CHAPTER 197

　　“I don’t want you to get hurt again Aaron,” she cried. “I just can’t take doing that to you again.”

　　This was the moment. He could just walk away. She would be okay. Bart would make just as worthy a king consort as he. But Aria had too much of him for him to just walk away from a chance to have her. He picked up the diary that detailed their meeting in the club and then the one that talked about their perfect week together. Even the ones that followed read like what it was, what they were, as they traded texts from thousands of miles away; first love. For the first time since they got back to Sartis Est, he watched her laugh, watched her relax, as they took a walk down memory lane.

　　“I have eyes, Aria. I know you don’t love me the way you once did, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t still love me,” he said, ending her laughter abruptly.

　　“I’ll always care about you, Aaron. You’re always going to matter to me, but-”