Aria's POV
When morning finally came, I felt exhausted but strangely calm. Nine o'clock. In just a few hours, I could finally say goodbye to the past.
Astrid and I had breakfast together before her family trip. We sat at the dining table, and I pushed the toast around on my plate before finally telling her what happened yesterday—how I slapped Damon.
Astrid's eyes went wide. Then she grinned and gave me a thumbs up. "You should've slapped him a long time ago! That guy had it coming. I'm proud of you, Aria."
After breakfast, I watched her get into the car and waved goodbye.
It was just past eight. I'd told Damon we would meet at nine. Going now felt a little too early.
Just as I was standing there debating, my phone rang. It was Joshua.
"Hey, why are you calling me so early?" I asked
