XANDER’S POV
Aria isn’t in school the next day.
I check everywhere, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I look for her in the cafeteria, in the library, in all the places I know she likes to go. But she’s nowhere to be found.
I’ve been calling her phone all morning, but every call goes straight to voicemail. I’ve sent her a dozen texts, but she hasn’t replied to any of them.
I need to talk to her. I need to make her understand that what I feel for her is real, even if it didn’t start that way.
During lunch, I decide to find Camile. She’s Aria’s best friend. If anyone can help me reach her, it’s Camile.
I find her in her AP History class, sitting in the front row taking notes.
I knock on the doorframe, and when the teacher looks up, I say, “Excuse me, can I speak to Camile for a moment? It’s urgent.”
The teacher looks annoyed, but nods. “Make it quick.”
Camile looks confused as she follows me into the hallway.
“What do you want?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“With Aria. She won’t talk to me.”
“Can you blame her?”
“You know what happened?”
“I know enough. I know about the bet.”
“Then you know I need to explain.”
“Do you? Because from what I heard, you already explained. You admitted to making a bet about sleeping with my best friend.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. I need her to understand that my feelings for her are real.”
“Are they?”
“Yes. Completely.”
Camile studies my face, like she’s trying to decide whether to believe me.
“Even if they are,” she says finally, “that doesn’t change the fact that you made that bet in the first place.”
“I know. And I regret it every day.”
“You should.”
“I do. But I can’t change what I did. All I can do is try to make it right.”
“How?”
“By telling her the truth. By making her understand that somewhere along the way, this stopped being about a bet.”
“Then why did you make that bet?”
“Because I was an idiot. Because I was trying to impress my friends. Because I didn’t know her yet.”
“And now you do?”
“Now I know she’s the best person I’ve ever met. She’s smart and funny and brave and beautiful, and I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Camile is quiet for a moment, considering.
“She won’t see me either,” she admits finally.
“What?”
“She’s not talking to anyone. She didn’t come to school today, and when I tried to call her, her mom said she doesn’t want to see anyone.”
“Did her mom say why?”
“Just that she’s upset and needs time to think.”
“I need to talk to her, Camile. I need to make this right.”
“I don’t know if you can.”
“I have to try.”
She looks at me for a long moment, then sighs.
“I’ll try to visit her tonight. Maybe I can get her to listen.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for her.”
“I know.”
“And if you hurt her again, I will personally make your life hell.”
“I won’t hurt her again.”
“You better not.”
She turns to go back to class, then stops.
“For what it’s worth,” she says, “I can see that you care about her. But caring isn’t enough. You need to prove it.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. But you better figure it out.”
She goes back into her classroom, leaving me standing alone in the hallway.
After school, I drive home feeling more hopeless than I’ve ever felt in my life. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t know how to make Aria understand that what we have is real.
I’m walking up to my apartment when I see a man coming down the stairs. He’s tall, with graying hair and a serious expression. But when he looks at me, I recognize the eyes immediately.
Aria’s eyes.
“Are you Xander?” he asks.
I nod, my heart starting to race.
“I’m Aria’s father. We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to stay away from my daughter.”
“Sir, I—”
“She needs to focus on her studies, not on whatever this is between you two.”
“Mr. Carson, I understand you’re concerned, but—”
“I’m not concerned. I’m telling you. Stay away from her. Look what’s happened since she started seeing you. Her grades are slipping, she’s fighting with her mother, and now she won’t even go to school.”
“That’s not because of me.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No, sir. It’s because she’s been hurt by people she trusted.”
“People like you?”
“I hurt her, yes. But I’m trying to make it right.”
“By staying away from her. Miles is the right person for her. He is a good boy from a good family.”
“Miles cheated on her.”
His expression falters slightly. “What?”
“You didn’t know? That’s why she broke up with him.”
“That’s… that can’t be true.”
“Ask her. Ask Aria why she really ended things with Miles.”
“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean you’re right for her.”
“Why do you prefer him to me?”
He turns to leave, clearly done with this conversation.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Carson,” I call after him, “but I can’t leave Aria alone.”
He stops and turns back to me.
“What?!”
I take a deep breath, knowing that what I’m about to say might make things worse, but not caring anymore.
“Because I’m madly in love with her.”
30
