ARIA’S POV
When I wake up, the first thing I do is reach across my bed for Xander. But my hand finds only empty sheets and a slight indent in the pillow where his head was.
He’s gone.
I sit up and look around my room. There’s no sign he was ever here, except for the lingering scent of his cologne and the fact that my window is still cracked open.
A smile spreads across my face as I remember last night. The way he climbed through my window like some kind of romantic hero. The way we talked for hours about everything and nothing. The way I fell asleep in his arms, feeling safer than I’d ever felt in my life.
I check my phone and find a text from him: “Had to leave before your parents woke up. Last night was perfect. See you at school. ❤️”
My heart does that fluttering thing again.
I take a long shower, still smiling as I remember the feel of his arms around me. When I get dressed, I actually put effort into my appearance for the first time in days. I want to look good for him.
I’m brushing my teeth when I hear a car horn honking outside.
I look out my bathroom window and see Miles’ car in the driveway.
“Seriously?” I mutter through a mouthful of toothpaste.
I spit and rinse quickly, then head downstairs. My mom is already at the front door, talking to Miles through the screen.
“Oh, there you are, honey,” she says when she sees me. “Miles is here to give you a ride to school.”
“I don’t need a ride,” I tell her.
“Don’t be silly,” Miles says through the screen. “It’s on my way.”
“I said I don’t need a ride.”
“Ari, don’t be rude,” my mom chides. “Miles is being nice.”
“I can walk.”
“It’s going to rain,” Miles says, even though the sky is perfectly clear.
“I have an umbrella.”
“Ari, just get in the car,” my mom says, her voice getting that edge it gets when she’s losing patience.
“Mom, please don’t interfere in this.”
“I’m not interfering. I’m being practical. Miles is offering you a ride, and you need to get to school.”
“I can get to school just fine on my own.”
“Ari, come on,” Miles says. “Just let me drive you. We don’t even have to talk.”
I look between him and my mom, and I can see they’re not going to let this go.
Grabbing my backpack, I storm to his car. I get in the passenger seat, slamming the door harder than necessary.
“Thank you,” he says as he backs out of the driveway.
“Don’t thank me. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Not when my mom and my ex-boyfriend gang up on me, apparently.”
We drive in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. I stare out the window, wishing I was anywhere else.
“I meant what I said yesterday,” Miles finally says.
“Which part?”
“The part about being sorry. About wanting to make things right.”
“Miles, we’ve been over this.”
“I know, but I keep thinking about everything that happened, and I realize how badly I messed up.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I want to fix it.”
“You can’t fix it.”
“Maybe not all of it. But I can try to be a better person.”
I glance at him. He looks genuinely remorseful, but I’ve seen this act before so I decide to just ignore him till we get to school. We pull into the school parking lot, and I immediately start looking for Xander’s car.
“Ari,” Miles says, putting the car in park. “Can you please just give me five minutes? That’s all I’m asking for.”
“I’ve already given you more than that.”
“I mean really talk to me. Not like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Miles. I just don’t want to be with you.”
“But we could be friends, couldn’t we?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Eventually.”
“What would it take?”
I spot Xander’s car pulling into the parking lot behind us, and my heart leaps.
“I have to go,” I say, reaching for the door handle.
“Wait,” Miles says, grabbing my arm. “Please. Just give me five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Miles, let go of me.”
“Five minutes, Ari. Please.”
I can see Xander getting out of his car in my peripheral vision. I want to run to him, to tell him about last night, to see that smile he gets when he looks at me.
“I said let go,” I tell Miles, pulling at the door handle.
“I love you,” he says suddenly.
I freeze. “What?”
“I said I love you. I know I didn’t say it enough when we were together, but I’m saying it now.”
“Miles…”
“I love you, and I know I can be better for you if you just give me another chance.”
I can see Xander walking across the parking lot now, heading toward the school. He hasn’t seen us yet.
“I don’t love you,” I tell Miles. “Not anymore.”
“You could learn to love me again.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
Xander is getting closer. I need to get out of this car and go to him.
“Ari, please,” Miles says, his voice desperate now.
Before I can react, he leans over and kisses me.
I’m so shocked that for a second, I don’t move. Then I start pushing against his chest, trying to get him off me.
But it’s too late.
When I finally push Miles away and look up, I see Xander standing about twenty feet away, staring at us with an expression of hurt and anger I’ve never seen before.
Our eyes meet for just a second, and I can see the betrayal in his face.
Then he turns and walks away.
30
