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“Don’t.”
“Did you see the wedding photos?” She looked toward her sister, who was frowning. “Ah, I see you haven’t. Trust me, it’s best if you go back inside with Mom. This is what she wants.”
“What about what I want?” Isabella asked.
“What do you want, Isabella?” Aria was struggling to keep it together. She was so used to these personal attacks from her mother, all of them verbal about how she looked, how much she weighed, but they still hurt. Normally, she could contain her tears until she was alone, but today that was a real struggle. Isabella wasn’t allowing her to escape fast enough.
“I wanted my sister to be with me. You know, to help me through.”
“I will be. I’m only a phone call away. We both know Mom would prefer you to call her.”
“You do know she’s wrong, don’t you?”
Aria shook her head. “Mom is always right.”
She turned on her heel and walked away from her parents’ house. It was Sunday, so going to work wasn’t ideal. Phil and Andy preferred her to have one day off. Her only day off, and her presence had been demanded by their parents. If she was a child, she’d have stamped her foot on the ground and declared the world wasn’t fair.
She was happy for her sister and wished she could be part of that process, but hearing her mother saddened her. All she ever did was tell her how bad she was, how horrible she looked. The last thing she needed now was to constantly be reminded by her mother just how much she had failed at everything.
Tears filled her eyes, and as she headed toward her home, she came to a stop when she caught sight of Grant walking with Wanda. Swiping at her tears, hoping they didn’t fall, she forced a smile to her lips as she looked at him.
“Grant, hi,” she said.
“Aria, is everything okay?”
The smile on his lips faded as soon as he looked at her.
“Yeah, yeah, everything is fine. Of course it’s fine.” She laughed. “Why wouldn’t it be?” He cupped her cheek and she looked up at him. “You’re upset.”
“I’ve had a really shit day, and I … I just want to…”
“Drink?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“You know, drink? Lose your head.”
“I have no idea?” Aria asked.
He held out his arm. “Care for me to help you with whatever demons you’re fighting?”
In the back of her mind, she knew she should tell him no, but after thinking about her mother and what just happened, she didn’t want to go home alone. Putting her arm through Grant’s, they made their way back toward his apartment. It was already warm and she removed her coat. Grant once again threw it across the back of his chair.
“I don’t have anything classy, but when I need a moment, I think nothing beats whiskey,” he said.
He returned from the kitchen with a bottle of dark amber liquid and two glasses. She watched as he poured two generous shots. Aria had already taken a seat on the sofa, and she leaned forward, picked up the glass, and took a drink. She couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose at the taste. It was nasty.
Grant swigged his back in one gulp and took a breath after.
She giggled. “It’s disgusting.”
“But it will get the job done.”
Aria finished the whiskey and it burned on the way down. She wrinkled her nose at the taste. The fire was welcome in the pit of her stomach.
“How is Wanda doing?” she asked.
“Wanda’s doing great. Why don’t we talk about you?” he asked.
