56. Ari
fifty-six
Ari
Ari
SOS
Lane
Please, someone help me
Ari
And now I realize just how fucking annoying that was when I did it to you
Cole
Come on over, Ari
Ari
What makes you think I want to come over?
Josh
Our wives (and Lane’s girlfriend) literally went over to your place to be with your girl
We’ve been sitting at Cole’s wondering when you’d finally show up
Ari
Lucia isn’t my girl
Knox
Yeah, seems like you made that real fucking apparent
Ari
Fuck off
Cole
Dude, just come over
You’re being a fucking idiot
Ari
No, I’m just smart enough to know when to let her go
Knox
God, you’re dense
Lane
Just get your ass over here, Morgan
I slouch on Cole’s sofa, beer in hand, and wallow in my self-pity.
“Why does today have to suck?” I grumble.
“Because you’re an idiot,” Cole says.
“Fuck off, Pierce.”
Josh sighs. “Just tell us what happened, Ari.”
“Nothing happened.”
“You told Lucia to go on a date with another man,” Lane bellows. “That’s not ‘nothing.’”
“I don’t understand why we’re getting on me,” I chide. “Lucia is free to date whoever she wants.”
“I will never understand how you are still this fucking dense,” Cole groans. “We’ve known each other for like eight years, and I’ve never seen you act this stupid.”
I’m not acting stupid.
I’m giving Lucia what she wants with somebody who wants to give it to her.
It’s selfless, really.
“How the hell did this even happen?” Knox asks.
I recount the day. “We were in the gym this morning. We hooked up, and everything was fine. Then some fucker named John texted her and asked her out on a date tonight.”
“And you told her to go?” Josh stares at me, dumbfounded.
Join the fucking club, brother.
“Yup,” I chuckle harshly. “It was my cum dripping out of her this morning, and now she’s going on a date with another man.”
“Okay,” Cole starts. “I’m going to tell you what I always tell my wife—it’s really okay to keep some things to ourselves.”
“Sorry.” I pinch my brow. “That was oversharing.”
“It was. But your picturesque description makes it clear that you have feelings for her.”
“I don’t.”
“Lucia is going on a date with someone else, and you’re still going to fucking deny that you want her?” Lane just stares at me in disbelief. “Come on, Ari.”
“All that matters right now is what Lucia wants,” I shrug. “She wants to build a life with someone. We were just having sex.”
“You can’t seriously believe that,” Knox states emphatically. “Lucia never looked at Matt the way she looks at you.”
“Maybe that’s the way she looks at John.” My lips curl up in a sneer when I say his name.
Cole throws his head back and covers his face with his hands. “Will you fucking stop and admit it already?”
“Admit what?”
“That you’re jealous, Ari!” he yells, arms waving wildly. “You’re jealous that she’s going on a date with someone else, and you’re too dense to fucking admit it.”
“Of course, I’m fucking jealous!” I shout far louder than I intended, but I can’t stop myself. I’m powerless to keep all of this inside anymore. “She’s going out with him when I’m right here! She should be with me!”
My words ring through the air, and it takes a moment for me to realize what I just said. The guys just look at me with widening, knowing smiles.
“Fucking finally!” Cole cheers.
“Holy shit.” It’s the only thing I can manage to say after what I just screamed. My heart is hammering in my chest. “Holy fucking shit.”
Cole rubs his hands together. “I’ve been waiting two and a half years for this, Ari— I fucking told you so!”
“I have the revelation of a lifetime, and you just want to tell me, ‘I told you so?’”
“I distinctly remember telling you I’d be the smuggest bastard when you finally found someone you want to settle down with.”
Settle down.
I want to settle down with Lucia.
Holy shit.
Lane and Josh pretend to swoon together. “Ari Morgan finally fell in love,” Lane sighs happily.
Those words weigh on me like a ton of bricks.
Love?
Am I…?
Oh.
My.
God.
I’m in love with her.
I’m in love with Lucia.
“I love her,” I say softly, running my hands through my hair. My voice grows louder. “Holy shit, I’m in love with her.”
I want to spend every second with her, not because she’s my friend, but because I’m absolutely in love with her.
I assumed I had some type of feelings for her because that’s what made sense. I just couldn’t admit that to myself when I thought Lucia would want to be with somebody else.
But she doesn’t, does she?
Everything about today was her pleading with me to tell her to stay.
I’ve made a terrible mistake.
“I have to go,” I shout, jumping out of my chair and running for my keys. “I have to stop her.”
Has the elevator always moved this slowly?
My heart is ready to fall out of my chest, and I’m stuck on the world’s slowest elevator, hoping I can catch the woman of my dreams before she slips through my fingers.
After what feels like an hour, the doors open onto the top floor, and I fucking run to my door and throw it open.
Lucia is sitting in the same chair she was in when I left.
She looks up at me in surprise. “Ari…”
“Don’t go on the date, Lucia.” I close the distance between us and fall to my knees in front of her. “Please don’t go.”
“Why?” Her voice is so soft it’s almost inaudible.
“Because I don’t want you to go.” I take her hands in mine. “Please don’t go.”
“Ari…”
“I can’t watch it, Lucia. I can’t watch you go on a date with somebody else when I’m right fucking here, literally on my knees, begging you to stay. I can’t watch you go because you should be with me. Be mine. I know you don’t belong to anybody—”
“You.” Lucia’s voice is full of emotion. “I belong to you. I’m yours, Ari.”
Mine.
She’s mine .
Her eyes glisten as I bring her mouth to mine, kissing her like I’ll never get enough.
Because I won’t.
“Please don’t go on a date with John,” I plead.
Lucia smiles at me. “I already canceled it.”
“What?” My voice is breathy. “Why?”
“Because it wouldn’t have been fair to him.
” She rests her forehead against mine and places our linked hands over my heart.
“I told him that I appreciated the offer, but I couldn’t go.
” She takes a deep breath before saying the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.
“I was already in love with somebody else.”
My mouth hangs open, but I’m still smiling as I watch her. “Lucia…” I make sure I look into her eyes before I say, “I love you. It took talking to the guys for me to finally realize it. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“I love you, too, Ari. I knew it would be hard for you to recognize your feelings, so I just kept hoping you’d figure it out.”
“I figured it out, sweetheart. And if you’ll have me, I want to give this a try. Give us a try. I know I have a past—”
“I have a past, too. I don’t care what you’ve done or who you’ve been with. All I care about is that you’re here with me right now.”
“I’m here for a lot more than right now, Lucia. I’m ready to be here forever.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather spend forever with.”
I kiss her again, more passionately than before.
I can’t believe I almost let Lucia go.
I don’t have to turn into my dad because I’m not him.
I haven’t so much as looked at another person since she moved in, and it’s taken until now to understand why.
I’ve been waiting for Lucia to open my eyes to how incredible love is.
And it’s a feeling I want to bask in for the rest of my life as long as I get to do it with her.