Aria’s POV
The hug lasted longer than it should have. Long enough that I felt his heartbeat slow beneath my palm and felt the tension gradually drain from his shoulders. When we finally broke apart, his eyes were brighter, not happy, but less haunted. Less like a man staring into an abyss.
"I'm sorry for what happened." His voice was quiet, earnest. "I mean, I didn't know the security would contact you. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. I hope you know that."
"Yeah, right." The words came out more sarcastic than I intended, but before I could soften them, the door opened.
Julian walked in.
The room shifted instantly, the air pressure changing, the temperature dropping, everything suddenly charged with uncomfortable tension.
Julian's eyes found me first, and I saw t
