Aria's POV
The moment I walked through Maya's apartment door, I kicked off my heels with more force than necessary. They flew across the hardwood floor, one landing near the couch, the other skidding all the way to the kitchen doorway, and the sharp clatter echoed through the space like gunshots.
"Rough day?" Maya called from the kitchen, and I could hear the smile in her voice even though I couldn't see her face.
"You have no idea," I muttered, already shrugging out of my blazer. The expensive fabric felt suffocating after wearing it for twelve hours straight, through board meetings, confrontations, and the general exhausting performance of being in control. I tossed it over the back of Maya's vintage armchair and collapsed onto her couch face-first, not caring that my pencil skirt wa
