Chapter 165

ARIA'S POV

I stared at him, not sure of how to respond. Part of me wanted to brush it off with humor or sarcasm—it’s how I always dealt with uncomfortable moments. But another part of me felt like this was important, that he deserved a real answer.

Well, trust me to listen to the first part of me.

Without thinking, I smiled awkwardly and said, “I saw that the nurse was pretty excited earlier. Isn’t this giving you both a chance to be alone?”

The words were out before I could stop them, and I immediately regretted it. Kieran’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at me.

“What?” he asked, his voice filled with both confusion and disbelief.

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light. “I mean, she seemed really… passionate about you. Maybe this is your chance to rekindle something?”