Chapter 38

When Aria entered It was just Selena and Aren seated at the table. There was no sight of Cole. Aria faltered for half a step, then recovered, masking it with indifference. She sat anyway; she was hungry, and the irritation of not seeing Cole at the table made it worse.

While she waited unknowingly in hopes of Cole joining them, she noticed things she hadn’t before. She noticed the way Aren leaned subtly toward Selena; how he reached for the dishes before she did, then slid them closer to her without interrupting her speech. How he listened, really listened even when Selena rambled about things Aria suspected weren’t half as interesting as Aren pretended they were. She noticed how Aren looked at her in admiration.

“So this is what it feels like; love.” Maya churred inside her. It struck Aria unexpectedly. Maybe love wasn’t so bad a thing.

It looked…easy.

She frowned down at her plate, annoyed at herself. “I hate him. I hate him.” She murmured repeatedly to her