9. CHAPTER 9
ARIA - FOUR YEARS AGO
I rested my head in one hand, and the other held up my spoon, watching the milk drip back into the bowl of cereal I hadn’t touched.
“Aria, don’t play with your food. You're not five anymore,” my mum said, taking the bowl away and passing it to Katherine, one of the kitchen staff.
I rolled my eyes at her, forcing my body out of the chair to toss the spoon in the sink. Then, I promptly slumped back down, laying my head on my arms on the table, letting out a heavy sigh.
“Morning.” Sebastian strolled in, grabbing a breakfast muffin that Katherine had just made, and sat next to me.
I watched as he covered it in butter and marmite. Gross.
“Morning Sebastian,” Mum said, getting up from the table.
“What’s up with her?” he asked her, nudging me, but I didn’t move.
“She mumbled something about Mason, and that’s all I got.” She shrugged, heading out of the kitchen. “Right, I’m late for an appointment. Your father has already left for work.”
I felt a tickling at the back of my neck, so I turned my face to Sebastian. His own head was now laying on the table, and he met my eyes with those bright blues of his.
“What did he do?”
Mason and I had been together for a few months. We were both studying A-levels in English and Sociology, and I’d met him in class. We got on really well and would study together. He’d asked me out, and I said yes.
“Nothing.” I sighed.
“Don’t lie to me, Nyx.”
I peered over at Katherine, who was pretending to clean the counters, but I knew she was eavesdropping, like she always did. I gestured with my head to the door, then stood, holding my hand out, which Sebastian took.
I led him into my room and shut the door behind us. Then I sat on my bed, back to the headboard, and he joined me, placing his arm around my shoulders.
“Why are you being so secretive?”
“Oh, please, we both know Katherine tells my mum everything.”
He raised his brows in agreement, then placed his hand over mine to stop me playing with my sleeve.
“Now, tell me.”
I let out another deep sigh. “He tried to … you know,” I said quietly, my eyes flickering to my hands that were still covered by Sebastian’s.
I felt his body tense against mine, his arm pulling me closer to him.
“He what?” Anger thrummed in his voice.
“We were going to. But I changed my mind, and …” My voice trailed off.
He tilted my chin with his fingers to meet his eyes. “Did he force himself on you?” Blue flames ran through those eyes of his.
“No. Well, he tried, but I hit him real hard in the face.”
“I’m going to kill him.” His voice was laced with fury as he jumped off the bed.
I rose to my knees, grabbing his arm. “Please don’t, Sebastian. Just leave it.”
“Nyx, do you really think I’m going to let him get away with that?”
“Please, I’ve got two months left of college and then I never have to see him again.”
“Nyx …”
“No, Sebastian.” I took hold of both his hands, and I felt the tension leave him as I pulled him to sit back on the bed. “Besides, I’m pretty sure he’ll have a black eye, and that’s punishment enough.”
He half smiled at me, placing his hands on my jaw. “Nyx, you’re special. Don’t give your heart to these boys who don’t deserve you.”
Butterflies appeared in my stomach, sending signals to all of my nerves at once. The heat from his touch spread to my cheeks, and they were probably bright red by now.
He didn’t know it, but my heart belonged to him.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in, and my head rested on his chest, that fresh citrus smell of his hitting me all at once. He stroked my hair, and I could hear his heartbeat getting faster, his breathing shallower.
“Promise me you won’t give anything up until you’re fully ready.”
I’d give everything to him in a heartbeat, if only he saw me that way.
“Promise,” I whispered.
“I’m taking you out,” he said, pulling away to stand and holding his hand out for me.
A few hours later, we pulled up in the car park of Folkestone Beach. It had been a while since I’d been here. The salty air hit me as I stepped out of the car. It felt like home—like I hadn’t spent two years in the smoggy clouds of London.
Sebastian stood next to me, and I swiped his sunglasses off him, putting them on. He rolled his eyes.
“They look better on me, anyway.”
I linked my arm through his, and we started walking down onto the pebbles, getting halfway before I had to stop to empty the stones from my shoes.
“Just take them off.”
“No, because then my feet will hurt.”
“I can fix that.”
Before I could protest, he’d tossed me over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” I giggled.
“Fixing your issue.”
He took the shoe in my hand and threw it, then removed the other one and tossed that as well, walking us to the water.
“My shoes!”
“Fuck your shoes, Nyx. I’ll buy you new ones.”
My heart was pounding, and I could feel the heat from his body seeping into me. That fresh, citrus smell of his was sending my senses into meltdown.
He stopped, gently placing me back on my feet, right on the edge of the tide. The warm water rushed over my feet. Sebastian took his own shoes off and rolled his joggers up. When the tide came rolling back, I kicked, splashing him.
“You’ll pay for that.”
I stuck my tongue out and splashed him again, turning to run, but he grabbed my waist from behind and lifted me.
“Sebastian, put me down.” I laughed, wiggling my legs and trying to pull his arms off me.
He walked us farther into the water just as the tide came back, splashing all up the back of my legs and arse.
“You asshole.” I giggled, pushing away from him.
He just stood there, laughing at me, as I walked back to the shallows.
“Aria Summers? Is that you?”
I turned, facing the voice.
Luke Hills.
Surprise ran through me. We’d gone to school together. He was part of the friendship circle I had down here. The last time I’d seen him was two years ago, before Mum and I moved to London.
“It is you,” he said, leaning in and hugging me.
As I pulled away, Sebastian appeared at my side, his shoulder touching mine.
“Thought you left us for the fast life.”
“Well, I’m still there.”
“That’s a shame. We miss you.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, and Luke looked over to him.
“Sorry, Luke, this is my—”
Sebastian interrupted me before I could finish. “Her brother,” he said coldly, his eyes burning into him.
Luke pressed his lips tightly together, raised his hand to say “bye,” and jogged off back to his friends.
“What was that?”
“I told you, Nyx. Boys like that don’t deserve you.”
“So, you’re going to scare them all off?”
“If I have to.”
Damn this guy.
“You’re such a loser,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. “I don’t need you being protective.”
He chuckled to himself, then leaned into my ear. “Don’t worry, little sis. Your big brother will always keep you safe.”
I pushed him. “Urgh, don’t call me that!”