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She never struck me as someone who wasn't a morning person since she always seemed pleasant at the rink in the mornings. I'd never seen her when she first woke up before today, though.
I roll my eyes as I grab the clothes she had laid out last night. "And you're annoying." I toss the pile onto the bed in front of her. "Get up."
Aria huffs but doesn't say anything else as I grab my things and head into the bathroom. I take my time using the restroom and brushing my teeth before I get dressed. I pull my hoodie over my head and give myself a once-over in the mirror before opening the door again. I find Aria already dressed, wearing a pair of black skating pants and a cream-colored sweater that hangs off one shoulder. Standing in the doorway, I watch her for a moment as she finishes making the bed. I didn't ask her to do it, but I can't help but feel a sense of appreciation for her doing something as small and insignificant as that.
She fluffs the last down feather pillow and sets it in place beside the matching one. She slowly turns around to face me and lifts her arms to cross them over her chest. "Are you finally done in the bathroom?"
I smile brightly at her, stepping to the side as I wave my arm in the direction of the restroom. It isn't often that we trade roles where she's the one who is being grumpy and I'm being the bright and cheery person.
"It's all yours."
Aria walks past me and closes the door behind herself after she enters the bathroom. Leaving her to do whatever she needs in there, I move through the suite over to the small kitchen area. I open the fridge and reach inside for two water bottles for Aria and I. I pull one of the bananas from the bunch and peel it open and lean against the counter as I wait for her. When she finally emerges, she looks a little more alive than she did when she walked in there. She walks over to me and I wordlessly hand her a bottle of water. She leans forward, her chest brushing against me as she gets a banana for herself. I watch her as she peels it open and slides it between her lips. She carefully chews a mouthful of the fruit before swallowing.
"Do you always watch people?"
No, just you.
"Do you always wake up in a bad mood?" I counter, ignoring her question.
She narrows her eyes on me. "It's all dependent upon how I wake up and who I wake up with."
I can't help myself as I smile at her. She's fucking feisty and I can't help but love it when she's like this. I like when she claps back without any hesitation. Her words should sting, but they don't. She can wake up with whoever she wants to. I don't care about her past and there's no reason for me to be jealous of any man who comes after me.
I had her first.
The thought of Griffin pricks the back of my mind. It's like lighter fluid, spreading through my veins. My spine stiffens and I struggle to push the thought of him and her together from my brain.
"We should get going," she reminds me, breaking through my thoughts. "We don't want to be late."
I can't argue with her as we both finish our bananas and toss the peels into the trash can. Aria grabs her skating bag that is sitting next to mine by the front door and I follow suit. We step out into the hallway in silence, both of us wheeling our bags along with us. Aria walks over to the elevator and I step up beside her as we wait for the car to get to our floor. When the doors slide open, she steps in and I move into the space with her.
The scent of her perfume infiltrates my senses and I can't help myself as I inhale. I love the smell of her, but I loved the smell of her sleeping next to me even more. Last night, I tried to stay away from her. I went out to the damn bar and had only one drink. I sat there for God knows how long until I finally gave in and came back to the room. There was a part of me that was trying hard to avoid coming back because I needed the space. She's clouding my thoughts. I'm finding myself caring about things I normally don't give a shit about.
I shouldn't care about whether or not Aria Reed has fresh fucking towels and that her fucking pillows are fluffed.
Inviting her to stay in my room was a terrible decision. I should have just let her sleep in her own room instead.
***
The next couple of days go the same way as the first night Aria was in my room. We wake up and argue, go to the rink, and skate for hours on end, head back to the hotel room to shower, and go our separate ways after that. Aria's always back in the room before me and I make it a point to stay out until after she's asleep. If we're not in there together, there's no way I can fuck up and end up fucking her again.
It's the same each night. I find her sleeping on the damn couch and I carry her to bed, only to crawl in under the covers beside her.
We don't talk about it.
There's nothing to talk about.
The day we've been waiting for is finally upon us. I roll over in bed and see that Aria is already up and moving around. Actually, she's nowhere to be found, but the bathroom door is shut and I can see the glow of the light underneath the door. We go on the ice earlier in the day today and I'm secretly glad. I hate having to wait until late in the evening or even into the night. I would much rather get it done and over with so I don't have to feel like I'm going to die from the anxiety.
I hear something on the other side of the door and it sounds like Aria is in there throwing up. Worry washes over me and I quickly get up from bed and go knock on the door. If she's sick, that could derail everything. As fucked up as it is, unless you're in the hospital on your death bed, you have no choice but to get your shit together and skate through illness in a situation like this. This is one of the most important competitions of the year for us. This is the one that is the final determination of who competes at Worlds.
"Are you okay?" I ask Aria, keeping my voice soft as I stand on the other side of the door.
I hear the toilet flush and her moving around inside there. "I'm good."
Deciding not to push her, I linger for a moment longer as I hear the water running in the sink, followed by the sound of the shower turning on. It's not my place to probe and dig to try and figure out if she's okay. Aria's a big girl, she's been through this countless times before. That thought doesn't stop me from ducking out into the hallway. I find myself walking to the vending machines as I press the buttons for a ginger ale and a pack of crackers. It's the least I can do to help and support her if she isn't feeling well.
She's still in the shower when I get back to the room, so I patiently wait, opting to make sure all my clothing is ready to go and everything we need to take is ready. I end up lying back in bed, scrolling on my phone as I wait for Aria to come out. When she finally emerges from the bathroom, steam billows from the door and she steps out wearing nothing but a towel. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun on the top of her head and her face is freshly washed and free of any makeup.
