

Ring...

Aria jumped when her phone went off. She checked the screen. Helena.

She did not want to answer. But she could not ignore it either.

She swiped to accept the call.

"Hey, Mom?" she said first.

"Aria? Where are you, honey? You are not in the ballroom."

Aria paused. "I am in the bathroom, Mom."

"For this long? Are you okay?"

Aria nodded, even though Helena could not see her. "I am fine. I just needed some air after the bathroom. It is boring down there. It is just all your friends." That was not the real reason, but it worked.

"Oh, sweetie. I know you must be bored. Okay, stay there. The event will be over soon."

Aria nodded again. "Okay, Mom." Then she hung up.

She let out another long breath. She liked it here. She had a feeling this would become her favorite spot.

"The hardest part is coming, Aria. You are going to have to hear your mom moaning while Dominic is inside her. And no matter what, your mom is the one who gets to have him." She mumbled it to herself, disappointed.

Breakfast that morning felt wrong. But only for Aria. For Helena and Dominic, everything was perfect. Newlywed bliss. Helena even kissed Dominic right at the table. In front of Aria.

"Can you two not do that here? You have a daughter who is still a virgin and does not need to see this." Aria made sure to stress the words "still a virgin" while looking right at Dominic.

Her eyes said everything. She did not like this. Any of it.

"Oh my God, honey. Mom forgot you were at the table. But your daddy here is tempting me too much." Helena said it so casually.

Aria clicked her tongue. Annoyed. "Stepdad. You need to remember that, Mom." She stood up and walked away from the table.

"Aria, where are you going?" Helena called after her, but Aria kept walking.

She left the dining room and headed for her bedroom.

Helena started to follow, but Dominic stopped her. "Let me handle it. I need to build a relationship with her anyway. Like it or not, I am her dad now. So let me talk to her." He sounded sure of himself.

Helena hesitated at first but finally nodded.

Dominic got up and walked to Aria's room. He went inside and closed the door behind him. Helena sat at the table with a sad look on her face. She knew Aria did not want Dominic as a stepdad. But how long could she keep refusing it? This is just how things turned out.

"I wonder if Dominic can get through to her," Helena whispered to herself. She did not have an answer. He just went in there. It would probably t

ake time for them to figure out how to be a family.