Aria
Aria stirred her iced tea lazily, her eyes flicking between the bustling coffee shop and James's familiar, calm expression across the table. Despite her swirling thoughts about Ethan, Rowan's words, and that mystery woman, she couldn't help but appreciate the easy dynamic she shared with James. He made things feel lighter, even when her mind was anything but.
"I still can't get over it," she began, breaking the silence. "Ethan. At a bar. I mean, really? It's like… picturing a nun at a rock concert. It just doesn't fit."
James smirked, his fingers drumming lightly on his coffee cup. "Maybe Ethan has a wild side you've never seen. Could be he's secretly the life of the party."
"Yeah, sure," Aria scoffed, leaning back in her seat. "Life of the party until someone suggests karaoke, and he turns it into a negotiation seminar."
James let out a low laugh, raising his cup in mock salute. "Hey, seminars can be fun. You just have to pick the right audience."
Aria rolled her eyes. "You'd say that. You're the kind of guy who'd bring a PowerPoint to a staff social."
"Only if the slides are about pie distribution," James shot back, his grin widening. "And for the record, I'd nail that seminar."
Aria laughed, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
"You love it," James said lightly, leaning back in his chair with an air of smug satisfaction.
Aria paused, her smile softening as she stirred her drink again. "It's just so weird," she murmured, her voice quieter now. "I mean, Ethan… drinking too much? That's never been his thing. He's always so… put together."
James shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "Everyone cracks at some point. Maybe it's just been building, and last night was his breaking point."
Aria frowned, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. "Rowan said something similar. He mentioned Ethan's dad is worried about strangers getting too close to Ethan. And now, this woman shows up, takes him home, and disappears. It's just… odd."
"Odd," James repeated, his tone teasing. "I think the word you're looking for is 'fascinating.' Mystery woman, unexpected drunken escapade—it's like a plot twist in a movie."
"Except it's real life, and Ethan's stuck in the middle of it," Aria shot back, her brows knitting together. "I just… worry about him, you know? He's under so much pressure, and he won't let anyone help him."
James tilted his head slightly, studying her. "You've got a soft spot for him," he said, his voice steady but not accusing.
Aria shrugged, glancing away. "I mean, I care about him. But not like that."
James raised an eyebrow. "Not like that?"
"No," Aria said firmly, though her tone carried a note of uncertainty. "Ethan's… complicated. He's got so much going on, and I can't picture myself fitting into his world. It's too heavy, too… restricted."
James nodded slowly, his gaze thoughtful. "Fair enough."
Aria's thoughts shifted, drifting toward Rowan and Cass. "I guess… I look at Rowan and Cass sometimes, and I can't help but feel a little jealous."
James's lips twitched into a faint smile. "They've got a good thing. You can't blame yourself for wanting something like that."
"They're just so… balanced," Aria murmured, her voice laced with admiration. "They're not weighed down by obligations or expectations. They're just… them. And I want that."
James chuckled softly, his eyes warm as they met hers. "You'll get there. You're picky, that's all."
"Picky?" Aria shot him a playful glare. "Says the man who's never had a girlfriend."
James grinned, unbothered. "Who says I've never had a girlfriend?"
"Oh, please," Aria retorted, leaning forward. "I've known you for years, and I've never seen you even think about dating someone. Why is that?"
James shrugged, his tone light but teasing. "Maybe I'm just waiting for the right person."
Aria narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? That's a cop-out answer."
"And yet," James said, leaning forward slightly, "it's true."
She tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Okay, so who's the 'right person,' then?"
James smirked, holding her gaze for a moment before answering. "If you really want to know, she's sitting across from me."
The words hung in the air, quieter but carrying a weight that caught Aria off guard. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
James leaned back, breaking the tension with a grin. "See? That's how you leave a friend speechless."
Aria let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as the moment shifted back to its usual banter. "You're impossible."
"And you're predictable," James quipped, raising his cup in mock toast. "Cheers to that."
Aria laughed softly at James's playful toast, shaking her head as the banter settled between them. But as the moment lingered, her thoughts drifted back to his words—not the teasing, not the jokes, but the quiet sincerity tucked into that fleeting confession.
"The right person? She's sitting across from me."
She considered the words carefully, reluctant to dwell on them for too long, uncertain of their significance or if they held any meaning at all. James had consistently demonstrated an ability to amuse her and ease the atmosphere with his effortless charm. It was possible that this was merely another of his jokes—a tactic to catch her off guard and render her momentarily speechless.
But what if it wasn't?
What if he was serious?
Her heart fluttered faintly at the thought, an involuntary reaction she didn't entirely understand. She hadn't really considered James as a possibility before, not seriously—not in that way. But now, the idea flickered in her mind, refusing to settle into certainty or disappear entirely.
He was steady. Dependable. Always kind without being overbearing, always thoughtful without being suffocating. The kind of person she could imagine standing beside her through anything.
But was it just wishful thinking?
She glanced up at him, studying his expression as he stirred his coffee. His grin had softened, the usual teasing glint in his eyes replaced by something quieter. It wasn't much, but it made her wonder.
"James," she said cautiously, testing the waters.
He looked up, his smile easy as always. "Yeah?"
She hesitated, unsure how to phrase what she was thinking—or if she should even say anything at all. Instead, she shook her head, her lips curving into a small smile. "Never mind."
James chuckled softly, leaning forward again. "You know, you're not great at hiding when something's on your mind."
"I wasn't hiding," Aria said quickly, though the warmth rising to her cheeks betrayed her.
"Uh-huh," James teased lightly. "Sure you weren't."
Aria rolled her eyes, though the smile remained. "You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?"
"And yet," James said, his grin widening, "you keep coming back for more."
She laughed again, shaking her head as her thoughts tangled themselves up further.
It was just James. The same James she'd known for years, the same James who knew her better than most people.
So why did her heart feel lighter just thinking about the possibility?
Aria decided to steer the conversation away from her thoughts, leaning forward with a grin as she launched into a story about Rowan and Cass's latest escapades, her tone lighthearted and her words spilling out with playful animation, pulling both her and James into easier, more familiar territory.