One more time 3

One more time 3
She was right, though. He was flexing. Aaron had yet to meet someone who was a better shooter than himself. All those math classes he took while at university had some purpose, after all. He used his brain to make crazy, impossible shots. It wasn't often that he showed that off when he wasn't in a fight for his life, though.

“You're good,” he said, coming up behind her, putting his hands around her waist.

“I watched you in Sartis Est. I'm well aware that you're better, maybe even better than Keira.”

“Let's hope we never have to find out.”

Aria put the gun down, clearly more afraid than he was that she might shoot him by accident, and turned around in his arms. She looked down, unable to meet his eye.

“Being around me almost definitely means you will, Aaron,” she said, taking his hands off of her waist and leaving him behind.

He blew out his cheeks. He'd meant to reassure her that he could take care of himself, of her and the kid. Instead, he'd upset her.

He jogged out ahead of her and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Whatever it is, whatever is wrong, whenever. I'm with you, Adele. I would and have killed for you.”

She knew. That was the problem. With Troy, it was inevitable. They were already both smack in the middle of this thing. With Aaron, it was different. How could she intentionally put someone she cared about in harm's way?

Aria looked up and slapped a smile on her face.

“What's next?”

“Definitely a shower for you,” he teased, letting his eyes drop down to her rack again.

She punched his shoulder.

“You know you're stronger than other women, right?”

“I know,” she grinned, picking up his shirt and throwing it over her shoulders.

(An hour later)

It was evening by the time Aria met Aaron in the garden.

“That was not quick,” he said, taking her in. “And it shows. Red is absolutely your color.”

She smiled.

He meant to complain about how long she took, how he'd been waiting out there for half an hour, but it didn't quite come out that way. Except for the diamond necklace, she was all in red tonight.

“I see you got an upgrade,” he said, looking at the necklace. “Troy really does have good taste.”

For the first time that day, he was angry. It wasn't like she hadn't been wearing it all day. It was just more on display now. This was obviously his intent when he gave it to her. He wanted to mess with Aaron's head and Aaron was letting him.

He sat down in his chair. Didn't pull out hers for her first like last time. She had a sneaking suspicion that this would end in a similar way to the last time.

“Lanterns this time, huh? Did you run out of candles last time?”

Aaron didn't know how Troy had done it. He was losing his mind, thinking about sending her back to him. Where he would spend the night with her, had spent many nights with her doing heaven knows what.

Stay here tonight.

“Last time you were worried about the garden burning down, remember?”

Aaron had spent five years lying to the people around him about how he felt, so why couldn't he fool this one woman? Why was the anger leaking out of him?

“Right,” she said, picking up her knife and fork. “I saw you turn them all out as we made our way here.”

“Wouldn't want any interruptions like last time now, would we?”

Like from your fiancé or the man you spent your first few days in Caines throwing yourself at.

Aria sighed. It wasn't just Troy who had had it with her. She remembered that Aaron had been the other guy a lot longer than Troy. Had cared about her a lot longer.

“Look, I'm sorry about all this. I never meant—”

Flaming oceans glared back at her.

“Didn't you? What were you doing when you got here, then? I understand that you were mad at me, that I didn't show up that first time, but we both know I did come for you. Even when I thought you were dead, I came for you. And even after all that, you didn't want to sit down with me when you saw me again and tell me the fucking truth?!”

He got up and turned his back on her. He thought he was past all this shit, thought he could not bring it up so that they could have a real chance this time, but clearly he was wrong. They needed to have it out. Aaron needed answers.

“It's not like that, Aaron,” she sighed, getting up too. “My first few days in Caines were hard for me, too.”

“I'm sure. It must have been really difficult running after another man!”

Aria was getting angry now, too. Did he not know why she did that?

“It was, you dumbass!” she yelled, putting herself between him and the maze. “Bart is a good guy, the first guy I really liked, could even have loved if he'd given it a chance. He even came with Ethan's stamp of approval. I was sure he would make a good king, a strong leader. That's what I needed. I'm a bloody queen, Aaron! I don't need someone wasting my time!”

She reached up for his cheek.

“I wasn't trying to hurt you. You weren't acting like my Aaron, like the man I loved. I was scared, Aaron, and I know that that's not an excuse, but all this time had passed and it didn't change a single thing, not for me. But you were acting like that fire that was still burning inside me for you was just gone. Didn't matter. I couldn't tell that man that I was in love with him. You would've destroyed what was left of me if you didn't love me too.”

He covered her hand on his cheek with his, his eyes falling on the necklace again.

“And now? What about now, Aria? You spend two weeks with some other guy and what? It's just all over? That's why you're here, right? What you came to tell me?”

She couldn't answer him. Her fingers went to the necklace instinctively. She remembered how she told Troy that she'd be home tonight. Told him more than once, but this wasn't as easy as Aria had hoped it would be. Wasn't easy at all.

Aaron grabbed her hands, pulled her arms around his waist and wrapped his around hers.

“I did love you, Adele. I do love you. So just stay with me.”

She couldn't do this, shouldn't do this. Troy was waiting for her, would be waiting for her.

But Aaron had been waiting for her too. Maybe one night would be okay. If it was just tonight, would Troy understand? Would he forgive her? Could she still go home? Would it really be as simple as just one night?

Aria wouldn't go back to Aaron's room with him. She kept finding reasons to stay outside, like taking walks through the garden or exploring the rest of the castle. He realized this was her way of telling him that she could stay with him, but only just. That she wasn't about to betray Troy. Did that mean that this was goodbye after all, or did she just need time to tell Troy that she was leaving him?

These were the questions he knew he couldn't ask. They just weren't there yet. But she was here now. Ready to stay with him just a little longer, to let herself be swayed just a little more. Maybe he just needed a little more.

“We still haven't—” she was yawning now, practically sleepwalking.

“Time for bed, Aria.”

Aaron picked her up and walked her to the room she'd been staying in before Troy took her to his base.

When Aria opened her eyes again, she was staring straight into Aaron's and dawn was just breaking. He was holding her hands.

“It's okay, Aria. We didn't make mad, passionate love. You just have one hell of a death grip. Couldn't quite get you to let go.”

But it was the next morning, and she hadn't gone home
. Was he still awake? Still waiting on her? She stared down at her hands in Aaron's, hands she'd chosen to hold on to instead of going home. This was never going to end without her heart breaking one way or the other, was it?