Aria’s POV
"Soone like you."
The words echoed in my skull long after Kael’s car disappeared around the corner.
Soone like you.
I stood alone in the empty parking lot. The envelope felt heavy in my hands. Heavier than it should be. Like it was filled with stones instead of cash.
He’d paid , again.
Like I was a service he’d used.
Like I was nothing but a transaction.
My fingers trembled. My vision blurred. The tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over, hot and bitter against my cold cheeks.
I wanted to throw the money away. Rip it up. Burn it. Anything to erase the humiliation burning through my veins.
But I couldn’t.
Finn’s text flashed through my mind. Two hundred thousand dollars. Prison. Child support.
I couldn’t afford pride right now. Pride was a luxury for people who had options.
I had nothing.
So I stood there. Crying in an empty parking lot. Clutching blood money against my chest like it was the only thing keeping upright.
Because it was.
---
The walk ho took forever.
I didn’t rember most of it. Just the cold. The dark. The weight in my chest that made every breath feel like drowning.
My feet moved on autopilot. Left. Right. Left. Right. Don’t think. Don’t feel. Just move.
When I finally reached my building, I couldn’t even find my keys. My hands were shaking too badly. I dropped them twice. Had to lean against the wall just to stay standing.
"Aria?"
I jumped. Spun around.
Elara stood a few feet away. Her eyes went wide when she saw my face.
"Oh my god." She rushed toward . "What happened? Are you okay?"
I opened my mouth. Tried to speak.
A sob ca out instead.
Elara caught before my knees gave out. Wrapped her arms around . Held tight while I fell apart on the sidewalk outside my apartnt.
"Shh." Her voice was soft. Soothing. "I’ve got you. It’s okay. You’re okay."
But I wasn’t okay. I was the furthest thing from okay.
She helped up the stairs. Into my apartnt. Onto my bed. She found tissues. Brought water. Sat beside while I cried until I had nothing left.
"This isn’t your fault," she said firmly. "You hear ? None of this is your fault."
I shook my head. "I was so stupid. I actually believed—"
Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Stop it." Elara grabbed my shoulders. Forced to look at her. "Stop talking about yourself like that. "
"Then why do I feel so broken?"
Elara’s face softened. She pulled into another hug.
We sat like that for a long ti. Until my tears dried up. Until my breathing evened out. Until the raw edges of my pain dulled into sothing almost manageable.
Finally, Elara pulled back. She looked at with determined eyes.
"You know what you need?"
I shook my head.
"To get out. Have so fun. Drink until you forget everything."
The suggestion made want to crawl under my blankets and never erge.
"I can’t." My voice ca out flat. Dead. "I just want to sleep."
"Aria—"
"Please." I looked away. "Not tonight. I can’t."
Elara’s face fell. But she didn’t push. Didn’t argue.
"Okay," she said softly. "I get it. But promise sothing?"
I waited.
"Don’t shut everyone out." She squeezed my hand. "I know you want to. I know it feels easier. But isolation isn’t healing. It’s just... hiding."
I didn’t respond. Couldn’t.
Elara stood up. Grabbed her bag. Paused at the door.
"Call ," she said. "Anyti. Day or night. If you need to talk. If you need to cry. If you just need soone to sit with you in silence. I’m here, okay? I’m not going anywhere."
I nodded. Still couldn’t speak.
She hesitated. Like she wanted to say more. Then she sighed softly and walked out.
The door clicked shut behind her.
And I was alone.
---
Days blurred together.
I stopped counting them after a while. What was the point?
I called in sick to work. Twice. Then three tis. My manager’s voice grew more irritated with each call, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
Let them fire . Let everything fall apart. What difference did it make?
I stayed in bed. Stared at the ceiling. Slept when my body forced to. Forgot to eat until my stomach cramped so badly I couldn’t ignore it.
The envelope of money sat on my nightstand. Untouched. I couldn’t stand to look at it, but I couldn’t throw it away either.
Pathetic.
That’s what I was. Pathetic.
My phone buzzed occasionally. Elara checking in. I read her ssages. Never responded. Couldn’t find the words.
"Hope you’re okay."
"Thinking about you."
"No pressure to reply. Just wanted you to know I’m here."
Each text made my chest ache. She was so patient. So kind. And I was shutting her out exactly like she’d asked not to.
But I didn’t know how to do anything else.
On the fifth day, I woke up and sothing was different.
The sun was streaming through my window. Dust motes floated in the golden light. Birds were singing outside. The world was moving on without .
And suddenly, I was angry.
Not at Kael. Not at Finn. Not at anyone else.
At myself.
What was I doing? Lying here. Wasting away. Letting them win.
Kael had called "soone like you" with such contempt. Like I was nothing. Like I would always be nothing.
Was I going to prove him right?
Was I going to spend the rest of my life hiding under blankets because so man didn’t want ?
No.
Hell no.
I sat up. The movent made my head spin—I really hadn’t been eating enough—but I pushed through it.
I was done.
Done crying. Done hiding. Done being the pathetic Oga everyone expected to be.
Finn wanted money? Fine. I’d figure it out.
Kael wanted to disappear? Fine. I’d disappear from his life so completely he’d wonder if I ever existed.
But I wouldn’t disappear from my own life. Not anymore.
I threw off my blankets. Walked to the bathroom. Looked in the mirror.
The woman staring back was a disaster. Tangled hair. Hollow cheeks. Dark circles that no amount of concealer could hide.
But her eyes—my eyes—still had fire in them.
Good.
I showered for the first ti in days. Actually washed my hair. Scrubbed my skin until it turned pink. Let the hot water wash away the residue of my breakdown.
When I stepped out, I felt almost human again.
I ate sothing. Nothing fancy—just toast and tea—but my stomach accepted it gratefully.
Then I looked around my tiny apartnt.
At the ss I’d let accumulate. At the clothes scattered across the floor. At the life I’d been neglecting.
Ti to fix it.
---
That night, I finally texted Elara back.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long ti. I didn’t know what to say. "Sorry for ghosting you" seed inadequate. "I was having a ntal breakdown" was too honest.
In the end, I just typed: "Hey. I’m sorry. Are you free tonight?"
Her response ca within seconds.
"!!!! You’re alive!!! Yes I’m free!!! What do you need???"
Despite everything, I smiled. Just a little.
"I think I want to go out. If that offer still stands."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW"
"Yes?"
"OMG YES ABSOLUTELY WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO"
"Anywhere. I don’t care. I just need to... not be here."
"Say no more. I know the perfect place. I’ll pick you up at 9."
I glanced at the clock. That gave three hours.
Three hours to make myself look like sothing other than a corpse.
I started with my closet. Pulled out everything I owned. Which wasn’t much. Most of my nice clothes were still at Finn’s house—probably donated to charity by now.
But buried in the back, I found it.
That dress.
The black one I’d worn to the mating ceremony. Before Kael bought the navy silk. Before everything went to hell.
It was faded. Worn. The hem was crooked and the neckline sat wrong.
But as I held it up, an idea sparked.
I used to alter clothes all the ti. Back when I couldn’t afford anything new. I’d learned to take in seams. Adjust hemlines. Transform thrift store disasters into sothing almost presentable.
Could I do that now?
I grabbed my sewing kit. The one I hadn’t touched in months.
And I got to work.
---
Two and a half hours later, I stepped back and looked at my reflection.
The dress was transford.
I’d taken in the waist so it actually fit my body. Raised the hem to show off my legs. Adjusted the neckline into sothing more flattering. It wasn’t designer. It wasn’t expensive. But it hugged my curves in all the right places.
I looked... good?
No. Better than good.
I looked like soone who hadn’t been crying herself to sleep for a week.
My hair was down for once. Clean and brushed until it glead. I’d applied makeup—not much, just enough to hide the evidence of my breakdown. So lipstick. So mascara. A hint of blush.
The woman in the mirror didn’t look like Aria the Shadow Moon. Didn’t look like Aria the Oga trash.
She looked like soone who might actually be worth sothing.
A knock at the door made jump.
"Coming!" I grabbed my bag. Took one last look in the mirror. Took a deep breath.
Here we go.
I opened the door.
Elara stood on the other side. Her mouth was already open, probably ready to launch into so enthusiastic greeting.
The words died in her throat.
Her jaw dropped.
Her eyes went wide.
She just... stared.
"Aria?" Her voice ca out strangled. Disbelieving. "Holy shit. Is that actually you?"
Heat crept up my cheeks. "Is it too much? I can change—"
"Too much?" Elara grabbed my shoulders. Spun around. Examined from every angle like I was a museum exhibit. "Girl, are you insane? You look absolutely stunning!"
"I just altered an old dress—"
"You altered—" She cut herself off. Shook her head in amazent. "You did THIS yourself? In one night?"
I nodded. Suddenly feeling shy.
"Aria." Elara’s voice dropped. Serious now. "I’m going to need you to understand sothing very clearly."
I waited.
"Every single person at that bar is going to lose their damn minds when they see you." She grinned. Wide and delighted. "And I cannot WAIT to watch it happen."
Reviews
All reviews (0)