did.
“Chase, that’s not—I…”
He bit down on his questions, wondering what the hell she’d been about to say. Chase waited, quiet, and hoping she would give him that. He deserved that, at least.
There was no doubt about it; he was letting himself be played for a fool.
“I’m sorry.” Aria whispered, low. “If you change your mind about Douglas, all I ask is that you let me know what you decide to do.”
For what? So she could warn her husband?
“Thank you anyway, Chase. Goodbye.”
She hung up the fucking phone on him.
Chase closed his eyes and lowered his phone onto the counter.
He was better off without her in his life. Better off not being able to feel. It was all too much of a headache.
One that was now over. He repeated that to himself as his newest mantra.
She was gone, and no matter what it took, he would also find a way to turn off what she’d awoken in him.
Surely ridding himself of that wouldn’t cost him as much as his acquaintance with her already had. He should’ve just had Douglas arrested immediately, instead of trying to get to know the man’s wife. That’s what Chase got for being an idiot.
He wouldn’t be making the same mistake again. Ever.
Resolved, he picked his phone back up, and exited the bathroom. He had some calls to make.
A RIA STOOD BEFORE HER BED, hands on her hips, teeth being decimated as she clenched her jaw.
Before her lay a display of black fabric and purple lace.
Her friend’s voice still rung in her ears. Aria had called Hilary and bared it all. Everything she’d been keeping a secret. Every last bit of what’d been eating her inside.
But not about Chase . That’s because he no longer mattered. He was out of her life. Gone. For good.
And you’re relieved.
No she wasn’t. At all. Every single emotion she’d been holding in, refusing to acknowledge, had threatened to overwhelm her as soon as she’d ended that call.
And then, in a blind panic, she’d called Hilary. She needed someone. Aria couldn’t continue to hide the truth of her failed marriage from the world.
Especially when she had no plans of remaining in said marriage.
She couldn’t tell Hilary, or any one, about Chase. That part of her, the ashamed one, wouldn’t allow her to speak. She’d developed an attraction for him, while being married to another.
No matter how much of a bastard that husband was.
In a three hour long convo, Aria had confessed to Hilary what she’d found out about Douglas. Not the company theft. That’s another one that she needed more time to come to terms with before letting anyone know about it.
But she’d told her about the endless string of women that Douglas had cheated on her with. Douglas, of course, had tried to deny it ever since the night she’d overheard Chase.
Even Hilary had scoffed at that. A man didn’t go six months without touching his wife, unless he was getting his fill from at least one other woman. Or, unless he was gay. Hilary considered Douglas many things—Aria cringed at the memory of every vile name Hilary had called him—but gay wasn’t one of them.
Most embarrassing part? It hadn’t been admitting to her close friend that her marriage was over. It hadn’t even been the fact that Douglas found her so lacking he’d gone off elsewhere to find what he “needed”.
It’d been when Hilary had brought up one pathetic, irrefutable truth: from the age of eighteen, Aria had put her entire life on hold for that man. She had very little of her own, outside a few friends and hobbies. No life. No children. A failed marriage.
Hilary hadn’t pointed out those last three parts, but to Aria, the message had still been clear.
When Hilary suggested that they go out and catch up, Aria had been hesitant. What business did she have going out to have “fun” while her life was imploding?
Hilary, however, was ruthless. Always had been. She’d pointed out that Aria had put her life on hold for long enough and that
“Chase, that’s not—I…”
He bit down on his questions, wondering what the hell she’d been about to say. Chase waited, quiet, and hoping she would give him that. He deserved that, at least.
There was no doubt about it; he was letting himself be played for a fool.
“I’m sorry.” Aria whispered, low. “If you change your mind about Douglas, all I ask is that you let me know what you decide to do.”
For what? So she could warn her husband?
“Thank you anyway, Chase. Goodbye.”
She hung up the fucking phone on him.
Chase closed his eyes and lowered his phone onto the counter.
He was better off without her in his life. Better off not being able to feel. It was all too much of a headache.
One that was now over. He repeated that to himself as his newest mantra.
She was gone, and no matter what it took, he would also find a way to turn off what she’d awoken in him.
Surely ridding himself of that wouldn’t cost him as much as his acquaintance with her already had. He should’ve just had Douglas arrested immediately, instead of trying to get to know the man’s wife. That’s what Chase got for being an idiot.
He wouldn’t be making the same mistake again. Ever.
Resolved, he picked his phone back up, and exited the bathroom. He had some calls to make.
A RIA STOOD BEFORE HER BED, hands on her hips, teeth being decimated as she clenched her jaw.
Before her lay a display of black fabric and purple lace.
Her friend’s voice still rung in her ears. Aria had called Hilary and bared it all. Everything she’d been keeping a secret. Every last bit of what’d been eating her inside.
But not about Chase . That’s because he no longer mattered. He was out of her life. Gone. For good.
And you’re relieved.
No she wasn’t. At all. Every single emotion she’d been holding in, refusing to acknowledge, had threatened to overwhelm her as soon as she’d ended that call.
And then, in a blind panic, she’d called Hilary. She needed someone. Aria couldn’t continue to hide the truth of her failed marriage from the world.
Especially when she had no plans of remaining in said marriage.
She couldn’t tell Hilary, or any one, about Chase. That part of her, the ashamed one, wouldn’t allow her to speak. She’d developed an attraction for him, while being married to another.
No matter how much of a bastard that husband was.
In a three hour long convo, Aria had confessed to Hilary what she’d found out about Douglas. Not the company theft. That’s another one that she needed more time to come to terms with before letting anyone know about it.
But she’d told her about the endless string of women that Douglas had cheated on her with. Douglas, of course, had tried to deny it ever since the night she’d overheard Chase.
Even Hilary had scoffed at that. A man didn’t go six months without touching his wife, unless he was getting his fill from at least one other woman. Or, unless he was gay. Hilary considered Douglas many things—Aria cringed at the memory of every vile name Hilary had called him—but gay wasn’t one of them.
Most embarrassing part? It hadn’t been admitting to her close friend that her marriage was over. It hadn’t even been the fact that Douglas found her so lacking he’d gone off elsewhere to find what he “needed”.
It’d been when Hilary had brought up one pathetic, irrefutable truth: from the age of eighteen, Aria had put her entire life on hold for that man. She had very little of her own, outside a few friends and hobbies. No life. No children. A failed marriage.
Hilary hadn’t pointed out those last three parts, but to Aria, the message had still been clear.
When Hilary suggested that they go out and catch up, Aria had been hesitant. What business did she have going out to have “fun” while her life was imploding?
Hilary, however, was ruthless. Always had been. She’d pointed out that Aria had put her life on hold for long enough and that
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