Chapter 0034
“That’s not enough,” I told him.
“Aria…”
“I need more,” I said. “Unless you can promise to love me, I see no other way forward for us.” He’d never be able to make that promise, and we both knew it. Lucian had already told me he didn’t know how he felt about me.
After overhearing his phone call with Sheila, I knew I wasn’t the one who had his love. Sheila did. All I was doing was standing in the way of both of their happiness. With me gone, they’d be free to be together. Lucian wouldn’t have to feel guilty for stringing me along anymore.
“I…” Lucian started, but couldn’t finish.
“I’ll be going now,” I said, and started to walk past him, having every intention of going inside, finding Jasper, and leaving this party and Lucian behind.
At the last moment, Lucian grabbed my arm, stopping me. I turned my head and looked at him. Too numb for hope, curiosity filled me instead. With eyes widened slightly, he seemed surprised by his own action.
“I can make it up to you,” he said. “I don’t know how, but I’m willing to try…”
10
“That’s not enough,” I said. I pulled my arm forward, but his grip was firm. “Lucian.”
“If
give me a chance…”
“Our Luna said no, cousin,” Jasper said, suddenly standing at the edge of the garden. If he’d been truthful in his promise to wait for me, he must have gotten bored. I was glad for it, as it led to him being here now. “You’d better let the lady go.”
Lucian glanced down to where his hand was on my arm, then quickly released me. “My apologies.”
“It’s fine,” I lied.
“Aria, your friend Cathy called to leave a message,” Jasper said. “She said Piper needed you? I assume you know what that means.”
Oh, no. If Piper needed me, then something had gone wrong with her disguise at the hospital. Had a difficult patient come in?
“I do,” I said. “I need to leave at once.”
“I’ll drive you,” Jasper offered.
Walking away from Lucian, I approached Jasper. “That would be great, thank you.
Lucian’s POV
As I watched my wife walk away with my playboy cousin, the sense of dread that had been growing inside of me all night manifested further, stretching out to nearly every part of me.
I couldn’t understand Aria’s attraction to Jasper. She had always seemed like a woman with more sense than to fall for someone like Jasper. Yes, he was popular, flirtatious, and charming in his own ways, but Aria was sensible, with a calm and steady attitude.
She should have seen straight through Jasper’s antics, to the playboy beneath. She should have realized that he only wanted her for the sake of drama and to annoy me. No that Aria wasn’t desirable, but Jasper never kept to any codes of honor.
Chapter 0034
+25 BONUS
He would make Aria feel loved, and then drop her before things got serious. Just like he always had with the women in his life previously.
With a wave of guilt, I realized I was the one who had truly pushed her to this. Since I was unable to show her love, she searched for it somewhere else, and found it with Jasper.
If things continued this way, Aria and I would indeed divorce. If she stopped seeing me as her mate, I could do little to convince her otherwise.
I had to find a way to turn things around and quickly. Or I would lose her for good.
