29. Aria

29

ARIA

I 'm lounging on the couch, flipping through channels, when the doorbell rings. My brow furrows as my mom and stepdad have gone to some convention today, and Jared is out getting some groceries. Smoothing my hair, I pad over to the door and peek through the peephole. Lisa and Kevin are standing on the porch.

I swing the door open, plastering a casual smile on my face. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Lisa arches an eyebrow at me. "We were supposed to hang out today, remember? You've been sick all week, and now you're better; we agreed to watch a movie at your place."

Shit. I'd completely forgotten about our plans with everything going on with Jared. "Right, of course. Come on in."

As they step inside, Lisa eyes me suspiciously. "You look a little out of it. Are you sure you're over the flu?"

I wave a hand. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just still feeling a bit tired still after having the flu."

"Oh, that's no fun." Kevin settles onto the couch, grabbing the remote. "Let's see if we can change that. A movie to take your mind off things?"

Before I can respond, Lisa speaks. "Something's off. Aria, we're your friends. Talk to us. What's going on?"

A wave of guilt crashes over me as I realize how much I've neglected my friendships since Jared came back into my life just over a week ago. But how could I possibly explain the truth about Jared and our twisted relationship? My mind scrambles for a plausible excuse.

"It's nothing." I wave a dismissive hand, willing the tension to ease. "Just some family stuff, that's all."

Lisa's gaze gives away that she doesn't fully believe me. "Are you sure that's it? Because you've been unreachable for days. I've been worried about you."

Kevin nods. "Yeah, Aria. You know you can talk to us about anything, right?"

Their concern touches me, but it also makes me feel so guilty. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

Kevin clears his throat. "So, about that movie?"

"Sure." I'm grateful for the change of subject. "How about a classic horror flick? It's still close enough to Halloween."

Lisa and Kevin agree, chattering excitedly about what to pick, but I can't get out of my head. I've been so caught up in the whirlwind of Jared and our shared madness that I've neglected everything else.

But I can't tell them the truth about Jared or the insanity surrounding how he went about claiming me. My stepbrother kidnapped me from the haunted house, for fuck's sake.

I'll have to keep up the charade and pretend everything is normal. But deep down, I know that the darkness lurking within me is anything but.

Halfway through the movie, my heart nearly stops as I hear the front door open. Jared is home, and I know he won't be happy to see Lisa and Kevin here.

Sure enough, his expression darkens when he spots them on the couch. His jaw clenches, and his eyes flash with irritation. Without a word, he strides over and plops down on the couch beside me.

"Hey guys," I say. "You remember my stepbrother, Jared, right?"

Lisa smiles at him. "Oh yeah, hey, Jared."

He grunts in response, not even attempting to hide his annoyance. Without asking, he plops down on the couch beside me, so close our thighs are touching. I resist the urge to hurry away, not wanting to draw any more attention.

Kevin looks between us, a frown marring his features. "Uh, we were just watching a movie. You're welcome to join."

"Thanks." Jared's arm tightens around me. "I am."

I shift uncomfortably, a hot wave creeping up my neck. I know Lisa can sense the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

Lisa's eyes narrow, but she doesn't comment.

As the movie drones on, I'm hyperaware of Jared's body close to mine, his thumb stroking along my arm. Knowing Lisa and Kevin would surely notice, It takes every ounce of willpower not to pull away.

Part of me wants to demand he back off before we're caught. But another part of me is perversely enjoying the thrill of having him so close, knowing our friends are oblivious to our illicit relationship.

I sit rigid on the couch, my heart pounding as Jared's hand brazenly grazes the side of my breast. I shoot him a warning look, but he smirks, daring me to stop him.

This will be a long, torturous hour and a half pretending everything is normal between us. But that's exactly what Jared wants—to push my boundaries right under their noses.

As the credits finally roll, Kevin stretches and turns to me with a warm smile. "Hey, Aria, you wanna grab a drink? Could be fun to catch up properly."

Before I can respond, Jared cuts in, his voice laced with quiet menace. "She's not going anywhere with you."

Kevin blinks in surprise. "Uh, I was just asking Aria?—"

"And I'm telling you, she's not going." Jared's arm slips around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. "She's staying right here."

Lisa and Kevin exchange a bewildered glance. I open my mouth to protest, to insist I can make my own decisions, but Jared shoots me a dark look that silences me.

Kevin frowns. "Dude, I think Aria can speak for herself."

"Trust me, she doesn't want to go anywhere with you," Jared sneers. "She's got better things to do than waste her time."

My cheeks flame with humiliation as Lisa's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Aria? Is everything okay?"

I swallow hard, my throat feeling impossibly dry as all eyes turn to me expectantly. How can I possibly explain the twisted dynamic between Jared and me? The thought of voicing it out loud makes me want to fade and disappear.

So, instead, I force a tight smile and nod stiffly. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just...I can't go for drinks tonight."

Lisa's frown deepens. "Okay, if you're sure..."

"I'm sure," I say, shooting Kevin an apologetic glance. "Maybe another time?"

He looks put out, but he nods. "Yeah, of course. Whenever you're free."

As Lisa and Kevin gather their things and head for the door, Jared's grip on me remains vice-like. The moment the door clicks shut behind them, he whirls on me, his eyes blazing with a terrifying intensity.

"What the fuck was that?" he snarls, grabbing my chin. "You were going to go for a drink with him?"

I shake my head, fear coiling in my gut. "N-no, I swear, I wasn't?—"

"Don't lie to me." His fingers dig painfully into my jaw. "I saw the way you looked at him. You wanted to go, didn't you?"

Tears prick my eyes as I tremble before him. "Jared, he's my friend, and yes, I would have gone for a drink, but it?—"

He silences me with a bruising kiss, all teeth, and desperation. When he finally pulls back, his eyes are wild, unhinged.

"You're mine, Aria," he growls against my lips. "Never forget that. You don't get to go anywhere with a guy who wants to fuck you, got it?"

I shake my head. "Kevin doesn't want to?—"

"Don't play dumb, Aria," he growls, his face inches from mine. "You think Kevin is just your friend? That he doesn't want to get in your pants?"

I open my mouth to protest, but Jared cuts me off with a derisive snort.

"Wake up, baby. That guy has been trying to fuck you for years. All those lingering looks, always finding excuses to touch you or get you alone." He leans in until our noses are almost brushing. "He wants you, and you're too naive to see it."

My heart stutters in my chest as fragments of memories flash through my mind—Kevin's arm casually draped around my shoulders, the way his gaze sometimes drifts down my body when he thought I wasn't looking. Things I'd brushed off as innocent gestures between friends.

"That's... that's not true," I stammer, but the words sound feeble. "Kevin's my friend. He doesn't see me that way."

Jared laughs. "God, you're so fucking innocent sometimes. It's adorable how clueless you are." His thumb traces the curve of my lower lip, and I shiver. "Guys like him only want one thing from a girl like you. And I'll be damned if I let him get his hands on what's mine."

There's a dark glint in his eyes that makes my stomach twist. I know I should protest, should insist that he's wrong about Kevin and our friendship. But something in the way Jared is looking at me renders me mute.

Because as much as I hate to admit it, a part of me craves this possessive side of him. It awakens something primal within me that both terrifies and excites me.

"I don't ever want to see you alone with him again," Jared murmurs, his mouth a hairsbreadth from mine. "No more ‘grabbing drinks' or any other bullshit. You're mine, Aria. And it's time everyone knew it."

His lips crash against mine in a searing, punishing kiss that leaves me breathless and dizzy. I reject his twisted claims and unhealthy jealousy.

But instead, I find myself melting into his arms and surrendering to the darkness that binds us together.