Is anyone not in love with you? 1

Is anyone not in love with you? 1
2019, December 23rd

(Troy)

I woke up early that morning. I wanted to give Aria the royal treatment before I told her that she wasn't the only one with a red hot date tonight. When I made the deal with CC, I had devious intentions. But then things with Aria happened and now I just wanted to get through tonight so that we could all move on. It was stupid and crazy but I was doing this for Aria, because I loved her. After tonight, if she came back, I would tell her. I would tell her tonight and every other night forever.

Aria woke up to a tray with all her favorites on it. In the center of it all sat a diamond necklace. I smiled at her reaction. So even Aria Maine was just a woman after all when it came to diamonds.

“Do you know what that is?” I asked.

“Besides stunning, you mean?” She beamed.

“That is your collar. Proof and a reminder that you are mine,” I said, handing her the invitation that came just a few minutes ago.

Aria opened it up.

“It's from Aaron. He wants to have dinner with me tonight at the castle.”

“I know. I may have taken a little peek. I knew it was coming. Honestly, I'm surprised he waited this long. Turn around.”

My fingers went for the diamond necklace Aria always had on. It was much more subdued and simple than the one I wanted to put around her neck, but she stopped me.

“Ethan gave it to me,” she said softly.

No wonder she never took the thing off. I kissed her hair and started pulling away, but she pulled me back, reaching behind her neck to take it off herself.

“You really don't have to, Aria. I just wanted to—”

“And you don't anymore?” she asked, pulling Ethan's necklace away from her. “Should I not think of you while I'm having dinner with another man?”

She waited expectantly for me. I kissed the back of her neck before putting my necklace on for her.

“So you're going then?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

“You didn't make it seem like I had much of a choice yesterday.”

I turned her around, pressed my forehead up against hers, watched her touch the necklace over and over.

“You listened to that guy? He was an absolute fool, wanting to send a gorgeous woman like you out to see another man,” I said, taking her hands and kissing them one at a time.

Aria watched me, seeming to contemplate my words.

“You'll never be at ease until I do this. Neither of us will be. Clearly you know something about tonight that I don't. You going to share?”

I sighed and pushed her back gently, laying my head on her chest.

“It's not my place to tell you, my queen. It's his story, your story. But everything we talked about yesterday is still true. If you come back, I am all in with you, Aria. We can leave for Warlanda tomorrow if you want to.”

She played with my soft, blonde hair.

“Then I'll make sure to come right back,” she said confidently.

Maybe I should have told her. Maybe it would have changed her mind about going. Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted anymore. It didn't matter though, because she'd already decided.

“Full disclosure. I'm seeing an ex tonight too.”

“When did you decide this?” she asked, unable to keep the anger out of her voice. “Before or after Aaron's invitation to dinner came?”

“Before,” I admitted. “But I wasn't going to go until you decided you were.”

I was off of Aria in a moment. She pushed so hard and so suddenly that it took me a minute to understand what was happening.

“You may have agreed to me seeing another man, but I didn't agree to you seeing her!” Aria snapped.

She jumped out of the bed and stomped her way halfway through the room before I caught up with her and wrapped her up in my arms. I touched my lips to the necklace.

“It really is beautiful on you,” I said. “It's good to know that you're the jealous type, too.”

“Is that why you're doing this? As some kind of retribution?”

It was wrong how much I liked the pain in her voice, but I had been in similar pain since the moment we started this thing between us. And I loved her anyway. Loved her like nothing else. She must at least care for me to be responding this way. How could I not be happy about it?

I turned her around, grinning at her.

“You don't know this yet, but tonight is 100% about you. She just happens to have something I need. Believe me when I say this isn't some romantic gesture for someone else. Trust me, Aria, like I'm trusting you to come home to me.”

(Aria)

But I couldn't quite contain her jealousy as well as Troy. I watched him propose to CC, heard the words, watched him dance with her. The man was completely besotted.

With these thoughts in my head, I slipped out of his arms and headed for the door, banging it shut behind me.

(Aaron)

Aria showed up at the castle just as I was on the verge of checking to make sure Emily was out of the way for the night. The last thing I needed was for Aria to know that she was staying at the castle. Finally, having all the pieces of the puzzle explained so much. I was livid about what Aria did. That simple choice, choosing not to trust me with who she was, had stopped me from being with her all this time.

But I had had time to think about it. I made choices, too. I remembered her reaction to me telling her about Emily. She probably never would have decided I wasn't trustworthy if I hadn't used her to make Emily jealous. In the end, there was enough blame to go around. I didn't want to play the blame game because she was here. My Adele was alive and safe and I could tell her that I loved her, that I still wanted her. Maybe, just maybe, she still wanted me too and I would get to hold her and kiss her like before. I knew Aria came to Caines in love with me, but things were different now. She'd spent time with Troy. That guy had a way of getting to women and she had a passionate heart. I wouldn't be surprised if she was in l
ove with Troy already.

“Fuck!” I cursed, watching Emily and Aria both coming at me.