85 - ALMOST KISS

PRESENT

ARIA’S POV
The evening sun dipped below in the horizon, casting a warm glow over the tranquil lake where Marvis and I sat. I had just finished narrating everything to him from how it happened from my end and point of view, from losing my pregnancy to how Kyle eventually broke up with me and for the love of Christ, I couldn’t figure out at what point Sam had come in. Had she always been sleeping with him behind my back and smiling in my face after or had it been a one night of irrestible desire, I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to know because either ways I knew I wouldn’t be able to forgive both answers.

“So that’s what happened” I said finally and Marvis sighed not taking his eyes off me as I narrated the whole ordeal.

“Wow, Aria!” he finally murmured, breaking the silence that settled within us “That’s crazy”

nodded, staring out at the water rippling softly in the fading light, then he asked me “So about Kyle, are you going to confront him about it at all?”

I let the silence stretch between us once again while I contemplated my answer but the thought of seeing him made my blood boil instantly that I felt my fist clench themselves, but I released a shaky breath and unclenched my finger before looking at Marvis

“I don’t think I ever want to see him again” I said and I meant it from deep down in my soul. I could picture the both of them together, naked bodies writhing in the heat, his hands gripping her the way he would grip me, her running her hands through his hair the same way I loved to do that and the thought of that infuriated me to no ends that I wanted to scream but I held myself in place, containing all of my anger within.
Just then, Marvis reached out to me. His touch was gentle, comforting in a way I hadn’t realized I needed. We looked at each other, his eyes holding a depth of understanding I hadn’t felt elsewhere. There was something unspoken in that moment—a shared connection born of vulnerability and empathy. Somehow, it felt good to spill it all to a stranger I had just very little information about.

“So why did you move out here to LA” I asked him in a bid to shift the attention from him and at least learn a little bit about the man I was spilling my guts to especially since I’d be working with him. :Wait before you answer, are you actually in the mafia”

He smirked dangerously at me before pulling up his shirtsleeves to reveal a snake tattoo that ran up his arms with the head settling just on is shoulder “Yes grew up in Algreen cove and was raised in that life. My father was the head of the mafia gang that protected the city until he was betrayed by his brother, my uncle Romano who in turn is Dantes’s father”

“Dante?”

“Yea my cousin that I lost the love of my life to, to be fair she was never mine to begin with, she always belonged to him, she was sold to him and I just like to dwell in the little fragment of hope that she’ll realize what a bullshit man he was and leave him. She did realize it, she just didn’t care – on the other hand Dante was a dangerous bastard and messing with him had consequences”
“Which you’ll rather avoid?” I asked but the look Marvis gave me showed that he excelled in danger so I let it pass.

“So why a manager of all things” I asked him and he sat quiet for a minute, suspicions clouding his eyes but he shrugged it off and turned to face me.

“I can’t tell you that”

“Fine”

“You’re not curious?” he countered again

“You just said you can’t tell me”

“I was expecting you to pry”

“But you just said you can’t tell me, what else is there to pry?”

Marvis only chuckled, his eyes locking unto mine and slowly his hands reached out to mine, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of my hand.

Right there and then, the air crackled with an unspoken tension. Why did it feel warm in his presence like a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside me. For a fleeting moment, I considered what it’ll be like to lean in and close the distance between us. As if sensing my thoughts, Marvis leaned closer to me, a slight whiff of his cologne drifting into my nose and his breath mingling with mine in the cool evening air. Our faces were mere inches apart and I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull that kept pulling us together. I closed my eyes briefly, torn between the solace of the newness of his embrace and the fear of rolling down this tumultuous path. My heart raced, the echoes of past betrayals and shattered dreams whispering caution in my ear.
With a sudden surge of resolve, I gently pulled away from him, breaking the spell that seemed to envelop us. Marvis blinked in surprise, his expression flickering with a mix of disappointment and caution.

“I’m soryy, I can’t – ” I fumbled my words with a sudden guilt weighing heavily in my stomach that I sprang up immediately. What was I doing? He was my manager for crying out loud, what the hell was I doing?

“Aria – ” he called trying to break through the turmoil that was going on in my brain.

“I’m sorry – I got to – I have to go”