Chapter Twenty-Nine: Morning Mess

The sun was too bright.

Birds chirped too cheerfully. The gentle rocking of the yacht made Aria's stomach flip for reasons that had nothing to do with motion sickness.

She groaned into her pillow.

What. The. Hell. Happened.

Memories hit her like a freight train:

Truth or Dare.

The kiss.

The kiss.

That ridiculously honest conversation on the deck under the stars.

Ethan's fingers brushing her hair from her face.

"I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Completely."

"Oh god," Aria muttered, burying her face in the pillow.

A knock sounded at the cabin door.

Before she could pretend to be dead, it swung open and in strolled Zoe, her best friend and co-worker, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, and a smirk that spelled trouble.

"Well, well, well," Zoe sang, plopping down on the bed. "Look who finally decided to wake up."

Aria groaned. "Please tell me it was all a weird, alcohol-induced hallucination."

Zoe snorted. "Nope. You and Hot CEO kissed. In front of, like, everyone. Twice."

Aria sat up, hair a mess, heart pounding. "Twice?"

Zoe held up her phone, playing a video.

There they were. Aria and Ethan, tangled up in a kiss that looked far too real, far too familiar for two people who supposedly hated each other.

"Oh god," Aria whispered, face burning.

"Sweetheart, that wasn't a dare kiss," Zoe teased. "That was a I've-wanted-to-do-this-for-months kiss."

"I hate everything."

"No, you don't. You're just in denial."

Aria grabbed a pillow and whacked Zoe in the face.

Zoe laughed, catching it. "Careful, Lane. Word is, Ethan was asking around for you this morning."

Aria froze. "What? Why?"

Zoe shrugged, all innocence. "Maybe he wants a third round."

"I will drown myself."

"In the lake? Very dramatic. Classic you."

Aria collapsed back onto the bed with a groan. "I can't face him. Not after… that."

"Babe, the man's been making goo-goo eyes at you since month two of working with him. You just refused to notice."

"I noticed. I just refused to acknowledge it."

"Same difference."

Aria sighed, reaching for her phone.

Seventeen notifications.

A text from Ethan at 7:04 a.m.

Ethan: Hey. You up?

Another at 7:30.

Ethan: Breakfast on deck if you're alive. No pressure.

And one final one, an hour ago.

Ethan: Miss your face, trouble.

"Oh no," Aria whispered.

"Oh YES," Zoe corrected.

"Zoe. He sent THREE texts."

"Yeah, and none of them are 'We should forget last night happened.' That's basically a love confession in man-language."

Aria groaned again, covering her face.

"What do I even say?"

Zoe grinned, snatching the phone. "Easy. You send a casual, cool, non-desperate reply. Like: 'Could use coffee. You buying?'"

"Too flirty."

"Too late." Zoe tapped send.

"ZOE."

"Look, you either run from this or you lean into it. And if you don't, Lena's already slithering around him this morning, trying to stake a claim."

That got Aria's attention.

"Lena's what?"

"Mm-hmm. Saw her cornering him by the espresso machine. Full-on hair flip and everything."

Aria sat up, murderous.

"I will bury her."

"There's my girl."

---

Ten minutes later, Aria was dressed, hair fixed, and stomping up the deck stairs.

She spotted Ethan instantly.

He was standing by the railing, coffee in hand, sunglasses on, looking like some magazine spread titled 'Rich, Rude, and Ridiculously Handsome'.

Lena was beside him, laughing a little too loud, touching his arm like she had a legal claim to it.

Aria's blood boiled.

Ethan looked up — and the moment their eyes met, something shifted.

He smiled.

Not a smug, cocky grin. A soft, genuine, I've-been-looking-for-you-all-morning kind of smile.

Lena followed his gaze, her own expression twisting.

Aria plastered on her sweetest, fakest smile and marched over.

"Hey, Cole," she greeted breezily, stopping so close her shoulder brushed his. "You didn't drown yet. Shame."

He chuckled. "Thought about it when I realized you ghosted me this morning."

"I was busy nursing a hangover and dodging invasive best friends."

He handed her a cup of coffee. "Figured you'd need this."

She took it, fingers brushing his. The spark was immediate and impossible to ignore.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Anytime."

Lena cleared her throat. Loudly.

"Oh," Aria said innocently. "Didn't see you there, Lena."

Lena's fake smile could've cracked glass. "I was just telling Ethan about our upcoming investor dinner."

"Mm. You'll probably have to reschedule. Ethan's booked."

"I am?" Ethan asked, amused.

Aria shot him a look. "Yeah. You promised me a rematch game of pool. Loser buys dinner."

Ethan grinned. "Guess my evening's taken, then."

Lena looked like she might spontaneously combust.

Aria sipped her coffee, victorious.

---

As they walked away, Ethan bumped her shoulder.

"Pool, huh?"

"Figured you owed me after last night."

He gave her a sidelong glance, mouth twitching. "You okay? After everything?"

Aria hesitated. Then nodded. "Yeah. Weirdly, I am."

Ethan reached for his phone. "Good. 'Cause I'm about to do something reckless."

Before she could stop him, he pulled up his messages and texted her. 'I like you. A lot. You're stuck with me now, Lane.'

Aria read it, heart lurching.

"You're such a cocky idiot," she said softly.

"You like it."

"I really do."

And for the first time in months — maybe years — everything felt exactly right.....