I don’t want her to hate me. Hell, I couldn’t live with myself if she did.
I may need to let her go so she can be happy, but I’m not going to lie and let her think I cheated on her. Not when every part of me has belonged to Aria from the first time I saw her.
I start toward the stairs then stop. Her office.
I turn back and slowly push the door open.
She’s curled up on the couch, asleep. Her face is turned toward the cushions, one hand tucked beneath her cheek. Seeing her there instead of in our bed hits me hard.
I can’t sleep apart from her tonight.
I back out of the office and head upstairs, taking the fastest shower of my life. I wash off the hospital, pull on a pair of shorts, and make my way back downstairs.
When I step into her office again, I look at the small couch and wonder how she managed to sleep on it at all. There’s no way my shoulders will fit beside her, but I’m not leaving her down here alone.
Before I can change my mind, I lean down and slide one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back and lift her against my chest as gently as I can.
She makes a soft sound but doesn’t wake, and I hold her tighter as I carry her upstairs.
It isn’t until I step into our bedroom that she shifts in my arms, then her eyes open.
“Hey, honey,” I whisper.
She tenses, and the way her body goes stiff against mine hurts more than anything.
“You going to put me down?” she asks, her voice thick with sleep.
I want to kiss her. God, I want to kiss her more than anything, but I don’t deserve comfort when I’m the one hurting her. “If I put you down, are you going to listen to me?”
She studies my face for a long second before nodding.
I start to lower her to the bed, then pause. “Promise me, Aria. Promise me you’re going to listen.”
She bites her lower lip before nodding again. “I promise.”
Only then do I lay her down on the bed. I sit beside her, my hip pressed against hers, then brace one hand on either side of her body and lean over her.
“There is nothing going on with me and Nicole Jenner.”
Aria closes her eyes like the words hurt her even more. Fuck, how did we get to this point?
I lift a hand and brush a piece of hair away from her cheek. “Aria, look at me.”
She opens her eyes, and the pain in them nearly guts me. “You know she’s sleeping with Dr. Paxton, right?”
My forehead creases. “No. He’s married.”
My voice trails off when she gives me a look.
“I know he is,” she says quietly. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true. She’s bragged about bagging a doctor.”
I shake my head, anger rising fast. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugs, but there’s nothing casual about it. “I never thought I had to worry about that with you. And then today…”
“You don’t.” I cut her off because I can’t stand the thought that this even crossed her mind. “You don’t have to worry about that with me. I would never cheat on you, Aria. Never. I don’t even look at other women.”
She opens her mouth, but I keep going. “I wish I’d known about Jenner and Paxton. If I had, I never would’ve had lunch with her today.” I look into Aria’s eyes, needing her to believe me. “You have to know I would never do something like that. I would never risk what we have. I love you. Fuck, Aria, I love you so much it hurts.”
