Chapter 25
Elliot
My mind is hanging onto the fact that Aria had an affair.
I have a complicated thought process when it comes to affairs. With my life how it is, I see a lot of cheating, a lot of older men with someone a third of their age while their wives are in another country, bosses sleeping with their assistants, the nanny, anyone who brings a little fun.
Then, you have my mother.
I have no confirmation she ever cheated on my father, but there are rumors. I may have been young, but I remember hearing people talk about how my siblings, how we may not have come from the same set of parents.
Then, there are the rumors she got involved with Ronaldo Morales, the cartel kingpin, Leo’s father, and how she may very much be the reason his wife was killed.
People in the deep underground say Ronaldo had promised Marisela the whole damn world, and when he didn’t follow through, she went after his wife.
I’m starting to think those rumors might have some truth to them.
I’ve never cheated and I never will, but I want to keep an open mind when it comes to Aria.
“Did you know you were the other woman?” I ask, watching her expression. She looks sad, almost like she’s disappointed in herself. I’m an asshole for even asking the question, I know it.
Aria shakes her head. “Not until we were a year into our relationship.”
“How did you find out?”
She slouches in her seat a bit, looking defeated. “He decided to run for office. A news site did a round down on him and talked about how he had been married for three years.”
Fucking politicians.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my hand itching to reach across the table to comfort her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the cheater.”
“You didn’t know.”
“But I did for months after,” Aria admits, the words almost a whisper-yell.
Her bottom lip starts to tremble.
“You stayed with him after you found out.” It’s not a question but a statement.
She gives me a nod, a tear running down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away.
“He promised me so many times it was just for show, that he already had divorce papers drafted, but that she was holding out. He told me as soon as he won the seat, the papers would be filed, and nothing else would come between us. He said all the right things, and I fell for all of them. There were so many red flags, and I ignored them time and time again.”
This time, I don’t hesitate reaching across the table and taking one of her hands in mine.
“What did you ignore?” I don’t really need to know, but I want to. They’ll give me more reasons to hunt the bastard down and kill him.
“It was the little things at first. My hair needed to stay blonde according to him, so he would pay for my appointments every month, even if my hair was fried and I hated it. He hated that my nails were always bright colors, so he paid to keep them a neutral color, even if the bright colors were my favorite. He would order me a salad because he couldn’t remember what I liked.
I wasn’t able to tell anyone about our relationship because he wanted me all to himself.
That right there should have been my first sign he was a cheater, but of course, I ignored it, just like I ignored the fact that I only saw him when it was convenient for him, or how he liked to dictate my schedule to fit his and not the other way around. ”
More tears run down her face; I so badly want to wipe them away, but I don’t move. I let her continue.
“Then, it turned into bigger things.” Her voice is so damn small, it fucking breaks me.
“Like what?”
For a minute, she doesn’t say anything. Her eyes just wander, as if she were transported to a different place, a different time. The waitress even comes by to bring us our order, and Aria still hasn’t said a word.
It’s after she takes a drink of her coffee that she speaks.
“He started to dictate what I wore, outright calling me a slut if I wore something short in public. We went to Florida on a weekend gateway once, and I packed a bikini. I didn’t think anything of it.
He seemed to enjoy it when we were out by the water, but the second we got back to the hotel, he lost it.
He ripped if off me and shredded it, telling me how much of an embarrassment I was, how the only thing I wanted was attention from other men.
To get back at me, he went to a strip club that night and sent me pictures of him getting a lap dance.
I was going to end it after that, but he was persuasive and convinced me to stay.
“He even convinced me to give him a key to my place. He used it all time, but it wasn’t until later that I learned he used the key when I was at work to install cameras.
I only found out once I called it off for good.
I deep cleaned the apartment and found a camera in the vents.
I called him out on it. He said it was to make sure I wasn’t bringing other men home when I was his and only his, but I know he used it for other things. ”
I hate the fucking bastard. I don’t know him, but I fucking hate him.
The demand for his name is on the tip of my tongue, but I need to keep myself in check for a bit longer.
“What made you decide to walk away from him?” I grab my sandwich and take a bite, but it’s tasteless. The only thing that matters is Aria and Aria alone.
She takes another sip of her coffee. “His wife found out about me and got in contact.
I had called his office a few days before, and whoever answered must had told her I called myself his girlfriend.
That person must have given her my number, and she called.
It was short, but she told me they were never separated and the divorce papers never existed.
They were even planning a trip to Paris to celebrate their anniversary.
“That call showed me just how much I’d been manipulated.
He had turned me into someone I didn’t recognize.
I never wanted to be in a relationship, yet I found myself in one with the worst possible person.
He had deceived me into believing his lies, and I was blind to it.
I fell for every single thing he ever said.
I lost every ounce of my being to a man feeding me lie after lie because I liked how he looked at me, how he made me feel, how he drove all the traumatizing memories away…
“I had to take a step back and really look at things. That’s when I realized he had destroyed me.
So, I called him and ended it. I didn’t think twice about, but ending it didn’t make him forget about me.
Within hours, he started harassing me, calling me every single name in the book while telling me I was still his and would never be able to walk away from him.
That I needed him. I called his bluff, but then–”
Aria abruptly stops, like she was about to say something but thought against it. Tears start to cloud her eyes, and I hate it.
I don’t want to push her, but the question still escapes me. “But then what?”
“I found out I was pregnant. I was only a few weeks along, and for a few hours, I kept telling myself he was right. If I had his baby, I truly was never going to walk away from him. He was going to be a part of my life forever. I didn’t want that.
So I did what was best for me and ended the pregnancy. ”
“Did he know about it?” I find myself asking.
She nods. “He had let himself into my apartment while I was at work and found the pregnancy test. When I ended things, I didn’t even think to ask for my key back until I saw him in my living room.”
My jaw ticks. “What did he say?”
Area lets out a snort. “He was happy. He wanted to keep the baby and be a happy family. I’m not sure if his wife was included in that picture.
I didn’t ask. I told him I had already scheduled the procedure to terminate the pregnancy.
He threatened to report me, so I flew to California to visit my parents and had the procedure done there. ”
She took back her power, and I couldn’t be more proud of her for it.
Not being able to keep away from her, I reach across the table and place my hand right next to her coffee, palm up. It’s an offer, one that hopefully shows I’m here for her.
She looks down at my hand for a second, then two, until ultimately placing one of her hands in mine and interlocking our fingers.
Comfort, familiarity, and meaningfulness circulate through our palms touching.
“It must have been hard for you to go through that,” I state, giving her hand a squeeze.
“It was, but it had to be done. I didn’t want to be tied to him,” she says, a small, closed-mouthed smile on her lips.
“Did the harassment continue after you went back to Texas?”
She gives me a curt nod. “He doubled down, made everything miserable. I couldn’t do it anymore, couldn’t take his abuse anymore, so I decided to leave.
I needed to be as far away from him as possible.
So, I looked into travel nursing assignments and found this one.
I had already lost myself plenty; I wasn’t going to let him destroy me even more.
I was broken before I met him, and he shattered what was left.
It was time I repaired myself, and six months in Chicago seemed like a good place to do it. ”
I guess that’s my confirmation Aria being here is temporary.
She’s repairing herself. That’s all that matters.
The more I hear, the more the urge to destroy him for everything he is grows. All I need is a name, but I have a feeling even if I ask, Aria won’t give it to me. I will have to find it another way.
A question starts circulating in my mind.
What drove her to that point? What was the traumatic event? Will she tell me if I ask?
The question blinks like a bright neon sign, and I think she can see it.
“You look like you have questions,” she says.
She’s fucking beautiful even with tears in her eyes and her makeup smudged.
I don’t lie to her. “I do, but they are questions that shouldn’t be asked.”
She squeezes my hand. “Elliot, please ask the question.”
It’s the softness of her voice that has me wanting to give in, but I don’t want to make the day worse with my curiosity.
I bring her hand up to my lips and place a kiss against her knuckles.
“I’ll ask, but not today. Besides, me knowing isn’t going to change the way I feel about you.”
Her eyes study me. “And how do you feel about me?”
My eyes don’t move from hers. “Like I want to be at your side as you build yourself back up and witness the spectacular beauty you are every damn day.”
A blush creeps up her cheeks. “And here I thought you just cared about me.”
I give her a small smile. “I do, but like I said, I want to do something for you. I want to do something with you.” We look at each other for a bit, our hands still attached as our arms stretch out on the table. An idea comes to mind. “I rescind my offer to pay for your apartment.”
She gives me a slightly bigger smile. “I appreciate that.”
Is she going to appreciate what I’m going to say next? “But I do want to pay for something.”
“What?”
I pull my hand away from hers and work my wallet out of my pocket. It takes me a second to find what I need.
Aria gives me a weird look when I place a black card on the table and slide over to her.
“I won’t pay for the apartment, but I do want to pay for you to get your nails done whenever you want in whatever color you want. I’m partial to your bright nails.”
I’ve learned they are a piece of her, how she expresses herself, and I don’t want her to stop. It may be a small thing, but it’s a small thing I fucking love about her.
“You’re giving me a credit card so I can get my nails done?” she asks, clearly in disbelief.
“And for whatever else you want. Use your money for the necessities, but use mine for your wants. Or don’t. I’m not going to force you to spend my money.”
She looks at me with eyebrows raised. “This sounds dangerously close to sugar baby territory.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not, but you can call it whatever you want. I told you I want to give you anything and everything. Me giving you this card isn’t about controlling you. I will never do that. This is me making sure I do what I said I wanted.”
Her eyes move to me to the card between us. I can see her debating with herself about taking it. Her eyes are telling me she is seconds away from telling me to shove the card up my ass, but the woman surprises me.
Her hand moves toward the card, and she picks it up, giving me a nod.
“You really like my nails?” she asks, beaming at the reassurance.
I give her a nod. “I do.” I smirk. “I especially liked seeing the bright pink color you had a few days ago wrapped around me.”
Her eyes go wide, and a blush creeps up her cheeks again. I know this isn’t the time to be talking about sex, but I can’t help myself. I want to see her blush again.
“Maybe I will keep the bright pink on rotation for however long this arrangement lasts.”
A sharp edge stabs at my heart at the thought of this ending, but I push it down.
“Please do,” I say, throwing her a smirk. “But I will also be happy with all the other colors you choose.”
“Good to know,” she says, looking at the card again. “Are you sure about this? I can take all your money.”
She can’t. It would take her a few lifetimes.
“I’m sure. Do your worst. You’re in control, and you always will be while you’re with me.”
“Don’t expect the worst unless you piss me off.”
“Noted.”
The card gets one last look before she slides it into her bag. When she turns back to me, she gives me a warm smile. “Thank you, Elliot.”
“I’m here for you always, even without the labels.” I take a moment, smiling at her and relishing in her smile back, before I ask the question on my mind. “Have you heard from your ex since you left Austin?”
The smile quickly fades. She shakes her head.
“No. Well, I don’t know. I have him blocked on everything, and I haven’t made the effort to post on social media or even check it.
I did think about changing my number, but I didn’t.
I have been receiving calls from random numbers but I don’t answer them.
If that is him, I’m surprised he hasn’t resorted to texting. ”
“If he does, can you let me know?” She has no reason to agree to this. I’m nothing more than a fuck buddy, a friend, but I hope she does. I don’t want her dealing with him whatsoever.
It doesn’t go over my head that it’s the same request I made of Grayson about our mother.
“Is it because you care?” she asks, her lips turning up slightly.
There is no hesitation in my answer. “Yes.”
For a few seconds, she’s silent before she gives me a nod. “I’ll let you know, but what are you going to do if he does?”
Pin his phone. Call for a hit on his head. Travel to wherever he is and kill him myself.
“I don’t know. I just want to make sure you are taken care of.”
Always, I want to add, but I don’t.