The Day My BestFriend Stole My Fiancee

HIM AND I

All it takes is one smirk and one glance for all the clothing in the world to fall away. Dropping onto the awaiting pristine hotel carpet like snowflakes finding their way onto the stony ground on a cold Winter's night.

One simple inhalation of strong but distinct cologne that could only belong to one certain individual. One hand falling to a thigh, slowly creeping higher and higher into priceless but secret territory. Fingers migrating against bare skin, and that's all it takes.

Her brain short-circuited, sending her into something of a paralysis. Unable to contain the wild thoughts or process the pleasure fast enough before it sends ripples through her body all over again.

Two bodies tumbled rhythmically onto a large king-sized hotel bed that could have only been built for this very occasion. Eyes stealing glances at each other, slowly followed by stolen kisses, leaving imprints on every inch of bare skin; kisses that would unknowingly become more permanent than a tattoo.

Their bodies remained entwined, limbs dancing in continual different motions for the intense pleasure would not allow them to remain content in any one position. It was anything but innocent. It was raunchy, racy, steamy, but it was them.

His hand found its way to her ass. Spanking it once, twice, thrice times over. Then, his hand paved its own way through her dark mane, roughly tugging her long locks back as little moans escaped her mouth; profanity being yelled out with each powerful thrust that came from the body positioned behind her.

Only moments later, their bodies climaxed at the same time. Their arms remained tangled around each other so they appeared to look little more than an extension of one another. One body but two souls.

They say you know it's real when you can feel the sparks traveling throughout your body with just one touch, but for these two, it could be more accurately likened to a volcanic eruption, and whether that was a good thing or not, neither of them truly knew.

"I'm going to leave her." He murmured into Arias's hair as she lay flat on top of his chest. His voice still jagged and irregular as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Isolde?" She whispered, her heart racing at just the mention of her best friend's name. She briefly remembered the moments that had occurred in the house before she had left, and just at the thought, a surge of shame washed over her now naked but well-satisfied body.

"I can't be with her anymore. I love her, but it's not enough. Not if I'm here with you right now," he continued, his hand tightly clasped between hers as he gently brought it up to place a soft yet innocent kiss upon hers.

"And what about the baby?"

"I may not be ready, but I'm not a complete asshole. I'm not going to let Isolde raise our child alone," he responded, combing his fingers through her hair.

"I'm a terrible friend," Aria said suddenly, tilting her face to meet his eyes, "And the worst kind of person. Not only a cheat but a liar too."

"Aria, let's not do this right now."

"Isolde and I argued before I came here." She continued abruptly, ignoring his plea.

"About what?" He lifted himself, propping his elbow against the pillow beneath him, as he allowed his gaze to meet Arias once again.

"Something and nothing. I was so close to telling her about us, but I didn't. I said some really cruel things, though, things that I knew would hurt her. Things that you shouldn't say to anybody, let alone your best mate." She mumbled quietly, eyes glued to the ceiling above her as she pleaded with herself subconsciously not to allow the tears to stream down her face this time.

"She probably knows you didn't mean what you said, with everything you've been through lately. It's expected that you'll lash out," He continued, his fingers stroking her cheek lightly.

"I have to text her and apologise at least. I want to make sure she's alright." She swiftly leaned over to the bedside table beside her, grabbed her phone, and entered her passcode.

"Wasn't it you that said these two days are just about you and me? Will we worry about Isolde later, okay? Let's just enjoy the very limited time we have together now. Please?"

Get ready. I've booked us a table at the restaurant downstairs." He jumped out of bed, subtly taking the phone from Arias's hand and placing it back on the table, not giving her a chance to object.

"Fine." She answered bluntly, but she couldn't deny that inside her, she felt something melt. The poison that had been dripped inside her and had been building up over the years was beginning to evaporate, as though Adrian himself was the simple antidote that she had needed all along.

She positioned herself in front of the large mirror whilst Adrian went for a quick shower. She covered her blemishes and minor flaws with her usual makeup routine, but once she applied her classic red lip, she considered changing it for the first time. She acknowledged how the red wasn't the vibrant picture of freshly spilled blood but more suiting the red of old blood that had begun to rot away, completely forgotten.

She wiped the colour away from her lips, suddenly hating how it appeared against her skin tone. She opted for a more subtle nude lip. Subtly had never been in Arias' vocabulary, but now, with Adrian, it seemed more fitting.

"Ready?" Adrian emerged from the bathroom, eyes shining unusually bright.

"Ready." She responded, her arm found its way between his as the two made their way to the fancy restaurant located downstairs. To anyone who didn't know them, they appeared to be a newlywed couple.

The marbled lobby interior of the restaurant had more than just an air of familiarity about it. The restaurant Intermezzo had purple embroidered curtains, dark mahogany tables, and live romantic piano music playing in the background of the hall. Aria felt she had stepped foot in this restaurant before, perhaps in her teenage years, but she couldn't quite put her finger on when and how she recognized it so.

"You okay?" Adrian asked softly, noticing the bemused look lingering on Aria’s face as they sat at their small table in the center of the restaurant’s grand hall. Crystal chandeliers shimmered above them, light dancing over polished marble floors and neatly folded linen napkins.

He reached across the table, resting his hand over hers—steady, warm, grounding.

Aria leaned in slightly. “This place is… a lot. It must be insanely expensive. Adrian, how are we even paying for this?”

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his other hand casually flipping through the menu. “By swiping my card like a responsible adult.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” He finally looked up at her, amusement softening into reassurance. “I work, Aria. I’ve been working. I can afford dinner.”

Her shoulders relaxed a fraction, but she still hesitated. “I don’t want you spending a ridiculous amount of money just to impress me.”

“I’m not.” His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice. ” His lips quirked. “Just me.”

She studied him for a moment, trying to decide if he was teasing. Adrian had always carried himself with quiet confidence, but tonight there was something else—intent. Effort.

“You didn’t have to go this far,” she murmured.

“I wanted to.” His tone was simple, firm. “I worked hard. I earn well. And I like spending my money on things that matter to me.”

Her breath caught slightly at that.

Dating had never really been her thing. In her experience, it was just an exhausting cycle of introductions and disappointments—telling pieces of yourself to strangers who would eventually decide you weren’t what they wanted. It was easier to keep her distance, to build that sharp-edged persona people either admired or feared. Boys loved a mystery, and she had mastered becoming one.

But sitting here now, in a place far grander than she would ever choose for herself, with Adrian looking at her like she was the only thing in the room worth noticing… it felt different.

“I just don’t want to be… a burden,” she admitted quietly.

He squeezed her hand. “You’re not a burden. You’re having dinner with someone I wanted to take out. That’s it.”

For the first time since they’d sat down, the tension in her chest eased. Maybe—just maybe—this wouldn’t be like the others.

"Aria, relax. I'm not spending the money on you, I'm spending it on us. And that's more than worth it to me." He chuckled as his hand reached out to become interlocked with hers, and soon their lips had locked just as their hands had. Aria felt his lips part in a small smile, accompanied by a low rumbling sound coming from his chest. She pulled away as she realized he had begun to laugh.

She moaned, "What's so funny?"

"We're in a restaurant to eat, but I'd much rather be upstairs eating with you," he whispered.

"Well, in that case, why don't you get under the table and have an early starter?" She winked playfully, leaning in to press her larger-than-average bust against the table, revealing a small amount of cleavage to him in a sultry fashion.

Adrian was always stunned by Arias's s****l advances, but he was even shocked by her latest suggestion, "How am I supposed to get under there without people noticing? People are already staring."

"Maybe we should give them a good reason to stare at us then?" She murmured, "Or, maybe you want me to show you how it's done first?" She muttered, slowly slipping a finger into her open mouth and lightly biting on it before giving it a little lick.

Adrian allowed a low grunt to escape his lips, "Aria, don't." His eyes turned a couple of shades darker than their natural caramel hue as a look took over his being, as was always the case in Aria's presence.

"Umm, I take it you're not ready to order yet?" The waitress stood at the head of the table, pen and notepad in hand. She appeared more than just baffled at the fact that Aria had her fingers in her mouth, licking them like a cat who was finally being fed after weeks.

"Err, no, we are," Adrian mumbled, his voice cracking audibly as he ordered his meal, whilst Aria grinned knowingly with no ounce of shame.

After the two had quickly eaten dinner, Aria managed to convince Adrian to take her to the outdoor pool.

"We're not elegant enough for a place like this," Aria stated whilst grinning at him, exposing the little dents on either side of her cheek that Adrian had begun to grow so fond of over the past few months. "But thank you, Adrian, this place is amazing. And I know just how to show you how grateful I am."

She moved closer towards him, leaning in slightly as she would do when leaning in to kiss him. Little did Adrian know, he was standing on the very brink of the poolside, and she gently placed her hands on his broad chest and gave a slight push, so he fell into the water.

She laughed huskily as she watched him.

"Oh, for f***s' sake, Aria ." He quickly resurfaced in the water, running his fingers through his hair, "I could've drowned."

She carelessly kicked off her red stilettos from her feet and jumped in after him. When she swam over to him, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, "I know you can swim, Adrian, were you in my swimming class in Year 10? I'd not have pushed you if I wasn't completely sure, give me some credit."

"You're still absolutely bonkers, Aria." He chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers and caressing the sides of her face with his thumb.

"But that's what you love about me, right?" She joked, splashing him with water, reverting to her five-year-old self.

"Yeah, it is." He answered seriously, catching Aria off-guard as he placed a kiss on the exposed skin of her back whilst she had turned to gather and splash him with more water.

She felt the chills crawling up her spine at hearing him answer her joke with such honesty. She pushed herself back, performing a backward stroke. "Let's go back to the hotel room, yeah?"

She propelled her body up onto the poolside and led the way back, not waiting for Adrian behind her.

"Is this just about s*x for you? You and you, does it even mean anything to you?" Adrian quizzed quietly as he entered the room behind her.

"Of course it does. Why are you even asking me that?" Aria replied, not allowing her eyes to meet his as she continued undressing, letting the sopping wet red dress fall away from her body.

"Then why aren't you looking at me?" He repeated, placing his hands on her cheeks and forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Everyone leaves, and you're no exception. You have Isolde. Who chooses bronze when they already have gold?" The vulnerability was not only apparent in her quiet voice but also in her storm-like gray eyes.

"What? You and Isolde are completely different people. Both are absolutely amazing but different. Why are you comparing yourself to her?"

"I'm not comparing. I'm just telling you the truth. You asked."

"No, it's not the truth. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. No matter how many times life screws you over, you get up and say 'f**k you'. Not everybody is brave enough or powerful enough to keep on getting on with life after hardships like yours. You're a f*****g enigma, but you make me want to get up and live life to the fullest with you. And, if that's not 'gold' to you, I want to know what the f**k is." He blurted out.

"Oh, Adrian..," She mumbled, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had uttered a single word of kindness about her and actually meant it.

Her phone began to ring in her lap, and she looked down to see Marcus' face looking back at her.

"It's Marcus." She said, wiping her eyes and picking up the phone.

"Just ignore it."

"No. Something's not right. Celia left thirteen missed calls, too. I have to get this." She answered, grabbing her phone and finally answering it.

"Marcus, what's up? Calm down, I can't hear you clearly if you're shouting at me...hospital? No. It's not Mom's, is it? What? How could that even...she was fine when I saw her..." She felt a sudden surge of dizziness compel her, and she let the phone fall out of her hand.

"Aria, what is it? Helena is okay, isn't she?" He moved towards her and placed his hands upon the lower part of her back for support.

"It's not my mum." She whispered, staring at the phone lying on the phone as though it could physically attack her. Her lips trembled as the tears flowed down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Adrian. I'm so sorry." She latched onto the wet collar of his shirt as she sobbed.

"For what? You haven't done anything. Tell me what Marcus said."

"Isolde. It's Isolde."