Her House

They reached Varean. Aria instructed him of where to go, where to turn, and they even got along a stop to accompany their hunger. She was the one who enjoyed the food the most, while Prince stared at the streets. It was full of cherry blossom trees.

"It's fall. No one would be able to see cherry blossoms after winter. The very first day of spring, it'd come," Aria pointed out. She munched on the sandwich, simultaneous with drinking the cola in her hand.

"Is the food good?" Prince asked. For the first time in his life, he's looking after a soft woman who lifted mood up every time there's food in her hand. Prince has never seen that kind of behavior with Avery.

Probably, Avery is a workaholic, and she's always that serious every time.

"Yeah, thanks for the food," Aria said simply, and continued to gobble down.

Prince nodded, and stayed silent inside the car. As the minutes passed, they took care of their trash, and sped up along the street towards the dead end. Prince stopped, as he had seen how narrow the road to Aria's home.

Aria felt embarrassed. In the first place, she doesn't want to show where she lives. Prince got a car, a house, and he even paid her bills. He even dropped by to the flower shop she's working at and bought her some flowers. Aria had never been in this kind of debt.

In order for her subconscious to stay silent, she had to pay for it.

"Is this your block? It said #31," Prince pointed out. He double-checked the sign.

Aria unbuckled her seatbelt, and climbed down suddenly. Prince hurried up, retrieving his phone, and checked the street. She turned to it, remembering Bryce dropping off every single day to have date outside. Aria shook her head, setting aside those wicked thoughts, and look at Prince.

"Like I said to you, my home isn't that beautiful," Aria mumbled. Her tone is down.

Aria walked inside, and Prince waited a few moments before following her. She tucked in her hands inside her patient's gown, walking fast, as if avoiding the prying eyes of her neighbor curious about her life and what did she do for the past few days.

Prince skeptically avoided the people who walked past ahead.

It was just a straight line and no spaces at all. How can Aria breathe in this place?

Aria stopped at one of the houses by the left row. The lock was still intact, and no one even dared to unlock it.

As Prince halted by her side, she crouched down and retrieved a spare key underneath a pot.

Aria panted, freezing in midair, remembering the last time she went in there. Prince checked on her bloodshot eyes, wondering, "What's wrong, Aria?"

She stared at the small terrace, where a vase had broken off, and the water has evaporated. The white rose petals had wilted, rotting, and the flies build up a nest, treating it as their own home. Aria couldn't help but to remember what Bryce did to her that time… and she staggered back, the key was still intact in her hands.

It was the only strength she knew for now. All her rage fired up on her grasp as Prince observed her eyes.

"Aria." He came up to her rescue. He held her shoulders, but Aria lost a hold of the key and it clattered right on Prince's shoe. Aria found her back meeting the wall, staring at Prince's chest, wondering if it was Bryce, or…

"Aria, what happened?" Prince hitched the key on his hand, careful not to flush it down on the drain, and held it while separating his distance from Aria.

She's catching her breath. Every painful kiss Bryce led her into, the way he forced her to climb his car, marched her off to an empty cabin where no people around… it made Aria…

All of a sudden, Aria collapsed. Closing her eyes, and losing her breath, it was a good thing after all.

Prince was fast. She caught him in his arms, and he got astonished about what happened.

"Aria…"

…

[A week ago.]

It was getting nearly 6 pm, but Aria doesn't have anything to do after she designed a limited edition bouquet in her notebook. She filled up the pages just by sitting in an hour, and Aria turned off her lamp right away. She didn't close her notebook, leaving the pen on the side.

Aria decided to go to the terrace, look out at the gate, and wonder if Bryce would come along.

He used to sleep over here for the past few days. Aria wouldn't mind.

They have been in a relationship for the past 3 years, and Aria had gotten used to Bryce's presence all the time.

Aria crossed her arms over her chest, went to the gate, and switched on the lights. Before she can even open up the gate, someone walked down the street, holding white flowers, and startled Aria right away.

"Bryce! You surprised me!" Aria shouted.

It was more of a glee. She opened up the gate right away, and threw her arms around Bryce's neck.

When they meet each other's eyes, Bryce dipped his head down, and planted a kiss in her lips.

Aria didn't let go and just held on for a while. They both stayed close to each other, but Aria remembered the flowers.

"Oh! You brought me flowers," Aria gasped. They both separated, and Bryce gave it properly to her.

"It's the last one for today at your shop. I know you're busy designing, so I drop off and bought the last one," Bryce revealed. Aria planted a kiss on his cheek, and they both smiled cheekily.

"Let's go inside. I cook supper," Aria said.

Bryce had been waiting for this time. Prince called him earlier, and this day had come: that they will execute both Avery and Aria De Leon. Aria turned around, but Bryce grabbed her wrist, and retrieved the flowers from her. She got surprised, giggling, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"You should take care of your flowers before it wilt," Bryce said. Aria watched as he emptied out the flower vase and filled it up with clean water.

"What did you cook?"

"As usual, it's your favorite."

"Hmm."

Bryce threw in the white roses inside the glass, and put it on the terrace counter. He turned to Aria, and opened his arms wide. She laughed, and hugged him by the waist.

Bryce didn't know how he should start. What Prince ordered him was difficult to carry out. It made him suck up every pride inside his body, and that he confessed the love he felt for Aria isn't real. But it's the other way around.

As he soothed Aria's hair, Bryce asked unknowingly, "What if I'm a bad guy?"

Aria raised her eyebrows as he sniffed in his intoxicating scent.

Bryce added, "What if I wasn't the guy you expected me to? What if I'm a bad one? What if I can hit you?"

Aria doesn't know what to answer. She held on to his waist, wanting to hold on for a while.

"Then I won't ask you why. I would just say to myself why did I fall in love with a bad guy when my dream was the opposite one." She won't have any regrets, she'd just blame herself? Bryce leaned his cheek onto the side of her head, and wondered what kind of tactic he had to do to lead on Aria's death.

"What would I do? The heavens lead me to the ones I avoid. I don't have anything to do but to accept it."

Aria unclasped, and turned to Bryce. This was getting fired up lately, but Bryce had to take opportunity of what he should do. As they met each other's eyes, Aria asked, "Why? Are you a bad guy?"

Bryce didn't answer, smirking, and planted a kiss to her. It turned to a torrid one, not the slow, soft one she expected. As their lips mold into each other, Aria felt like her lips will get detached. She doesn't know why, but when she pushed him off gently, Aria was out of breath.

Bryce's eyes darkened and it's the first time she saw that look.

In an instant, she got afraid. Her adrenaline rushed, and she doesn't know how to get away from Bryce's grasp.

He held onto her waist, and Aria yelled, "What are you doing?!"

"I'm a bad guy, Aria, and I'm not a man of your dreams."

After those menacing words, Bryce slapped her with all his might.