ONCE UPON A TIME

Chapter 6

Aria’s POV:

The sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting a warm golden glow over my room. Birds chirped their morning melodies outside, and the faint hum of my air purifier kept the air crisp and fresh. I stretched lazily in bed, a smile already tugging at the corners of my lips. Somehow, I just knew today was going to be an amazing day.

I shuffled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. Once the steaming mug was in my hands, I took a quick selfie — the sunlight highlighting my dark hair and the faintest sparkle in my eyes. I posted it online with the caption, "Life feels like a dream ✨." I finally understood what those lovesick girls in school had been swooning about for years.

After sipping my coffee, I checked Xander’s schedule on my watch. He usually went grocery shopping on Saturdays. I found that a bit curious — didn’t he have a butler? Maybe he wanted to enjoy some of the simple, everyday experiences that middle-class folks go through. That thought made me smile.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, wondering if I was overdressed for the trip. Quickly, I pulled my hair into a messy bun, crumpled my shirt just enough to look effortless, dabbed my lips a softer pink, and tilted my glasses to give off an air of casual chic. You can’t look too perfect, or people will start getting suspicious. I grabbed my reusable tote bag — because, of course, I’m an environmentalist — and hopped into my car, ready to face the world.

Time Skip

An hour later, I was still wandering the aisles of the grocery store, my cart filled with everything I needed. So far, I hadn’t seen Xander. This place was huge; I thought I might just try again another day.

As I reached for a tub of peach ice cream — fruit, right? — another hand simultaneously stretched out for the same container. I looked up to see Xander standing next to me.

“I guess we like the same flavor of ice cream, huh?” he said with a grin, his perfect mouth curving just so. His emerald-green eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at me.

Those eyes—like molten jade, the color of deep forests and ancient gemstones—made me freeze for a moment. I quickly shook off the cringe-worthy thought.

“I guess so,” I smiled back.

He glanced down at my cart and furrowed his eyebrows. “You eat a lot of processed food for a girl this slim.”

I raised an eyebrow, not missing a beat. “So, you’re saying if you eat processed food, you get fat, and being fat is a problem?”

“No! I’m not saying that at all,” he backpedaled quickly. “I’m just saying you don’t look like you cook much — probably eat out a lot.”

“Pretty girls can’t cook?” I teased.

“No, of course not. All girls can cook,” he said, trying to clarify.

“So, if you’re my boyfriend, you should expect me to cook?”

“No! You’re misunderstanding me. I say stupid stuff when I’m nervous, so I’ll just stop talking before I embarrass myself further.”

“I’m just kidding. I know you’re not that type of guy, Xander,” I said, smiling softly.

Before he could respond, an elderly man in a motorized shopping cart — one of those trolley-chair hybrids — interrupted us with a gruff voice.

“You two are blocking the ice cream aisle! Some people actually want to buy this before it melts, instead of leaving the fridge open!” the man scolded, shaking his finger.

“We are deeply sorry!” Xander and I said in unison, grabbing a tub of ice cream each and quickly stepping aside.

We both burst out laughing and moved to the next aisle. The tension melted away like the ice cream almost had.

“That’s the first time I’ve been scolded by an elderly person,” Xander said, chuckling.

“I get scolded by my grandparents every weekend. I can help you get into more trouble if you want,” I teased.

He helped me load my groceries into my car, the smile on his face wide and genuine.

“Then can I have your number? You could help me plan my next scheme.”

“Anytime.” I typed my number into his phone, and he did the same for me.

He saved my contact as “Aria 😺,” and I noticed the cat emoji.

“Are you a cat person?” he asked.

“I’m a fan of all animals, but my mom says I’m like a cat. She calls me Koneko, which means ‘little cat’ in Japanese.”

“That’s cute. Or should I say… Kawaii?”

“You speak Japanese?”

“The girl I like is Japanese, so I’ve been studying in case she curses me in Japanese one day.”

“Smart.”

“Well, can’t have brawn without brains, right?”

We laughed together, then parted ways. The ice cream was melting fast, and regrettably, I wasn’t sure it was worth buying in the first place. But at least I had his number now.

As I drove home with a smile plastered on my face, even the angry woman behind me, blaring her horn, couldn’t ruin my mood.