James and Aria were enjoying the club without any disturbances, anyone ruining their fun and no one forcing them to accept certain changes that they weren't ready for. She had basically wanted to let out her anger, her fear, and her unwillingness to change to a situation she hated.
Aria hated the fact that her mother had chosen a fate that forced her daughter to accept. Her mother knew that Aria wasn't the type of woman to just simply accept things and move on. She needed evidence and proof. She needed time.
Time to socialize and go out with this person, that way she could see whether or not his heart was worthy of her mother's fragile one but no. It was as if Aria didn't matter anymore in this case, as if her mother had completely written her off when it came to helping her and that angered Aria in ways that nobody understood.
Aria wanted to kill the lookalike catfish and cook him with butter and seasoning. She wanted to have him grilled and not care if her mother cared to watch or not. She would literally be cold-hearted to protect her mother but her mother had clearly denied the assistance of her daughter.
And that made Aria want to rebel in ways that nobody understood and she knew that nobody would be able to stand in her way, whether they liked it or not.
Yet Aria didn't want to be the one to hurt her mother, instead, she shut her mouth and accepted fate. She went out and let the music drug her. She needed to overdose and let it sink deeper into her system.
In fact, she wanted to just be Ariel and disappear into another world so she wouldn't have to show her mother how much she had hurt her daughter. And right now a different world was this club and she didn't mind it at all.
That was until she felt someone watching her, staring at her very soul and Aria did not bother to look. People always watched her and she was in the club for probably an hour. Only moving to get to the bathroom or to get a drink. She wanted to forget the fact that her skin was literally burning from the gazes.
So as soon as she felt someone tap her shoulder she was ready to snap their finger until she realized it was James, he gave her a questioning smile and she ignored the feeling that someone was watching her. She guessed it was probably James and just danced with him.
Then he tapped on her shoulder and gestured to behind her, slowly turning she found her mom and Mr. catfish looking for her by the other entrance.
This was not the way she wanted her day to go at all.
Walking towards them, she watched her mother's worried gaze look around until it settled on her. Aria could see the way her mother let out a heavy breath, seemingly relieved to find her. As soon as she got close to her, her mother pulled her into a strong hug before pulling back and starting to snap at Aria.
"What on earth were you thinking? It's two am in the morning, I called you a bunch of times, looked for you everywhere, I thought you were hurt but instead you come to this disgusting place. You reek of alcohol, you look like a drunk looney tunes character, have you lost your shit?" she snapped, angry that her daughter had done this to her.
Eliana was seething with anger. She regretted showing such affection in front of her knowing that she hadn't fully accepted Harry into her life.
Yet that didn't mean that her daughter had to act like a teen going through different stages. She barely even acted like this when she was a teenager and now she didn't know whether to kill her daughter so that she wouldn't have to worry later about her daughter acting like Donald Duck.
She knew that Harry was seeing a different side of her but she didn't care, she was Aria's mother before anything. And no matter how old she got, she would always be her only angel and nothing would ever drive a wedge in that.
"I am old enough to do as I please, you go about doing your busy, forgetting that my choice and my feelings matter in this case!" Aria snapped back at her mother, the alcohol had settled quite well in her system to make her courage enough to talk what she wouldn't have if she was sober.
"Well, you are in my house! My care! It matters and I don't give a shit what you do as long as I know that you are safe!" Eliana snapped back, seething.
"I am much safer at a bar than with a man I don't even know!" Aria spat.