Second chance

Chapter8

Chapter 9: The Park at 5 PM

Aria had changed her outfit four times.

Sofia sat on the edge of the bathtub while Aria stood in front of the mirror, chewing her lip.

"Okay, be brutal," Aria said. "Is the yellow too much? Liam said natural, but what does natural even mean? Does natural mean no makeup? Or like, no-makeup makeup?"

Sofia smiled tiredly. She hadn't slept. "You look beautiful in the yellow."

Aria spun, the skirt flaring. "Really?"

"Really."

Aria's face fell a little. She sat down next to Sofia on the cold tile.

"I'm nervous," she admitted quietly. "Like, stomach-churning nervous. Is that stupid? It's just photos."

Sofia took her hand. "It's not stupid."

"It's just... no one's ever wanted to photograph _me_ before. Not the Castellano daughter at a gala, with perfect hair. Just... me in a park." Aria looked down at their linked fingers, at the matching star bracelets. "What if I'm boring?"

Sofia's heart cracked. "Aria Castellano, you have never been boring a day in your life."

Aria laughed, wet. "Will you stay? Like, on a bench? I know he said solo, but I need to know you're there."

"I'm there," Sofia promised. "I'll be the creepy girl on the bench with a book."

"My creepy girl," Aria said, hugging her.

At 4:45, they walked to the park together. The light was golden, perfect. Leaves turning.

Liam was already there, camera in hand, pacing. When he saw Aria, he stopped.

Wow, he mouthed.

Aria blushed furiously and looked back at Sofia like _did you see that?_

Sofia forced a smile and waved her toward him. She sat on a bench far enough to give them space, close enough to see.

She opened a book she wasn't reading.

Through the trees, she watched.

Liam was gentle. He didn't pose Aria like a model. He talked to her.

"Tell me about the charity thing," he said, clicking. "Why do you do it?"

Aria tucked hair behind her ear, shy at first. "My mom... she always says kindness is a muscle. You have to use it."

Click.

"What about you? What do you want?" Liam asked.

Aria laughed. "No one's asked me that in forever. Everyone assumes I want the company."

"Do you?"

"I want..." Aria looked up at the light through the leaves. "I want to matter because I'm kind, not because I'm rich. I want someone to love me when I'm not shiny."

Liam lowered his camera. For a second, he just looked at her.

"You are," he said quietly. "Shiny, I mean. Even when you're not trying."

Aria went still. Sofia saw her breath catch from the bench.

_Oh no,_ Sofia thought. _He means it._

Liam lifted the camera again, but his hands were shaking.

Sofia's phone buzzed.

Unknown: Is she alone with him? Good. Get the schedule for Leonardo's trip.

Sofia stared at the message. Her hands went cold.

Not now. Not while Aria was glowing.

She typed with numb fingers: Park. 5pm shoot. Nothing else yet.

Reply: Keep watching.

Sofia put the phone away and looked up.

Aria was laughing now, twirling for a silly shot. Liam was laughing too, a real laugh, his whole face open.

For a moment, they looked like any two kids falling for each other.

Sofia felt tears slide down her face.

_This is what Victor wants,_ she thought. _He wants her to fall. He wants Liam to be the knife._

After an hour, Liam walked Aria back to the bench. Aria was glowing, breathless.

"Sofi! Did you see? He got the light—"

"I saw," Sofia said, standing. She hugged Aria tightly. "You were amazing."

Liam stood awkwardly, camera around his neck. He looked at Sofia over Aria's head. His eyes were pleading.

_Help me,_ they said.

"Thank you," Aria said to him, shy again. "I had... I had really fun."

"Me too," Liam said softly. "Can I... can I send you the photos tonight?"

"Yes!" Aria said too fast, then covered her mouth. "I mean, sure. Cool."

He smiled. "Cool."

He walked away backwards, waving, almost tripping.

Aria watched him go, then collapsed onto the bench.

"Oh my god," she groaned into her hands. "Did I sound like an i***t?"

"You sounded like you," Sofia said, sitting beside her.

Aria peeked through her fingers. "He asked what I want. No one's asked me that since... you, on the first day."

Sofia's chest tightened.

"What did you tell him?" she whispered.

"The truth," Aria said. She leaned her head on Sofia's shoulder. "That I want to be loved for me."

They sat in the golden light as the park emptied.

Sofia held Aria's hand and thought about Victor's message. About Leonardo's trip. About how she knew from Sunday dinner that he was going to Singapore next month. She hadn't told Victor yet.

_If I tell him,_ she thought, _Aria stays safe a little longer. If I don't, my mother—_

Aria's phone dinged. She lit up.

"It's him! He sent one!"

She showed Sofia. It was the photo of Aria looking up at the light, her face soft and hopeful. Underneath, Liam had written: _This is how you look when you talk about what matters._

Aria's eyes filled. "No one's ever seen me like that."

Sofia looked at the photo, at her best friend's radiant face, and felt like she was going to be sick.

Because she knew Liam had seen her. Really seen her.

And that was the most dangerous thing of all.

"Come on," Sofia said, standing abruptly. "Let's get ice cream. My treat."

"You have no money, peasant," Aria teased, but she stood, linking their arms.

As they walked away, Sofia glanced back.

Liam was still at the edge of the park, watching them. Watching Aria.

He lifted his hand in a small wave. Sofia didn't wave back.

That night, Aria fell asleep with her phone on her chest, smiling.

Sofia sat at her desk in the dark and typed her report.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

She knew about Singapore. Leonardo had mentioned it on the balcony, laughing about hating long flights.

She typed: No trip info yet. Will keep listening.

She hit send and felt like a traitor to everyone.

Victor replied: Don't lie to me, Sofia.

Sofia stared at the screen, her blood freezing.

She deleted the thread, turned off her phone, and crawled into bed beside the sleeping Aria, who immediately curled into her.

"Stay," Aria mumbled.

"I'm here," Sofia whispered.

But she wondered how long she could keep lying to both sides before everything broke.