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“Okay,” I sighed in agreement.
I was determined to be patient and wait for her. I didn’t know when things would finally work out, but I had faith that they would. Arya was worth the wait.
When I looked at her, I saw someone I wanted to share the rest of my life with. A few more weeks waiting for her was definitely worth a lifetime together.
Chapter 16
Arya
MyheartachedasTristan brought me home.
“Thanks for tonight, I had a wonderful time,” I said to him, trying to smile but feeling overwhelming sadness.
Why couldn’t things be less complicated?
He reached for my hand, and gently kissed it.
“I had fun too, Arya.”
Tristan’s dark eyes seemed even darker as they were dulled by sadness and regret.
“Can I kiss you one last time?” he asked, hesitantly.
I wanted him to kiss me more than anything. And I wasn’t ready for it to be a last kiss. I simply nodded and Tristan ducked his head down and kissed me slowly, almost tentatively. My body was screaming for more while my heart was shattering into a million pieces.
How could Tristan not be mine forever?
“Goodnight, beautiful,” he said.
I got out of the car and turned to head toward the house, but stopped short when I saw Mason walk through the front door.
“Hey, Mason, back again?” I said, trying to act normal.
“Where did you go with Tristan?” he asked, clearly suspicious.
“Nowhere, really. I bumped into him when I was at the movies with Katie, and he offered to drive me home since I was in the opposite direction,” I lied.
“You’re lying. I’ve thought for a while that the new mystery guy is Tristan. It's him, isn’t it?” he said confidently.
I brushed past him and walked into the house, but he followed me all the way to the kitchen. I heard Mom upstairs, so I kept my voice low.
“We’re just hanging out. It doesn’t matter,” I said, irritated.
“I never said it was anything more, Arya. But now that you've brought it up…” He looked sternly at me, and I turned to get a glass of water. “I saw you kiss him just now. Was that just you being friendly?”
“Why were you spying on me?” I asked, deflecting, not sure what to say.
“You’re a really smart person, Arya. But sometimes you make the dumbest decisions. Like this one, Tristan is off limits. You know that, right?”
“Why, Mason? Because he’s your best friend? Does it go against your precious bro code?”
“Bro code? I’m thirty-eight. I don’t give a fuck about bro code.” He was frustrated now. “But are you forgetting who Tristan’s parents are? Who they employ? Do you really think Rebecca Adler would let her precious son end up with the help? Because that’s what we are to them. You and me both, we are the help. We’re both replaceable.”
He paced the room. This conversation was as bad as I had always assumed it would be.
“I really like my job, Arya. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. But they'll fire me if you try to get between Tristan and Regina. Please don’t fuck this up for me just for a summer fling.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Tristan and I are nothing. Like I said, we’re just friends–and barely that.”
