<b>Chapter </b><b>402 </b>
<b>Aria </b>finally let go. <b>“</b>If you’re okay, I’ll be heading out.”
He nodded, voice low, “Alright.”
Aria left, but as she reached the door, she stopped short–two people were standing in the hallway.
Caleb was on the left, and when he saw her, he smiled. “Just finished dinner?”
Aria nodded back, offering a polite smile. “Yeah.”
She looked to the right–Nathan was standing there, looking awkward.
Caleb exined, “He heard you got hurt and insisted oning with me. I couldn’t stop him.”
Nathan straightened, cheeks turning red. He stammered out a quiet, “Aria.”
Aria ignored him and addressed Caleb, “It’s nothing, just a minor injury. I’m fine now.”
Nathan’s hopeful gaze dimmed; he didn’t say another word.
Caleb added, “We ran into Lily on our way here. She said she was busy with homework and that you were still eating, so we decided to wait out here.”
Aria walked to the door, typed in her code, and said over her shoulder, “Caleb,e in.”
She didn’t invité Nathan.
Caleb shrugged and slipped off his shoes, heading inside.
Nathan stood at the threshold for a full ten seconds, reying Derek’s advice in his mind, “If you want to make up with Aria, you’ve got to grow a thicker
skin.’*
He finally mustered up the nerve to step in and quietly shut the door behind him.
He shuffled over and asked Caleb, “Are there any slippers left?”
Caleb nced at Nathan’s awkward, apologetic face and couldn’t help butugh. “Don’t ask me. I’d rather not piss off Aria for your
He thought, ‘Serves you right. If only you’d made different choices before.‘
Nathan couldn’t even argue, just thinking about all the things he’d done and said in the past made him want to p his old self<b>. </b>
He bent down, opened the shoe cab, and pulled out an oversized pair of slippers.
Just then, Lily came out of her room, books in hand. “Aria, you’re back!”
sake.”
“Yeah,” Aria was already boiling water in the kitchen. “Give
me
your
You didn’t drink any cold water today, did you<b>?</b>”
“Nope!” Lily ran to fetch her bottle. On her way back out, she spotted Nathan, paused, then pretended not <b>to </b>see him, greeting Caleb instead, “Hi, Caleb!”
Caleb smiled, “Evening.”
Aria began slicing fruit, but Caleb gently took the knife from her. “Let me handle this. <b>Go </b><b>sit</b><b>.” </b>
She let go without protest. “Thanks.”
Lily poured out <b>three </b>sses of water and hesitated<b>, </b>debating whether to pour a <b>fourth</b>. She watched as Nathan quietly <b>washed </b><b>his </b>hands <b>in </b><b>the </b><b>kitchen</b>.
Their <b>eyes </b>met.
He wasn’t the confident kid he used to be–now, he seemed withdrawn, almost pitiful.
He had helped her before, after all.
She decided to pour a fourth ss<b>, </b>carrying the cups to the coffee table two at a time.
Aria sat on the couch, texting.
White Fox: [Aria, how’s your injury?]
Aria: [Pretty much healed. Are you back with Solemnity Guild?]
White Fox<b>: </b>[Yeah. Mr. Kelley didn’t say much about my failed mission.]
Aria: [Did you bring up leaving Solemnity Guild?]
A long pause, then: [I did. It’ll take some time.]
Aria: <b>[</b>If anything changes, let me know right away.]
On the other side, White Fox smiled when he read her reply.
Someone knocked on his open door. “White Fox, Mr. Kelley wants to see you.”
White Fox replied with a quick “Got it,” fired off a string of messages, then switched her phone over to another system, shut <b>it </b><b>off</b>, slipped it into <b>her </b>pocket, and got up to head out.
He replied: [Aria, gotta go. Talkter.]
He switched phones, tucked it away, and headed out.
Aria stared at her phone, lost in thought, when a new message popped up: [Someone’s looking into you. Do you want me to intervene?]
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