Alpha's Brother, My Second Chance.

Chapter 15

ARIA

Three days passed since Luca left for his trip, and I hated how much I noticed it. I told myself he was nothing more than Luca to me. I kept repeating all of that in my mind, but the bond refused to agree with me. It stayed present in small ways and kept reminding me of him. It refused to let me feel indifferent.

I still found myself listening for the sound of his footsteps on the stairs or the sound of his door closing. My heart kept reacting whenever I remembered the way he looked at me during dinner at my table. It was worse now that the whole city believed he had a woman in his life, 'Karen the pop star.' I rolled my eyes at the thought.

I told myself to stop being dramatic. I told myself it was not my business. I told myself he could date anyone he wanted. Yet every time I sat alone in my apartment, I found my mind drifting toward him. I tried to distract myself by reading, then by cleaning, then by watching videos, but nothing worked.

When I entered my apartment that evening and saw that the lights in his window were still off, my chest tightened. I sat on my couch with my phone in my hand and stared at it for a long time. "Should I call him?" I whispered to myself. I wondered where he traveled to, what it was, and why he hadn't been back.

Then reality returned, and I remembered that I did not even have his number. I did not have any means of contacting him. I let out a long breath and rubbed my forehead.

“Why are you like this, Aria,” I whispered.

That small thought led me somewhere else. I wondered if I should ask Maeve. She used to date him, or whatever it was they had. She might know something. Even though I had no clear question to ask, I picked up my phone and dialed her number before I could stop myself.

She picked up on the second ring.

“Hello Aria,” she said.

I froze. I did not know what to say. My tongue felt heavy. I had called to ask about Luca, but the words refused to leave my mouth.

“Hi Maeve,” I said. “How are you holding up since the funeral?”

There was a short silence, and then she replied. “I am taking it one day at a time. What about you?”

“I am doing the same,” I said.

She asked if there was something I needed, but I panicked and said no. I told her I only wanted to check on her. Then, I rushed the call to an end. As soon as the phone screen went dark, I covered my face with my hands and groaned.

“You need to get a grip,” I muttered to myself.

It was the weekend, and I refused to let my mood control me. I had been running since the day I arrived in Aveline. I had not even seen the city properly. Everything had moved so fast. Searching for a house. Searching for work. Getting accepted into the Rose Miller Mentorship Program. Meeting new people. Surviving Stephanie. And processing Luca.

I needed air. I needed space. I needed something that did not involve thinking of anyone.

The next morning, I dressed in something comfortable, tied my hair back, and walked out of the apartment. I told myself that I would enjoy the city today. Even if it was only for a few hours.

The first place I went to was a park near the shopping district. The area had green fields, a small playground, and several benches. Children were running around with laughter in their voices. Parents chatted near the swings. The atmosphere felt peaceful. It felt normal.

I sat on a bench for a while and watched the children play. A little girl ran close to me and stopped with a curious look.

“Are you waiting for someone,” she asked.

I smiled at her. “No. I am only enjoying the view.”

She nodded. “Do you want to play with us? We are pretending the ground is lava and we cannot step on it.”

I laughed softly. “I do not think I am very good at that game.”

She reached for my hand. “You can still try.”

Her small confidence made me smile. I stood and joined her group. There were four of them, and they all looked excited to have someone new join. They explained their rules to me in serious voices, as if they were explaining a real mission.

When we started jumping from one stone to another, they cheered each time I made a successful jump. At some point, one of the boys said, “You are good at this. You should join us every weekend.”

“I will try,” I replied.

For a few minutes, I forgot everything. The thoughts about Luca returned only when the children were called by their parents. As I waved at them, my mind drifted again. I wondered where Luca was. I wondered if he was eating well. I wondered if he was safe. I wondered why he wasn't back and if he was thinking of me as much as I was.

Then the thought of the headline came back, and my stomach tightened. The image of him and Karen sitting together at the restaurant played in my mind. I tried to ignore the discomfort that followed. I could not explain the emotion, and I did not want to.

“You do not care,” I whispered to myself and started walking out of the park.

I left the area and moved toward the busier part of town. After a few minutes, I decided to visit a small bar I had always seen from the taxi window. I walked inside and chose a seat near the back. The place was warm and filled with soft music. I ordered a strawberry mocktail. When it arrived, I took a sip and relaxed a little.

As I looked around, my thoughts drifted back to Stephanie. I remembered how she shouted at me yesterday for not blending the foundation well on the client's face. Her voice had echoed through the studio.

“Look at this,” she said. “Is this how you want to represent Miss Rose? This is sloppy.”

The client looked at her reflection and smiled. “Actually, I love it. It looks clean and soft.”

Stephanie looked shocked and tried to find an excuse, but the client continued. “I want her to be the one who does my makeup when I come next time.”

I remembered the expression on Stephanie’s face. It was stiff and forced. The moment the client turned her head, I looked up and saw Miss Rose watching from her window. She gave me a small nod. That small nod still warmed my chest.

I laughed to myself at the memory. The laugh came from deep relief. I took another sip of my drink.

“You look like you just heard a good joke.”

The voice came from my right. I turned and saw a very handsome man just standing beside me.

He smiled. “We meet again.”

I blinked because I did not recognize him immediately. “Sorry,” I said. “Do I know you?”

He laughed. “Coffee shop. You bumped into me.”

I felt embarrassed. “I am sorry. I forgot. I hope I did not injure you.”

“No,” he said with a small smile. “I survived. What was so funny that you were laughing by yourself?”

“I remembered something from work,” I replied.

“Do you mind sharing it?” he asked while sitting on the stool beside mine.

“It is nothing serious,” I said. “Just something that happened.”

“That is fine,” he answered. “I only asked because your laugh sounded real.”

He stretched his hand toward me. “My name is Savon. Savon Smith.”

I shook his hand. “I am Aria.”

He held my hand a moment longer, as if waiting for a reaction from me. When he got none, he slightly raised a brow.

“You do not know me,” he asked.

I shook my head. “Should I?”

He laughed. “Not exactly, but a good number of people know me.”

“I am new in town,” I said. “I do not really know many people here.”

“That explains it,” he replied. “You do not look like someone who grew up in Aveline.”

“I did not,” I answered. “I moved here recently.”

He nodded. “How are you finding the city?”

“It has been a challenge,” I said. “But I like it.”

“That is good,” he replied. “Aveline is a fast city, but you will get used to it.”

We talked for a while. He asked me about my job. I asked him what he did for a living. He said he worked in sports but did not give many details. He watched me closely each time I spoke. There was curiosity in his eyes, like he was trying to figure out who I was.

Later, when I picked up my phone and saw the time, I gasped.

“It is getting late,” I said. “I need to go home.”

He nodded. “I understand. It was nice talking to you.”

“Good night,” I said and stood.

“Good night, Aria,” he replied.

I walked toward the door. Just before I stepped outside, he called my name.

“Aria.”

I turned slightly.

“See you around.”