AllFreeNovel
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I did it.
I can’t believe I broke my heart to save us.
Chapter 26
Marco
Itakethestairstwo at a time until I arrive at Aria’s door. My heart feels like it’s shrinking with the two women I care about in this world at war with each other.
I’m to blame. I should have spoken to Aria and treated her better by acknowledging that she needed to know exactly how I felt about Gracie from the moment she came to New York. Instead, I got swept up in my own feelings and let it cloud my judgment.
Now I’m in this position where I’m disappointed in myself, and I need to find a way to fix this. I just hope I can figure out Aria’s problem before it’s too late…just the thought has my ribs growing tight from the lack of breath. I shake my head. No, I can’t lose her. I just need to make sure it’s on Aria’s speed, not mine.
I knock softly on the door frame before leaning my head against it, watching her sit at her desk, her blonde hair tied in a ponytail as she writes away on her computer, deep in thought. Well, until I knocked she was, and now her head has turned at the sound. And when I see her brown eyes look puffy, I momentarily forget to breathe.
Fuck, I messed up big time. She stops typing, but otherwise doesn’t move.
Scrunching up her cute nose, she asks, “Dad, what are you doing here?”
I push off the door frame and slowly enter her room, taking a seat on her bed. She spins in her office chair to face me, her hands laced together in her lap, her face still scrunched up.
“I need to talk to you.”
Her face softens, but there is a slight panic in her eyes that has me quickly saying, “It’s okay, everyone is fine. I’m fine.”
“Okay then, what’s it about?” She leans to one side of the chair, utterly relaxed now. The complete opposite of me, who’s sitting here with blood pressure that’s unhealthily elevated, so much so, it’s giving me a throbbing headache. But I stare at her delicate face for a moment, seeing my features, and take a deep breath.
We share the same eyes, and the same sloped nose, but the rest is all her mom. She definitely got the best of both of us, and I really didn’t think any other female would fill my heart other than her, but things have changed. Therefore, sitting here, I know Aria’s sweet face is dynamite to me, pulling on my heartstrings. But the other sweet and beautiful face I think about is currently hurting.
So I need to do this. Fix this and go get my woman.
“How you’re treating Gracie, sweetheart.” I give her a sad smile.
Her face falls, looking to the floor and then back at me before saying, “What do you mean?”
She kills me. I shrink inside, my heart hurting at the fact she just lied to my face.
“Don’t lie,” I say gently, with a slow, disbelieving headshake.
Now her eyes narrow, shooting me with a furious look as she asks with a sharp tone, “What has she been telling you?”
She’s defensive, and it’s so unlike her. I need to get to the bottom of this. I don’t like that I’ve made this side come out of her.
“Unfortunately, she won’t tell me the exact things you’ve been saying to her. I don’t know why she’s covering for you. But she’s hurt by whatever you’re doing, and it’s unacceptable. She’s not at fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me for not telling you right away.”
“I’m not doing anything,” she argues, but her voice croaks as she wilts a little in her chair.
I shake my head at her attitude. It’s like she isn’t hearing what I’m saying. As I speak, my voice breaks. “Please, Aria. I’m finally happy and you want to hurt me. I at least need to understand why? I at least need to know why you don’t like her, or what’s made you not be okay? I can’t fix what I don’t know. And I really want to fix our relationship. We’ve never fought, and I feel sick, and I hate it. Please, just let me in. Tell me what’s going on.” My hands clasp together in my lap and I wait, out of breath. I hope it’s enough to get her to talk to me.
Her wide eyes soften, and she bites her nails before dropping them back to her lap, where she rubs them along her black sweats. “I don’t want to lose you,” she whispers, sadness dripping from every word, and I feel it tear a piece of my heart with it.
This is it…she doesn’t want to lose me. Doesn’t she know how much I love her? Have I had my head that far up in the clouds? I hadn’t realized that she needed to be shown love too during this transitional time. She is my goddamn universe, and I will always love her, no matter what.
I shuffle to the edge of the bed to get closer to her and grab her hands in mine. She doesn’t resist, and I’m grateful. I rub my thumb over the top of hers in a soothing motion. “What makes you think that?” I ask quietly, looking at her face.
Her gaze is watching our hands. “You’ve never had a girlfriend, and I love our time together…”
I nod and wait for her to finish.
