Chapter Six
The silence stretched between us as Aria stared at me, her expression unreadable.
"Your ex-fiancée?" she finally said, her tone steady but distant.
"Yes," I replied, bracing myself for the questions I knew were coming.
Aria tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to read me. "And she just... shows up here, unannounced? After how long?"
"Two years," I said. "We haven't spoken since she left."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she nodded slowly, but the guarded look in her eyes told me she wasn't satisfied with my answer.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Aria, whatever Sofia wants, it doesn't matter. She's in the past. You're the one I—"
She held up a hand, stopping me. "Don't." Her voice was quiet, but there was a sharp edge to it. "I'm not upset about her being your ex, Ethan. That's not the issue."
"Then what is?" I asked, my chest tightening.
Aria crossed her arms, her gaze dropping to the floor. "This is exactly what I've been trying to avoid. Complications. Attachments. Messy entanglements that end with someone getting hurt."
"Aria," I said, taking another step closer. "You're not a complication. You're not—"
"Stop," she interrupted, looking up at me with an intensity that caught me off guard. "You don't understand, Ethan. This is why I don't stay. Why I don't let people in."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut.
"Do you really believe this is going to end badly?" I asked, my voice soft but firm.
She hesitated, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but no words came. Finally, she shook her head and took a step back. "I don't know. But I can't take that risk."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, the weight of her words settling heavily on my chest.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions at work, but my thoughts were consumed by Aria and the look in her eyes when she left.
By the time I got home, exhaustion weighed on me, but the moment I stepped into my apartment, I knew I couldn't sit still.
Grabbing my phone, I typed out a message to Aria:
Can we talk? Please.
I stared at the screen, waiting for her to reply. Minutes passed, then an hour, and still, nothing.
Finally, I set the phone down and ran a hand through my hair, frustration boiling over.
Before I could spiral further, a sharp knock on my door jolted me. I crossed the room and opened it, expecting a delivery or maybe Claire with some urgent work update.
Instead, I found Sofia standing there, a bottle of wine in one hand and a familiar smirk on her lips.
"Sofia," I said, my tone clipped. "What are you doing here?"
"Relax," she said, brushing past me into the apartment. "I just thought we could catch up. Like old times."
I closed the door and turned to face her, crossing my arms. "There's nothing to catch up on. Whatever you're looking for, you're not going to find it here."
She set the bottle on the counter and turned to me, her expression softening. "Ethan, I know I hurt you. Leaving the way I did—it wasn't fair. But I've had time to think, and I realized I made a mistake."
I stared at her, incredulous. "A mistake? Sofia, you walked out of our life without so much as a goodbye. And now you think you can just show up and undo all of that?"
She took a step closer, her gaze pleading. "I know I don't deserve another chance, but I had to try. You meant everything to me, Ethan. You still do."
Her words were like a cold slap, but before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the counter.
I glanced at it, my heart leaping when I saw Aria's name on the screen.
Come over. We need to talk.
I grabbed my phone and turned back to Sofia, my voice firm. "You need to leave. Now."
She looked taken aback. "Ethan, please—"
"No," I said, cutting her off. "Whatever you're trying to do, it's not going to work. I've moved on, Sofia. And you should too."
Her face hardened, and for a moment, I thought she might argue. But then she nodded, picking up the bottle of wine and heading for the door. "You'll regret this," she said softly before leaving.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and grabbed my jacket.
Aria was waiting, and I wasn't going to let her slip away without a fight.