Room 607: A Night To Remember

“Don’t mess this up, Aria,” she muttered under her breath, fumbling under the potted plant for the spare key. The tiny box balanced in her other hand nearly slipped. She caught it quickly, whispering, “You’ve got this. He’s going to love it.” The key finally clicked in the lock. She pushed the door open, holding her breath like Ryan might jump out and catch her in the act. The apartment was quiet. “Ryan?” she called softly, peeking in with a grin tugging at her lips. “I swear, if you’re hiding with roses right now, you’re going to ruin my surprise.” There was no answer. Her sneakers squeaked lightly against the floor as she stepped inside. She set the gift box behind her back, imagining his face when she gave it to him, a sleek silver watch engraved with All my time is yours. Cheesy, maybe, but perfect for their graduation trip. For the proposal she was certain was coming. She slipped her shoes off, toeing them neatly by the door. “Ryan?” she tried again, a little louder this time. Still no response, just the low hum of the air conditioner and something else. She stilled. Then, tilted her head. Suddenly, she heard faint muffled sounds drifting from the back of the apartment. Her brow furrowed. “TV?” she whispered. But the pitch was too high and breathy. Another sound followed. A laugh, a distinctly female laugh. Aria’s hand tightened around the box until the edges dug into her palm. “No,” she breathed. “No, no, no.” She moved down the hall on instinct, heart thudding against her ribs. The closer she got, the clearer the noises became. “Oh my God, yes, yes baby” a woman’s voice moaned. And Ryan’s low, familiar chuckle answered, “You’re so much better when you don’t complain.” Aria froze, every nerve in her body screaming at her to run, to get out before the images in her head became real. But her feet stayed rooted to the ground. She could still turn back. And pretend she hadn’t heard, and pretend her boyfriend wasn’t a liar, a cheat, and a .. The bed springs groaned, slicing through her thought. Aria’s chest burned. Rage, sharp and hot, surged up her throat. If she left now, he’d keep his smug little secret. Tomorrow he’d smile at her, hold her hand on the plane, act like he hadn’t just torn their four years to shreds. Her fist clenched tighter around the gift box. She’d planned to surprise him. Instead, he was the one surprising her. “Bastard,” she whispered. Her legs moved on their own, carrying her down the hall, each step louder, faster, until she was practically charging. She didn’t bother to keep quiet anymore. When she reached the bedroom door, she didn’t pause. She didn't even wait to reconsider her actions. She shoved it open so hard it banged against the wall. “Aria?!” Ryan’s voice cracked as he scrambled upright, sheets tangling around his waist. His bare chest gleamed in the dim light, sweat clinging to his skin. Beside him, a brunette woman stretched lazily across the bed, completely unconcerned with the intrusion. Aria’s stomach flipped. The little box in her hand slipped free and clattered to the floor. “I thought you were buying a ring,” she said, her voice low and trembling. Then, it became louder and sharper, slicing the room in half. “Turns out it was condoms.” Ryan flinched. “Wait Aria, it’s not what it looks like.” “Oh, really?” Aria stepped forward, her laugh jagged and bitter. “Because from here it looks exactly like you in bed with someone who isn’t me.” The brunette smirked, propping her chin on her palm. “Whoops,” she drawled, unbothered. “Guess I wasn’t supposed to be here, huh?” “Shut up, Marcy,” Ryan hissed, grabbing for the sheet to cover her, but she only giggled. Aria’s gaze burned into him. “How long?” Ryan’s mouth opened, closed and opened again. “It..It didn’t mean anything..” “How long, Ryan?!” Her voice cracked, raw fury spilling out. There was a pause and it seemed the silence itself was the answer to her questions. Aria’s chest heaved. She bent over and snatched the little box from the floor, and hurled it at him. It hit his shoulder with a dull thud before bouncing across the bedspread. “Four years, Ryan. Four years, and this is what I get?” Ryan dragged a hand through his hair, frustration breaking through his panic. “Oh, come on, Aria. Don’t be dramatic.” Her mouth fell open. “Dramatic?” “You and I, we’ve been drifting. You nag, you stress about everything, you never relax. And then Marcy..” He gestured helplessly, as if the woman in his bed explained it all. Marcy wiggled her fingers at Aria with a smug little smile. Aria’s nails dug into her palms. “So your solution was to crawl into bed with her?” Ryan groaned. “Aria, I didn’t want to hurt you. I just needed something different. But it doesn’t change what we have.” Aria burst into a wild laughter. “Doesn’t change what we have?” She pointed to the bed, her whole body trembling. “Ryan, what we had is lying right there, smirking at me!” He swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbing his jeans from the floor. “Please. We can talk about this. Don’t throw everything away over one mistake.” “One mistake?” Aria’s voice dropped, quiet now, dangerous. “You weren’t planning a proposal. You weren’t planning forever. You were planning how to screw around without getting caught.” Ryan’s jaw tightened. “I still love you, Aria. This was just.” “Don’t.” She held up her hand, eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare say love. You don’t get to use that word with me anymore.” For the first time, Marcy sat up, pulling the sheet around her. “Honestly, girl, if he didn’t want you to find out, he wouldn’t have left the door unlocked. Maybe you should thank me, you got the truth sooner.” Aria’s throat burned. But instead of tears, a sharp, bitter laughter spilled out. “Thank you? Oh, you’re right. Thank you for showing me what kind of man I almost wasted my future on.” She turned back to Ryan, her eyes glassy but unyielding. “You’re pathetic. And you’ll regret this when you realize she doesn’t stick around either.” Ryan reached for her arm. “Aria, wait.” She jerked back. “Don’t touch me.” Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed out, her footsteps echoing through the hall. Behind her, Ryan’s voice chased her like a curse: “You’re overreacting! This doesn’t change anything!” Aria didn’t look back.She slammed the door behind her so hard the frame rattled. The night air slapped Aria’s face as she stormed out of the apartment building. The heavy door banged shut behind her, but it didn’t drown out the pounding of footsteps following close behind. “Aria, wait!” Ryan’s voice, panicked, echoing down the quiet street. She quickened her pace, arms crossed tight over her chest, every muscle vibrating with fury. “Don’t. Don’t you dare follow me.” Ryan jogged up beside her anyway, tugging on his shirt as he caught up. His hair was still mussed from the bed, his voice rushed and desperate. “Please, just listen. It didn’t mean anything. She didn’t mean anything.” Aria spun on him so fast he almost crashed into her. “Do you realize how pathetic you sound? I caught you inside her, Ryan. Don’t stand there and tell me she didn’t mean anything.” He winced, lowering his voice. “Aria, I screwed up, okay? But you and me, we’ve got history. Don’t throw all that away for one mistake.” Her laugh was sharp and cold. “History? That’s what you’re clinging to? History doesn’t keep a relationship alive, Ryan. Respect does. Loyalty does. And you burned both to the ground tonight.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration leaking into his panic. “God, you’re so black and white. I was going to propose, you know. I still..” Aria barked out another laugh, cutting him off. “Propose? Don’t lie to me. If you were really planning forever with me, you wouldn’t have been warming up with her in your bed.” Ryan’s mouth worked soundlessly. “You think I don’t love you?” “I don’t care anymore,” Aria shot back, her voice shaking with the force of it. “Love doesn’t look like what I walked in on. Love doesn’t sound like you whispering to her that she’s ‘better when she doesn’t complain.’” Color drained from his face. “You heard that?” “Oh, I heard everything,” she said, her tone clipped and icy. “And every word carved into me like a knife. But congratulations, you’ve cut deep enough. I’m done.” Ryan stepped closer, reaching for her wrist. “Don’t be like this. Don’t walk away over.” She yanked her arm back before his fingers could touch her. “Over what? Over betrayal? Over the fact that you turned me into a joke while I was out buying you a gift?” He swallowed hard. “We can fix this.” Aria stared at him, stunned by his arrogance. “No, Ryan. You broke it. You can’t fix something that’s already in pieces.” For a long moment, the street was silent except for the faint buzz of a streetlamp. Ryan’s chest rose and fell, his jaw tight, his eyes pleading. Aria’s throat ached, but she straightened her spine. “You know what? I’m still going on that trip. I paid for my half. I deserve at least that much after the crap you pulled. But you?” Her lip curled. “You’re not coming with me. Not now. Not ever.” Ryan’s face hardened. “So that’s it? You’re just going to run away?” “No,” she said simply, her voice steadier than she felt. “I’m going to move on. Something you clearly couldn’t wait to do.” Her phone buzzed in her pocket, maybe it's her best friend checking in but she ignored it. She turned on her heel, leaving him standing in the dim glow of the streetlight, his excuses swallowed by the night. Her hands trembled as she walked, but her pace didn’t falter. Every step away from him felt like dragging her heart through broken glass, but she kept moving. By the time she reached her car, she’d made her vow. The trip was hers now. Her escape. Her clean break. And nothing,not Ryan, not the memory of his betrayal was going to stop her. *** Aria arrived at the airport, she sank into a chair, ticket in one hand, coffee in the other. Her head still buzzed from last night’s chaos. Then she felt it, like someone was watching. Her eyes lifted, and there he was. A man in a dark suit, tall, composed, staring straight at her. The hair on her arms prickled. She shifted in her seat and looked back at her phone, forcing herself to breathe. When she glanced up again, he was gone. Her pulse kicked. She scanned the terminal, but he’d vanished into the crowd. “I’m just paranoid,” she whispered, trying to laugh it off. But her hands were trembling as she stood up to board the plane. Still, the weight of that stare clung to her skin, it seemed like a silent warning she couldn’t shake. Aria glances back one last time, half expecting those same eyes to be there. But he wasn't there again.