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Part 2: Chapter Seven
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2024-08-11 18:39:29Related chapters
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Eight
Aria's POVThe evening was rather cold; a whisk of coldness tickled my skin as I stepped out of my apartment. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my nerves. Tonight was the second date with Jax, he planned the date at the last minute because the launching ceremony we were supposed to attend was postponed.I couldn't help but feel a little bit excited yet very nervous about it. Opening myself once more to another person after all that happened with Dave, was just so daunting.That night, I decided to go classic in a plain dark navy blue with a light floral design. I'm wearing a light jacket, with my hair loosely curly and just enough make-up to make features pop. I turned the key to lock my door behind me. Lena came out from the living room."Have fun tonight!" she chirped with a smile. "And stop over-worrying; just enjoy."The nagging thoughts were unbearable. I smiled a little."Thanks, Lena," I said. The residence was unbearably quiet on the way to the restaurant; thoughts rushed
Last Updated : 2024-08-11Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Nine
Dave's POV The office seemed to hum with activity this morning. I could feel the eyes of my employees upon me as I walked the halls. I couldn't rightly blame them; no doubt it was just as hard to get used to having me back. I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders to push myself to be sharp today. It was one more step travelling down this long, difficult road of taking back my life and rebuilding this company. I had barely settled into my office chair when Nixon appeared in the doorway with a load of papers tucked under one arm. He gave me a nod, that thin smile again. "Good morning, Dave. Ready for the day?" "Morning, Nixon. As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, extending my hand to take the papers from his grasp. "What's on the agenda? "We've got a few meetings lined up, mainly with some investors. They're still a little gun-shy after everything that happened, but I'm sure we can win them back," he said reassuringly. "Thanks, Nixon, I appreciate your support," I said a
Last Updated : 2024-08-11Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Ten
Aria's POV I ironed the dress fabric for the tenth time in front of the full-length mirror. It had been in such a deep sapphire shade that it wasn't black but a very dark blue colour, truly befitting me. Subtle shimmering clung to my figure under the dress, catching every movement of mine. I selected something simple, yet elegant, not too loud to be conspicuous. My hair was pulled back into a loose chignon, a few ends left free to swing about my face. I'd wanted to look sure and unshakeable, if nothing else, unflappable in the face of whatever the night might throw at me.My concentration finally was broken when I heard a soft knock at my door. I turned to see Lena peering through the half-opened door. Her face broke out into a wide grin as she took in my appearance."Wow, Aria. You look pretty Jax is going to flip all over the place when he sees you."I tried to smile, but my stomach was all in knots as I said, "Thanks, Lena. I'm just… I don't know. I'm a little nervous about tonig
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Fallen Apart Part 2 : Chapter Eleven
Dave's POVI was seated at my desk in my office, the pen drumming on the smooth wood, the hard gaze set on the pile of papers before me. Contracts, proposals, and another sort of very important document to do with Styles but my mind strayed—again. It always did where she was concerned these past few days.It was a few days after the meeting with the investors, and though I felt much more confident about the prospects of my business, my mind kept reverting to her. What a look she gave me in that restaurant, all mixed up with one of both surprise and something else, which I could not quite lay my finger on. And then there was that very undeniable spark that flew between the two of us, prompted by Aranne, no doubt.I exhaled noisily, and I shoved the papers aside, facing instead my phone. It was then that I began to scroll through the usual deluge of work mail, updates, and messages of assorted mundanity—until something did catch my eye. Written in scarlet red across the middle of some e
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twelve
Aria's POVIt deflated my insides, almost like I'd been socked in the gut, seeing him sitting in my living room. My hand unconsciously clutched the strap of my bag as I stood frozen in the doorway, and the world seemed to shrink down until it was just him, Dave, the man I once loved with every fibre of my being, staring back now with an intensity that sent my heart racing."Aria," he murmured this time, softer. "We have to talk."Part of me wanted to turn and run, away from this moment—but something held me in the gaze he pinned on me, so desperate and raw. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me with a soft click, throwing my bag onto the nearest chair."What are you doing here, Dave?" My voice was laced with sharpness, for effect only, influenced by a long day and the emotional pressure of seeing him again."I've come to see you. I needed to talk to you," he explained, rising from the couch.I crossed my arms over my chest; my body language was protective under this emotional t
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Thirteen
Dave's POVLeaving Aria's apartment was like treading away from a piece of my heart. Sometimes that quiet click of the door closing behind me did feel very much like an echo in my mind, marking an end to something I wasn't ready to let go. That was a very cool night—much of a contrast to the raging fire in my chest. I stuffed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and wrestled with frustration, hurt, and loss, almost palpable at the base of my throat.I needed a drink. Something to wash away the image of Aria's tear-stained face, her quaking voice when she said we were through. This was more than one should have to take sober. Half-consciously, I wandered into the nearest bar—well, then, a tiny, dimly lit, hole-in-the-wall that used to be a regular when things got tough. It wasn't classy, but it did the trick: a place to lose myself for a few hours.It was all but empty until I came in except for a couple of regulars nursing their drinks at the bar. I took the stool at the very e
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Fourteen
It was a very quiet day until I walked into my office after lunch. As usual, I was surrounded by hums of activity: phones ringing, keyboards clicking, colleagues murmuring about deadlines and stories. As I went in, lost in thought and mentally planning for the rest of the day, something strange caught my eyes on my desk.There, centred, stood a grand, nice, and laid-out gift basket, covering most of the area where my laptop usually rests. Beside it was a bouquet of fresh and vibrant flowers: roses, tulips, and some stalks of baby's breath, all tied together with a silk ribbon.I stopped, momentarily blinking at what lay before me. Who'd done this? I walked closer to where the basket and flowers were set, putting my bag down on the chair so that I could examine things more closely. Inside, I found some gourmet treats: chocolates, artisanal cheese, wine, and even a few luxury skincare products.It was quite the lavish production, the little certificate, but what threw me right off was t
Last Updated : 2024-08-16Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Fifteen
That morning of Lena and Nixon's wedding was soft. My window lace curtains dyed the light, which coloured the walls. I lay back with a stretch, and a mix of excitement and nerves fluttered around my stomach. Well, today was going to be a big day, in just a few hours, Lena and Nixon would finally take that plunge, and I felt so elated at the charge given to me to be Lena's maid of honour. It all seemed surreal, the distance they had come since those early days of their relationship and all that had built up to this momentous day of their lives. But amidst all of the joy was this little knot of tension that had been building all week, sitting heavy in my chest. It was anonymous, much like the others. Every day, I open the doors to my office, and something new is laid there, flowers, chocolates, even a piece of jewelry. It was flattering but also bewildering. And today, of all days, I couldn't afford to be distracted.I shoved those thoughts from my mind as I threw back the covers to g
Last Updated : 2024-08-16
Latest chapter
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Five
I took her view and entered the room. The view that my eyes chanced upon, a woman sitting at the brink of the bed and burying her face in her hands, had revved up my heartbeat; she lifted her head and looked at me. There was surprise as well as confusion in Aria's gaze."Dave…what are you doing here?" she asked, tremulous her voice.I stepped closer to her, and my heart went out to her. "Aria, please, don't do that. We have to talk. You had to know how much I love you, and we have got to do this together. Please don't make this mistake. Don't decide without you talking to me," she said.She stared into mine, her own already welling with water. "I don't know if I can do this, Dave. I'm scared… so scared."."I know you are," I said, my voice cracking as the emotions spun their way inside of me. "But I'm scared too, Aria, scared to death of letting go of you and our child. We can face this together. I love you and will be with you no matter what. Please just allow us a chance."She tremb
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Four
DAVE'S POVThe reports lay on the desk as my eyes looked at them without really seeing. It was two weeks ago—the night that had unleashed all my emotions with Aria. She hadn't been returning my calls or texts, and every time I tried to find her, the doors closed in front of me.It was as if that had been such a welcome distraction from the growing pit of dread deep in my stomach—one which it was easy to leave my focus on. Therefore, I just thought that probably Aria needed some space and time to think, and I gave it to her. But the days were beginning to slip into weeks; the chasm between us began to feel impossible to cross.I was just about to get into the other useless read-through of the reports when the shaking of my door broke with a knock. Before I could get a chance to answer, Nixon walked in, a sad look across his face."Dave, we have got to talk," he said, shutting the door.I rose to my feet; missed a beat in my heart. Nixon never did drama so whatever his news was, it had
Fallen Apart part 2: Chapter Twenty Three
Returning to Chicago was very much like stepping into the storm all over again. The city was the same—booming and ruthless; only I was different now. The sojourn at Pittsburgh had poured in a new perspective and a brief sabbatical from the storm that life was getting transformed into. Onwards, as I pushed open the doors and jumped into the office of the magazine, all my lugging from the past came back and sat on my shoulders again.I virtually wore the broadest smile ever as I greeted colleagues around, with their eyes to my back, and whispers trailing down the hall. News about Jax did travel fast, and however much I wanted to act like I did not hear the murmurs, they were impossible to ignore."'Did you see him? Jax is still in prison…Isn't she the one who used to go out with him?"Yeah, apparently she's trying to steer clear of any more drama. Who can blame her?"The two prattled on, voices droning in my ears as I looked down, burying myself in my work. I had the art of evasion of
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Two
Xavier had spent most of the next fortnight within the confines of the house with his baby daughter, little Aurora; mankind could attribute getting associated with the atmosphere of normality amidst these crazed minds in and around people. They made one feel slightly better, anyways. The bright spot in my life was Aurora, Xavier's baby. Her laughter and innocence diverted my mind from that hurricane inside my guts.And Xavier, he never stopped showing up. Either waiting to hold me with all of my words, many, or sitting wordless with me when my words failed. He had wars of his own, his own aches: waiting for Savannah to return, raising Aurora on his own. But it never crossed him from how he was acted at that it was of much miracle to be noble, he quared each new day with that kind of fortitude. I saw and wished I could find it in myself.And suddenly it was one of those evenings where one sat in the porch with the sunset overhead, and this very question was coming alive inside me since
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty one
ARIA'S POVAnd there was the sun, first off, up close, shining warmly but in an absolutely singular, discreet design, wringing and bright out through the blinds and all over my bed. For one moment all was also right in my world; this was just some stupid nightmare. For a brief second, there was a sense that everything in the world was also just fine; it was all just some ridiculous nightmare. But as the fog of sleep thinned, I could see the face of reality coming creaking down upon me.There was the weight of a body beside me and the familiar scent of Dave's cologne in the air. Dread consumed me as my head turned to his, slowly, heart in the throat, lying beside me, still asleep. His face really looked peaceful, quite unlike the trouble that I knew was dwelling underneath.Panic surged through me at the full force of what I had done. As soon as I lay in Dave's bed, in full nudity and all the sheets, it all came back, the way that I kissed him. I had let myself fall into the biggest t
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty
DAVE'S POVDarkness had passed as I finally drove the old Civic through the winding city streets, my brain swirling with thoughts that snaked into a cocktail of feelings, triumph and unease. The news of Jax spread like a wildfire through the grapevine, and much as I loathed to admit, somewhere deep inside me, the thought of his downfall came with a bit of joy. That definitely had to be said: he had it coming. Not half of me, though—there was another that couldn't see past Aria's face in my head when she discovered all that she had been told. What would she do? Didn't she see this as a way to get rid of him and finally turn back to me? Or would she retreat into herself as she had retreated before, only this time even more broken?It was with all that running through my head that I pulled up outside Aria's apartment. I parked the car, opened the door, and let the cool night air do little to settle the restlessness in my chest. I came to her front door and knocked, waiting for her to an
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Nineteen
ARIA'S POV Long before the fallout hit. My phone started going off and never stopped, vibrating out of its cradle the second the story broke. Friends, colleagues, reporters—everyone wanted a piece of the madness. I ignored them all as my heart raced, scrolling through the headlines; each one landed in my gut like a gut punch: “Jax Grayson's Secret Life Exposed!" “Exposé in the Fashion World: The Unimaginable Reality of a Fashion Giant!" "Jax Grayson Probed for Money Laundering!" I felt like throwing up. My stomach somersaulted with the words of the allegations. They had to be wrong. Simply wrong. Jax was one of the good guys, sweet …How in the world could he have held something like this secret from me? From everyone? My hands were shaking as I fumbled with that bar of digits to call Jax, hoping against all odds that there was some kind of explanation; a way that maybe this could all just be a horrible, horrible mistake. But when he picked up, his voice came flat, resigned.
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Eighteen
DAVE'S POV I crossed through the doorway into my office, started pacing, and wondered how to deliver this piece of dynamite to Nixon. My office was quiet except for the humming of air conditioning. Inside my head was a no-man's-land. What I was doing, I felt, was walking a tightrope. One wrong step and everything could come crashing down. But at that moment, thinking of her in Jax's arms, of her being able to smile again the way she used to smile at me, made it resolute, and somehow, I knew I had to go through it. This morning, Nixon was extremely caught up. He had one meeting and call after another, so he was active. Still, I knew that at least I had to try and speak to him before going any further with the plan. He wasn't just a friend; he was my brother-in-law, partner in crime, the one man who could talk me out of any crazy idea I came up with. I inhaled slowly, then walked into his office. The door swung a bit wide, and behind the desk, I could see him buried in some paper
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Seventeen
ARIA'S POVMy phone buzzed, it must have been for the hundredth time that morning. I didn't need to look, though all texts and notifications seemed to come down to the same thing. Well, the rumour mill hadn't stopped since Jax and I got together, but today… Today felt different. You could feel it in your bones, like a storm about to hit just out of sight."I rather reluctantly opened my phone again to scroll through the scores of messages, tweets, and posts flooding my feed. I looked up sheepishly to see what adorned every major gossip website: "New Power Couple: Aria Stephenson and Jax Grayson Romance Heat Up!" with pictures of him and me leaving that wedding together last night.". The photos had captured everything—how Jax used to hold me close and how I'd look at him.But the captions only distorted everything, making what was such close, personal time between the two of us into a public spectacle.The anxiety mixed with impatience surged, upped by apprehension in my chest. This
