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Juliette looks a bit surprised. "Really?" She tilts her head to the side as her forehead creases and she looks back to me. "But there was so much chemistry between the two of you."
Forcing out a laugh, I shake my head at her. "Oh, God no. I hate her. We both just ended up without partners and weren't given much of a choice."
The words leave a bitter taste in my mouth, leaving me feeling conflicted.
"So, you hate her, but you're still able to skate together like that?"
“She doesn’t particularly care for me either.” I chuckle to continue with the charade and shrug. “It’s complicated. Like you said, we have chemistry. We skate well together and complement one another. When we’re on the ice, the way we really feel about each other doesn’t matter.”
“Talk about a mindfuck,” Charlotte mumbles and shakes her head. “Okay, Leo. You ready to go celebrate?”
Mac steps up beside Juliette and gives her a long look. “I think we’re actually going to head out for the night.”
“I bet you are,” Nico chirps as Wes beams at the two of them. She wasn't introduced as Mac's girlfriend, but I can't help but wonder if there's something going on between the two of them.
Everyone says goodbye to Mac and Juliette before they head in the direction of the exit. Nico and his fiancée follow suit and say their goodbyes before leaving. I turn back to my sister and Wes. I'm about to ask them where we're going, when I see Charlie look past me and her face lights up.
"Oh look, there's Aria!" Charlie looks excited as her eyes meet mine. Her face falls momentarily with a touch of sadness lingering. "I know you don't like her, but should we invite her to dinner?"
I stare at her for a moment as I weigh the option in my mind and feel the guilt eating at me. I know Aria. If she doesn't come to dinner with us, she's probably going to lock herself away in her hotel room and either order takeout or eat from a vending machine. As much as I want to keep my distance from her, I can't ignore the fact that I don't want her anywhere other than with me.
"Sure," I tell my sister with a sigh. I don't miss Wes's curious gaze as he assesses me. I can see the questions in his eyes. Entertaining his curiosity isn't what I really want to do.
Charlie stares at me for a moment before she gives me a gentle nudge. "Go ask her."
"Right. Okay." I give her and Wes a tense smile before turning around in the direction where Charlie was looking at Aria. I see her standing by the wall with her skating bag on the floor beside her. She has a duffle bag slung over her shoulder and her wavy hair hangs in her face as she scrolls on her phone. She took the braids out from how she had her hair styled. My eyes scan her body, starting with her bright white sneakers before trailing up the black leggings that hug the lean muscles on her legs. Her oversized t-shirt reaches the center of her thighs and hangs off her shoulder. "Hey," I say softly as I stop in front of her.
Aria lifts her head, her long black hair falling down her back as she brushes it away from her face. "Hey, Leo."
I shift my weight on my feet with an unwanted nervousness sliding through my veins. She does this to me and I’m not sure I like it. "Do you have any plans for dinner?"
Her gray eyes meet mine and she shakes her head. "I was going to order DoorDash from somewhere. Do you have any recommendations since you've been here plenty of times before?"
Something about the way she says it has my heart clenching. "Come to dinner with us."
"Who? Your sister and her boyfriend?" she asks me while glancing behind me. Aria gives me a small smile, but she shakes her head at me. "I don't want to impose, but thank you for asking."
"I'm not asking."
Aria tilts her head to the side as she narrows her eyes with a coldness settling inside her irises. "I'm sorry… I must have missed the part where you became someone who is in a position to tell me what to do."
"Ari," I breathe her name with frustration as I close my eyelids. My heart thrums away in my chest. My nostrils flare as I inhale deeply and open my eyes again to look at her. "Please don't be difficult."
"Please don't be an asshole," she counters as she raises her eyebrows at me.
I work the muscle in my jaw. "I am not an asshole," I grind out the words through my clenched teeth.
Aria doesn't look convinced and we both know it's a lie. "You can be."
"You know what," I tell her, throwing my hands up in defeat. She is under my skin like a fucking splinter and I can't get her out. "Fuck it. Eat your DoorDash."
"Right there. That's an asshole thing to say."
I lift my hands and run them down my face. "Jesus Christ, you are infuriating." I pause and square my shoulders as I let the irritation roll off me. "Will you please come to dinner with us?"
She stares at me for two heartbeats before she shrugs and pushes away from the wall. "Sure, that sounds like fun. Let me cancel this Uber."
I watch her with an incredulous look on my face as she grabs her skating bag and begins to wheel it behind her. We turn back to where Charlie and Wes are and I see them standing over by the door. Turning my head, I look over at Aria as she falls into step beside me. Instinctively, I reach out and take her duffle bag from her shoulder and carry it myself. "I never know what to expect with you," I muse out loud as I study the side of her face.
