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Hey, r u ok?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something serious had happened. Unable to sit, I paced the lobby and waited for him to text me back. After about a minute, I received an incoming message:
I’m fine, love. Call me 2morrow. I’m free all day.
I felt so bad. He didn’t know I was leaving.
Should I tell him?I wondered.
Have a good night. xx
Well, I guess that settled it.
I figured it would be best to call him once I was in New York. I’d have to explain how things weren’t working out for me whileliving with Noah. I wouldn’t go into detail about the reasons, but our “irreconcilable differences” were a perfect excuse to want to move out of state.
Scrolling down to Noah’s name on my contact list, I considered calling him.
Forget it.
My nerves were getting the best of me as I made my way to the elevators and stepped inside. This was not how I wanted to be intimate with a man. I wanted to share my temple with Noah. But he didn’t want me. He was almost a thousand miles away. Even if I wanted to seduce him, I couldn’t. Vanessa had won. Everyone had their happy ending, except for me. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself.
??
Stepping onto the floor of our suite, I walked down a dimly lit hallway. Fancy light fixtures hung from the ceiling; and unlike most hotels that covered their floors with carpeting, this establishment had an intricate style of marble tiles, which only made the interior design more elegant. It was a five-star luxury hotel, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. Leisurely, I passed several suites that had gold plated numbers on the doors until I stood across room 518. Calming my nerves, I took a deep breath and inserted my keycard in the security slot.
No turning back now…
All the lights were off when I stepped into the suite, except for a lamp on a nightstand.
“Ryan?”
He didn’t answer.
“Hello?”
Something caught my eye as I entered the room: a piece of paper was folded on the bed. Edging closer, I noticed a silverdollar resting on it, with a single white rose tucked between the note. No wonder Ryan had told me to “take my time;” he’d been planning a surprise. Smiling, I held the rose and avoided pricking my fingers. I could have sat there smelling it for the next five minutes, but I didn’t want to keep Ryan waiting.
How did he know I love white roses?
Jess must have told him.
I laid the rose down on the bed and read the mysterious love letter. The handwriting looked unrecognizable to me. I was familiar with Ryan’s handwriting, and it didn’t look like it belonged to him. Maybe he had got someone else to write it to throw me off.
Aria,
You deserve so much more than this little hotel room. Take this keycard and meet me at room #1206. It’s the penthouse suite on the top floor. But before you get here, I want you to do me a favor. Please visit the fountain in the hotel garden and make a wish. Toss that silver dollar in the water and come find me. I’m waiting for you. I hope your wish comes true.
I loved his romantic side. It felt nice to be courted. Placing the coin and letter in my purse, I grabbed the rose before I left the suite to fulfill Ryan’s romantic request. He had put so much effort into making this night special. The least I could do was show my appreciation.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ARIA
Strolling through the labyrinth of the hotel garden, I thought about my amazing evening. Even though prom night was almost over, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Overall, I was glad I went. At least I could leave my friends on good terms with fun memories. I must have meant a lot to Ryan for him to have gone to such great lengths to impress me with sentimental gestures.
You’re crazy to abandon the prospect of being with a guy like him,I told myself. But my heart wanted Noah. I couldn’t help it.
Retracing my steps, I made my way to the four-tier fountain and sat on the edge. I listened to the splashing patter of water spraying out into the marble basin as the lights changed colors. A pool of loose change was resting at the bottom. These shiny coins represented wishes that belonged to strangers who had once stood or sat at this same spot.
