Aria's POV
My eyes burned with unshed tears, hot and insistent, blurring my vision until Maya's face became a watercolour painting. I held onto her hand tighter, my grip almost painful, and looked deep into her eyes, searching for certainty, for understanding, for some sign that she knew what she was giving up.
"Maya, please…"
But then she exploded.
Laughter burst from her mouth: loud, uncontrollable, the kind that made her whole body shake. She doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face for entirely different reasons than mine.
I stared at her, confusion freezing me in place. What was happening? What about this situation was funny?
"You... you should see your face!" Maya gasped between fits of laughter, barely able to breathe. She tried to control herself, wi
