Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Theo
ONE WEEK LATER
“We still have time to call this off.” This is the fourth time this afternoon I have caught Aria taking deep breaths and fidgeting with her jewelry.
I can’t tell if it's just nerves since the last time we saw her mom didn't go as great, or if she is just overwhelmed with everything happening this evening.
“No, we need to do this. If I don't at least attempt to help her, what kind of daughter am I?”
“One who was used as a scapegoat her entire life, having to live with the consequences of her mother’s actions, and made to feel like it was all her fault. She hurt you. If anyone needs to try and repair what is broken, it should be her.”
“She is still my mom.”
“That’s a bullshit reason. I have so much respect for you trying to make this right, but it’s not your job to fix this. Your job is to protect yourself and find a safe place to heal from the decades’ worth of harassment.” I place my hands on both sides of her, pinning her to the counter.
My voice drops to a whisper. “You also aren’t doing any of this alone, baby.”
She takes a deep breath before turning around to face me.
“Thank you.” I kiss the top of her head. Feeling her relax into me is one of the best feelings. Her feeling safe enough with me to let her guard down and willing to be vulnerable with me is one of the signs that I have earned her trust. I am so honored to be able to be this safe place for her.
Just as she was beginning to calm down, my phone rings.
“Mr. Reeves, Ms. Alana Mason is here. May I send her up?”
“Thank you, Enzo, please do. Have security escort her and have them remain by the door.” Aria’s body tenses as I say the words.
I place my hand on hers and gently rub my thumb along hers, a reminder that she is not alone.
I hope the second her mother gets here, Aria becomes the sassy, independent woman who won't take any shit, but in this moment, being able to be here at her most vulnerable and be let in to see her soft side has heat pooling in my chest. I don’t want her to get beaten down and broken again by her mother.
I would do anything to keep those thoughts and fears away, keeping her from hitting the point of an anxiety attack.
I knew from the beginning there was something special about Aria.
Even in the brief conversation over drinks at the bar, I knew there was something different.
Everything worked out perfectly for me to be able to be in this position with her.
I will thank whatever force of the universe that brought us together until my dying breath.
As expected, a few moments later, there is a knock at the door.
I lead Aria to the table before I make my way to the front door.
The moment I open the door, I am already regretting this idea.
I want to hand her over to The Court, and this chapter just be finished, but Aria needs this conversation.
The what-ifs would literally eat her alive if she didn’t try to fix things.
“Alana.”
“Theo.”
“I would like to remind you that we have invited you into our home. If any behavior is out of line, we will have you escorted out.” My warning goes unheard as she pushes past me and immediately tries to fawn over Aria, who wants none of it.
“Aria! Are you ok?” Her mock concern is almost believable. I want to step in and tell her to back off, but Aria handles it on her own.
“Don’t touch me,” Aria snaps, pulling her arm away.
“Let's all sit, “I offer, gesturing at the chairs.
At least if we're all sitting, I can be between Aria and Alana, creating a buffer. I couldn’t give two shits if Alana is comfortable, I just need to make sure I can get in between them if things become too much.
They both move to their seats, sitting across from each other.
“I don’t understand why we’re pretending we're actually going to eat dinner like a happy little family.” The mock concern is gone. “Aria, you need to come home.”
“I am home.” I cannot help but smile at the pure confidence in her voice when she says that.
Yes, baby, you are home.
“Fine, you need to come back to my home . I will not let this stand.”
“This? You mean my relationship with Theo? Why do you think you get any say?”
“Do you understand what this relationship is doing to my life right now?”
“No, nor do I care. Considering this relationship is about me and Theo, the only people I care about it affecting are us.” The strong woman that I know she has inside her has come out.
She is not showing her mom any of the fear or hurt.
She is standing on her own two feet, fighting a battle she should never have been involved in. God, I love this woman.
“Everyone knows you two are together!” Alana shouts. “I have to hear everyone talk about how I get to watch as my daughter dates the man I was supposed to marry! Everyone is talking about it!”
“We didn’t tell them. Neither of us has posted on social media, so the only way they would have known is if you started bitching about it.”
“I told a few people, knowing they would be on my side,” she tries to explain.
“I'm sorry, what side is that? How do you have a side in my relationship?” Aria laughs, knowing somehow her mom has spun the narrative to be the victim.
“That my daughter is such a hateful, little bitch she started fucking my?—”
My entire body tenses as I stand and interrupt.
“Alana, watch the way you talk to my girlfriend.”
“Your girlfriend? Is that what you convinced her she is? And not just a pawn in your revenge?”
“Wait, which am I? A hateful little bitch or one of Theo’s helpless victims? You can't have it both ways, Mom.”
“It depends on how you decide to handle today. If you come back with me, we will just tell everyone that Theo manipulated you and used you. You didn’t know what you were doing, and I saved you.” My grip on the table tightens to the point I might actually break this table.
“Or if you stay, you will just be an ungrateful whore who fucked my sloppy seconds for a couple dollars. I mean, the entire town already thinks I fucked him for his money. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Alana leans back in her chair with a smug smile. She thinks she won.
“And you think I care enough about what some strangers who have treated me like shit my entire life think about my relationship? That’s where you’re wrong.
You may care what everyone thinks of you, but I don’t.
Because of your actions, I was judged my entire life.
I no longer give two fucks, especially now that I have found a place where I am loved, cared for, and actually safe. ”
“You think you’re safe here?” Alana laughs.
“Theo is dangerous! After our last conversation, I did more digging into Theo’s so-called “company”; it’s all a front.
He is in deep with some extremely dangerous people.
” How much more digging did she do? What did she find?
This may no longer be a situation Aria has any control over.
“You said all this before, why would I believe you now?” Aria snaps back, doing a great job at hiding the fact that she knows exactly how much danger she is in and who I work with.
“Look!” Alana pulls a folder out of her bag, newspaper articles about a house fire near Acadia, some articles from the Acadia University newspaper claiming Gamma Theta Kappa was a cult of the rich and powerful, another claiming that they were responsible for several of the suspicious deaths in the area, and another article alleging foul play in the disappearance of a local furniture driver.
“These are all connected to Acadia and the mafia they have on campus!” Aria looks through them, and her mask starts to slip.
Knowing I was involved with bad things is different than seeing articles about things the people I work with have actually done.
This needs to end before it starts affecting Aria.
“Alana, this is all bullshit, and you know it. I think it's time you leave.”
“So I am right! You hurt people! Aria, you're in danger!”
“Like you care. You didn’t come in here and try to convince me to leave because you believed I wasn’t safe.
You came here trying to save your reputation.
” Aria throws the article clippings back down on the table.
“Save the bullshit for someone who actually gives a fuck.” Aria walks over to the bookshelf in the other room before returning with a handful of paperwork.
“Theo had these drawn up. You are no longer allowed to be within 1000 feet of me, my home, or my job, and it seems right now you are in breach of that.” Aria picks up her phone and starts to dial three numbers.
“This isn’t enforceable. I was never served! I know my rights!”
“You really think with all the big, scary people Theo is in bed with at his job that we couldn't forge documentation of it being served? You really think that a man who can, let’s see—set the house of a billionaire on fire, while the man was still inside, or stage a suicide,” Aria points out the articles that Alana had accused me of being a part of, “wouldn’t forge a signature to protect the woman he loves? ”
“Loves? Is that what he told you?” Aana laughs. “He said that to me, too.”
Aria leans over the table, getting into her mother’s face. “Yeah, we all make mistakes. His mistake was loving you, mine was not letting ‘the mafia’ take care of you when they offered.”
Alana’s face goes white.
“Get out. Or I will call the cops and have you arrested for violating the restraining order.”
“I will go public with all of this! Unless Aria comes home with me now!”
Aria stands next to me, “If that's what you want to do, have fun. The mafia loves attention. I will be staying here.”
She stands and begins to walk away. “I can’t believe you would choose a man over your own mother.”
“As far as I am concerned, I have no Mother. ”