Aria's POV.But then, lets take things slow for now, one step at a time," I added, flashing him a convincing smile."I will wait till whenever, right now knowing that there's actually a chance for us will serve as my ultimate will power to keep me moving till we get there," Jeremy squealed excitedly.I heaved out a deep sighed inwardly feeling guilty for getting his hopes up knowing fully well that I was only going to use him to get what I wanted, Jeremy didn't deserve such treatment and I knew it but then on the other hand I didn't have much choice as well, it's all in self defence right?Maybe this was the push that I needed to overcome whatever was clouding my sense of reasoning, I had wanted to let myself enjoy those darkest mind blowing pleasures that Ryan perfectly knows how to bring my way, but with Jeremy letting me know he still liked me is exactly that one big push I needed to push my desires aside and set things straight.I can't let whatever it is that was going on between
Aria's POV.I opened my eyes to a beautiful view, the handsome face of Ryan, sleeping soundly next to me with his arms wrapped around my waist holding me safely to his chest, this has always been my dream. Since the incidence at the bathroom, we've grown more open and free about the situation, I could proudly say I had the best week ever, one that I never thought possible, the thoughts of jeremy's proposal had totally slipped out of my memory. This space with Ryan was all I craved but then, I knew it wasn't going to last for as long as I wanted, matter of fact, our parents were coming back the next day, this was our last day being together freely.Ryan stirred slightly and pulled me closer to his chest, like he wanted to merge us together to become one body."Ryan, wake up, we need to prepare for school," I muttered, poking him slightly.His only response was wrapping his arms tightly around me.I tilted my head and placed a quick peck on his lips, I was immediately thrown off guard
Aria's POV.I ran into my room, jamming the door close and leaned on it, crying my eyes out.Seconds later, I heard loud footsteps rushing noisily towards my direction and then stoped right at my doorstep."Aria," came his soft voice calling out to me."Lets talk about this please," I sniffed in softly refusing to say a word to him."Aria, I can hear you crying, I can also feel your weight on the door, I know you can hear me, please say something," he pleaded and I remained quiet except for my low sniffs which has refused to stop."Can you atleast open the door?""So you can lay your magic hands on me and make me dance to your tune?" I cried, making sure to fist my palms tight to avoid any contact with the doorknob."Fine, I'm going to sit here, lean against you too on this door, and listen yo your cries until you decide to talk to me," he said, I could feel his weight leaning on the door. We could literally feel each other's weight on the door and our heavy heartbeats thumping unco
Aria's POV."Is everything okay with you?" Nadia asked for the umpteenth time as we facetimed. I have been trying so hard to hide my sadness but Nadia is a smartass, nothing can be hidden from her."How about Ryan? He isn't taking my calls, what sort of twin brother goes days without speaking to their other half?" She pouted.Oh Nadia, if only you know what is taking so much of his time. "Ryan is okay, he's just been held up by school work," I lIed.Surprisingly, she scoffed dryly."That is such a lie, it's always different parties that he is posting on his story, I keep wondering how you are surviving with him everyday," I shrugged in response. Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide open. "Hold on, is this about him? Are you both fighting? You are usually in a good mood when we talk about him." She said.Oh shit, why does she have to be so smart huh?Now, how do I tell her about what's going on between Ryan and I? No one from the family should no about it, and certainly not his twin s
Aria's POV.An extremely rough couple of weeks it has been for me.Ryan was still being nice to me and acting all ignorant about everything that had happened between us.He had went on with his usual big brother's duties to me except less flirtitious like he has always done, this time, he totally cared less about other guys hitting on me and making passes, he was totally okay with it.I was cool with every other thing but stopping his usual lips kiss was one thing I can't take, not when I was beginning to get used to it, on many occasions I have tried to initiate it, but he would carefully and politely avoid my lips and end up giving me a peck on the cheeks."Siblings don't kiss each other on the lips," he would always politely turn me down.And to finally crown his many tortures, Ryan has returned to being a chronic playboy, I haven't really taken time out to acknowledge how extremely faithful and committed he was when we had something going on, it was almost like no other girl exist
Aria’s POV. “Oh, Arya, you are pathetic," I cursed at myself as I stood in front of Ryan’s doorstep in the middle of the night eavesdropping to his love making session with Eleanor.One of the hidden talents I had discovered about myself ever since Ryan and Eleanor started dating, snooping around in the middle of the night when I was sure our parents were asleep only to lean on Ryan’s doorstep cursing and swearing in rage as they made love.Ryan wasn't particularly taking it easy on me, he brought Eleanor home every night and our parents weren't saying anything about it."If you aren't standing here right now, how would you know they are having sex?" My mind screamed at me."Yeah, right," I mumbled, dragging my heavy feet back to my room.*Next morning*I ran out of my room in a rush and almost fell to the floor as I collided with Eleanor."Hey, watch it!!!!" I yelled angrily, my eyes burning with rage."I'm sorry Aria, I didn't see you coming," Eleanor apologized."Eleanor, it's
Aria's POV."Everyone come out! I have something to say to all of you!!! I screamed walking from each person's room to another knocking on their doors.Ryan was the first to come out of his room and of course in the company of Eleanor.She practically live with us now."Aria, whats going on? Why are you calling everyone out? Can't you see it's late?" He snapped."I'm sorry guys, I just can't keep it to myself anymore, it's really important that I talk to all of you," I replied."Well then, make it as fast and as simple as possible because some of us were in the middle of something," he said, winking seductively at eleanor."Ryan stop," she whispered staring down timidly. I rolled my eyes and looked away, deciding not to give them the reaction they needed from me. Instead, I wanted to get their attention this time. Almost immediately, our parent's room door creaked open and they walked out."Arya what's the matter?" Dad asked."Uhm, I want to talk to you guys about something really v
Aria's POV.I found my way to the kitchen only to meet Ryan already seated quietly on one of the kitchen chairs with a glass of milk in his hand.It's their time of the night, why isn't he with her?He suddenly looked up on hearing my footsteps."Aria, what are you doing still up by this time?" He asked."Just came to grab a glass of milk, I can't seem to get a good sleep," I shrugged."You are having one already, can't sleep too?" I asked walking towards the freezer and grabbed a cold jar of yoghurt and a glass."Nah, I just needed to cool off a bit before going back to bed," he replied and I muttered an 'oh'I had hoped he would say yes, then maybe I would have believed he couldn't sleep because he was thinking of me but he had utterly proved me wrong.We both sat there, sipping our yoghurt in silence."Uhm, I should go back to sleep now, goodnight," he suddenly blurted and stood up turning around to leave."Hey Ryan, can I talk to you for a minute?" I quickly stood up as well.He t
The restaurant was warm, the golden lights casting a cozy glow over the sleek wooden tables. Soft jazz music played in the background, mingling with the murmurs of the other diners, the clinking of silverware against fine china.I sat by the window, stirring my drink absentmindedly as I watched the city move outside. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was alone. No responsibilities pressing on my shoulders, no demands clawing at my time. Just me, a beautifully plated meal, and the illusion of peace.I let out a long sigh, sinking into the plush chair, allowing myself to bask in the moment. Life had been... exhausting. For years, I had been running. Not literally, but emotionally, mentally. Running to fix things, to prove myself, to erase the shadows of the past. And on top of that, I had a daughter now—a beautiful, sweet little girl who meant everything to me. She had Ryan’s piercing eyes, his lips, but my face. Every time I looked at her, it was like seeing pieces of him
Aria's POV. It had been two years since everything changed... since the scandal that turned my world upside down. And then my parents had it fixed. Christie, Josh and I were done with highschool and now in our first year in college. And just like every other day, we were laughing about some stupid class project as we made our way down the sidewalk.Suddenly, my phone tucked in my pocket and I quickly fetched it from my pocket, I didn't recognize the number, but it was an unknown area code, and something about it made my stomach drop.“Hold on, guys,” I said to Christie and Josh before picking the call “Hello?” “Is this Aria Liam's?” a calm voice on the other end asked.“Yes,” I replied, getting confused now. “This is city hall hospital. We need you to come in immediately. Your presence is required.”My mind raced. The urgency in the voice sent a chill down my spine. “What happened? Is everything okay?”“I’m afraid I can’t give you any details over the phone,” she said. “But it’s
Aria's POV.I had never been so relieved to return to school. Two weeks off, two long weeks of hiding away in my room, avoiding the pitying stares from neighbors, and the whispers of strangers who thought they knew everything. But today, today I was going back. I wasn’t going alone either. My parents were walking beside me, I didn’t know exactly what they had planned, but I knew they were going to do something about the scandal. Something that would either make everything better.. or make it worse.I adjusted the strap of my bag, glancing at my parents as we walked through the front gate of the school. Mom was standing tall, shoulders squared, walking with a determined pace. Dad, on the other hand, had his hands jammed deep into his pockets. They looked like the same parents I had known my whole life, though today felt different. They were on a mission.The moment we stepped onto school grounds, I could feel the tension. The eyes. People were still talking about us.. about the scanda
Aria's POV.The moment I broke the hug, a strange sensation crawled through my body. It wasn’t pain, but something that felt like an overwhelming wave, an unsettling force pulling at my insides. My stomach twisted, and a sudden wave of nausea surged up through my chest, catching me off guard. My vision blurred, and I swayed, struggling to keep myself upright. I gripped the edge of the chair, my fingers digging into the hard surface in an attempt to ground myself. But her body wasn’t listening to me. It felt like it had betrayed me, as if it had no control of its own."Hey, Aria, what's wrong?" I heard distant voices but I couldn't make out who they belonged to.My head spun, the room seeming to tilt at an impossible angle. The world around me began to dissolve, the sounds muffled as if underwater. I gasped for air, trying to steady myself, but it was as though the air itself had become thick, too heavy for me to breathe. My chest tightened, and my pulse raced, the noise of my heartbea
Aria's POV.The days dragged on, each one stretching endlessly without Ryan. The grief was a living thing, wrapping around me, suffocating me. I missed him in ways that words could never capture. It wasn’t just his presence; it was the way he made me feel, the way he could make even the worst moments bearable. Now, everything was unbearable.I hadn’t left my room much, only stepping out when my body physically forced me to. I barely ate. I barely slept. When I did sleep, it was restless, haunted by dreams of Ryan... his voice, his touch, his warmth. Only to wake up to the cruel reality that he was gone.Christie and Josh had been my lifeline, visiting almost daily. They would knock, call my name softly, and even if I didn’t answer, they would sit outside my door for hours, talking about everything and nothing at all. I didn’t deserve them, but I needed them. Even if I could barely acknowledge it.It was a week of my suspension today, after spending hours lying in bed, staring blankly
Ryan's POV.It had been days. Days since Ryan had disappeared from my life, leaving nothing but an empty hole where my heart used to be. I could still feel the echoes of his presence, haunting the corners of the house, in the space where his laughter used to ring, in the quiet that used to be filled with his voice. But now, everything felt hollow. I hadn’t heard from him since that video, that live confession. And with every passing moment, the silence grew louder, consuming me more and more until I couldn’t tell where I ended and the emptiness began.I sat on the floor in the far corner of my room, my knees drawn up to my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as if I could protect myself from the overwhelming emptiness that consumed me. The walls felt like they were closing in. The quiet, the stillness, it suffocated me. My mind wouldn’t let me escape the thoughts of him. Of what he said. Of what he did. Of what he could have done to escape this nightmare.My heart kept trying to
Aria's POV.I didn’t think. I just ran.My feet slammed against the cold floor of the hallway as I hurtled down the stairs, my heart racing, pounding in chaotic rhythm. It was as though my entire body was trying to escape the terror and helplessness that consumed me, trying to outrun the suffocating fear that had taken over my mind. My thoughts were a blur, a haze of desperate urgency, but they all had one single, overpowering focus: Ryan.I had to find him. I had to stop him.I absolutely don't know where he is or where to find him but one thing was sure, I will get him back.The words from his confession echoed in my head, over and over again: “I’m leaving. I’ll disappear.”No. He couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave me. Not after everything. Not after the bond we shared, the love, the years of quiet, stolen moments that had built up between us. Ryan was my everything. He was my protector, my constant, the one person who had never looked at me with judgment, never turned his back on me,
Aria’s POV. my heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat echoing in my ears like a warning. Something felt wrong... deeply wrong. I couldn't quite place it, but it clawed at my insides. The silence in the house was unnerving, oppressive, like the air itself had thickened. The usual heated house filled with laughter and happiness was absent since the day Ryan and I got outed, but today's emptiness felt different. It was as if the whole house had been drained of sound, leaving behind only an unsettling stillness.My eyes darted nervously over the hallway as I reached Ryan’s door. My hand trembled slightly as I pushed it open, the door creaked softly and I stepped inside, expecting to find him lounging on the bed, headphones in, oblivious to the world as he has been doing since the whole scandal. But when I looked around, my stomach sank.His room was completely… empty.The bed was made finely as though no one has laid on it for a while, the edges of the blanket smooth. The chair at h
Aria's POV.I laid lifelessly on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I could tell my eyes has gotten swollen and red from crying, but no matter how much I tried, the tears wouldn’t stop threatening to spill over again. I curled up tightly under my blanket, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume mr. It's the second day of my suspension and it felt like it had already lasted a lifetime, and the thought of enduring this for two weeks was unbearable.The silence in the house was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. I have been replaying every moment of the ordeal in my mind, trying to understand how things had spiraled so far out of control. I wanted so desperately for things to go back to how they were, to have my parents' love and trust again, and for the world to stop feeling like it was closing in on me. Each time I thought I had run out of tears, a fresh wave of sorrow would crash over me, leaving me sobbing into my pill