Sweet Hatred Chapter 303: Memories

ARIA

The first thing I noticed was the weight.

Warm, solid, and wrapped around from behind.

Sylas.

His arm was locked across my waist like it belonged there, his breath slow and steady against the back of my neck. In front of , Ash was curled into a ball, hair a ss, mouth slightly open in that unbothered way only she could pull off after a night of drinking.

My head throbbed. My mouth felt dry enough to crack. And my body... my body was too still, too aware, because I was afraid to move and wake either of them.

The mories ca slow, scattered.

Rooftop. Whiskey. Sylas’ mouth on mine.

The three of us stumbling into the night, laughter that wasn’t really laughter.

The blur of an elevator. A hallway. This bed.

And now, morning.

I stared at the ceiling, letting that familiar question eat its way in: What the hell am I even doing with my life?

The answer was the sa as always.

Making a ss.

Careful not to wake them, I slid out from under Sylas’ arm, the sheet pulling away from my skin with a faint rustle. My legs wobbled as I stood, my head pounding in protest.

There was a half-full bottle of water on the nightstand. I grabbed it, unscrewed the cap, and downed it in one go. The cold hit my stomach and made shiver, but I didn’t stop until it was gone.

The curtains were drawn, but the light pushing through was enough to make squint as I stepped onto the balcony.

We were high up... top floor of a hotel, judging by the view of the city spread beneath us. The morning breeze cut cold against my skin, so sharp it almost woke all the way. Almost.

I turned back inside, rifled through Ash’s purse until I found a cigarette. My own lighter was still in my jeans from last night, the little tal thing warm from my touch as I flipped it open.

The fla caught, the first drag hitting my lungs in that bitter way that felt like both punishnt and comfort.

My thumb traced the engraving on the lighter... A.T.... and I let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

Kael.

That night in the VIP room ca rushing back. Him sitting there like so bored king, offering money after I’d slapped him. The threat that wasn’t really a threat. The way he seed almost entertained by my fury.

He was strange.

Strange for soone who liked being hated.

Strange for soone who seed to feed off my sharpest edges.

And yet sohow, I’d gotten lost in his world.

No... dragged into it.

And now I couldn’t find my way back out.

Because sowhere along the way, I’d fallen... completely, utterly, hopelessly... for the man who paid to hate him.

Seeing him kiss that girl last night had been a knife between my ribs. Not because I didn’t know what we were... but because it was a brutal reminder of exactly what we were. A contract. A transaction. Nothing more.

That physical hurt curled in my chest again, and I dragged harder on the cigarette, trying to drown it in smoke.

My phone rang.

I glanced at the screen.

Sarah.

I let it ring once more before answering, voice rough.

"Yeah?"

"Aria?" Sarah’s voice was bright, almost too bright.

"You okay? Haven’t heard from you since last night when you left with the twins."

Guilt hit fast. I’d left her... just drifted into the chaos with Ash and Sylas... and everything that happened after was still jagged in my head. Not because I didn’t want to tell her, but because saying it out loud would an reliving it.

"I’m fine," I said, forcing a small smile she couldn’t see. "I’ll be ho soon."

"I’ll make pancakes while I wait," she replied warmly.

That tugged a genuine laugh out of . "Pancakes? You’re spoiling ."

She giggled, and for a mont, it was just us again. Then her tone shifted... so slight you could almost miss it.

"You know I love you, right?"

I froze. My fingers tightened around the cigarette. "Uh... yeah. I know."

"Say it back."

The pause felt too long. "I love you too, Sarah."

A shiver ran along the back of my neck. Goosebumps. I didn’t know why.

"Good," she said softly, and the call ended.

"Who was that?"

Ash’s voice startled . She shuffled toward in a loose tee, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Sarah," I answered, watching her reach out to pluck the cigarette from my fingers.

"When’d you wake up?" I asked.

"Minutes ago." She took a drag, muttering Sarah’s na under her breath as she leaned on the railing.

"What about her?" I asked, my brow pulling tight.

"How long you two been friends?" she asked instead, exhaling smoke toward the skyline.

"Since college," I said slowly.

Ash’s mouth quirked. "I’m jealous of your friendship."

That caught off guard. "Why?"

Before she could answer, Sylas appeared in the doorway, hair a ss, shirt wrinkled.

Ash gave him a once-over. "You look like shit."

"Better than you," he shot back, barely glancing at her before his eyes found .

I scratched the back of my neck, looking anywhere but at him.

Ash rolled her eyes so hard I could hear it. "Wow. Tension. Gross. I’m gonna need a massive breakfast after this awkwardness. You both should co downstairs."

She disappeared inside, leaving alone with him.

Sylas closed the distance a little at a ti, his gaze dropping to the cigarette between my fingers. He watched it like it was part of .

Sylas’ gaze lingered on the cigarette, then lifted to like he was rembering sothing.

"Didn’t know you smoked," he said, voice low. His mouth quirked, but there was a tension under it. "Guess I shouldn’t be surprised... you look good doing it."

It wasn’t a casual complint. There was the sa pull in his voice that had been in his kiss last night... like a thread strung tight between us.

I turned, aiming for the door. "Breakfast ti, Roo."