Page 21 of Keep Me Close

“Look, I don’t understand what I did wrong, but I am happy to talk about it, if you’re open to it.”

“I am not.”

I sigh. This is not going anything like I had hoped it would. “Whatever I did to offend you, I’m sorry. It’s your prerogative to not talk to me, and that’s fine.” So, I get in line behind her.

“What are you doing?”

“Like I said, it’s your prerogative to not talk to me. It’s my prerogative to get in line for my coat.”

“You’re only here because I’m here.”

I huff a laugh. “Shows you how little you know. I need my coat.”

She glares up at me with those bright blue eyes, and I ignore how bad that feels. Aria should not have this kind of hold on me, but she does. After all this time, it makes no sense at all, and yet, it’s there. “You’re being difficult for attention. I know what that looks like. I teach four and five-year-olds, remember?”

Quietly, I admit, “I remember everything about you, Aria.”

Her breath hitches in her chest, and she swallows. Then she turns back around. “Well, I’m not here for you. “

“That’s fine. I’m not here for you. I’m here for my coat.”

“Funny. I don’t remember you being a stubborn pain in the ass.”

I laugh. “We didn’t do a lot of getting to know each other in the traditional sense that night.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Since when do you care about what other people think?”

She whips around and hisses, “Since a lot of these people can affect my job.”

I put my hands up. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

She huffs and turns back around. “You might have, if you had stuck around.”

I nestle into her hair to whisper to her. “I was clear from the start about my intentions, Aria. Why do you hate me?”

She sighs. “I don’t hate you. But I don’t want to talk, either.”

I don’t want to acknowledge how much I detest hearing that out of her. After returning home to Somerset Harbor, it has been one open pair of arms after another, like a vet coming back after a war. My brothers and I had met for drinks and caught up. When Mom saw me enter the party at the start of it, she cried from happiness, and Dad was overcome with emotion enough that his hug was more than a back pat. It’s been great until now.

I had kind of hoped to keep that streak going. Can’t tell which is worse at the moment. The coldness of Aria or the coldness outside. Maybe a different tactic. “You have a boyfriend, right? Someone who would be jealous if he knew we were talking to each other? Bet you bragged to him about that night, huh? Told him about the guy who made you—

“Seriously?” she snaps.

“Coffee. I was going to say coffee.”

She rolls her eyes and huffs again before turning around.

“But if you had a boyfriend, Lily would have invited him, too. So, maybe that’s not it. Unless it’s a secret boyfriend she doesn’t know about.”

She goes unnaturally still, but says nothing.

“Or a secret girlfriend. You know what? I don’t hate that idea. In fact, the thought of you with another woman—

She turns around, curiosity making her eyebrows pinch up. “What is with guys and that particular fantasy? I’ve always wanted to know.”

“Two girls are more than one girl. Really, it’s just math. Nothing too complicated about it.”