“Ask me tomorrow post-op.” Griffin laughs. “No, I’m tired of talking about that. To what do I owe the pleasure of a call?”
“You’ve got a lot going on, so you probably haven’t seen the state of the internet.”
“Sounds like I definitely haven’t.”
“Well, there were rumblings last week about why Aria and you haven’t been spotted hanging out now that you’retemporarilyout of commission.”
“Ah, I see.”
“People are saying it was all a publicity stunt and that all of it is ‘too convenient’ the way it worked out.”
A searing guilt pierces his middle. A better friend would’ve already done some social media together or something. Heck, if he’d just gone and picked out some throw pillows and snapped a few pictures, that would’ve more than sufficed. Instead, he’s let his own issues eclipse everything.
“Aria’s cool as a cucumber as per usual, but she definitely wants to do damage control,” Mike says.
Griffin’s chest grows tight, and when he pulls in a breath, it feels trapped inside him. His face flushes. How could he be so selfish? Maybe it’s further proof that he shouldn’t be in Aria’s life right now. If he can’t even stop to consider her feelings amid all his self-pity.
“I’ll do whatever. You know, considering the bum knee. Ballroom dancing might be out.”
Mike laughs. “Thanks. We’re thinking socials for right now. Kelsey from Aria’s team is going to get some mock-up stuff put together, and then I’ll shoot it over with directions.”
“Easy.”
“Yup! Do you have any personal pictures the two of you snapped together? I guess maybe not, but—”
“I do actually.”
At the pet adoption, he and Aria took selfies with the adoptable pets as part of the appearance. The event organizer suggested they do it so fans could get pictures of them being friends, but nothing about it was an act.
In fact, Griffin has looked at the pictures more often than he thought he would since he got hurt.
“Nice! Send them over? We could doctor some stuff up, but you know fans are smarter than that. They can sniff out a fake image in a heartbeat, and then I fear we’d be in worse shape than where we’re starting.”
“Sure thing.”
They end the call, and Griffin doesn’t linger, instead lugging himself on crutches back to his vehicle. The only silver lining to his injury is that it’s his left knee, so he can still drive.He pauses in the driver’s seat and does a quick internet search for himself with Aria Wilder. There’s an abundance of posts, hot takes, and talking-head videos to choose from, but all suggest the same thing: Aria Wilder and Griffin Hayes are fakes who played up their relationship as something it wasn’t to take advantage of the fans.
Griffin runs a hand through his hair.
He’s just like the rest of the people who claimed to be Aria’s friends if he’s landing her in hot water online like this.
He cranks the engine, puts the car in gear, and backs out of his spot. He weaves through the underground parking garage, and when he comes out into the light he’s certain: Aria is better off without him.
She deserves better than the broken, self-obsessed wannabe he’s become.
Knowing what he’s about to tell her pains him as he drives to the coffee shop where she waits for him. But in the long run, it will be for the best. Griffin has not a sliver of doubt about the fact that he needs to fix himself before he does any more damage to Aria.
Chapter 40
Aria
The moment Griffin hesitates to sit at “their” table at “their” coffee shop is the first hint that something is off. He stands before Aria, grips his hands, and rolls his lips as if he’s on the verge of an announcement.
“Something come up?” Aria slides the tea toward him, hoping he’ll see it as an invitation to sit. The bag of cookies sits waiting, untouched on the tabletop.
“I’m sorry, Aria, but I can’t do this right now.”
All of the breath escapes her in one fell swoop. “What?”
