Chapter Thirty-One: Dinner & a Jealous Ex

The resort's outdoor dining area was stupidly romantic.

Fairy lights strung across wooden beams. Soft jazz playing. Candlelit tables set by the water. And Ethan, leaning against the bar in a black button-down that should've been illegal, waiting for her.

Aria's stomach did an embarrassing flip.

She paused a few feet away to gather herself. No way was she letting him know how ridiculously attractive he looked.

"Hey, Cole," she greeted coolly, slipping onto the stool beside him.

He smirked, eyes raking over her in a way that made her skin heat.

"Damn, Lane. You clean up nice."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not half bad yourself. Though I was hoping you'd still be soggy from the pool."

"I dry fast. Perks of being hot."

She laughed despite herself. "God, you're insufferable."

"You like it."

"Unfortunately."

He grinned, grabbing two menus. "Figured you for a steak girl."

"Medium-rare, obviously."

His smile turned softer. "Knew it."

They ordered, drinks arrived, and for the first time since they'd met, conversation came easy. No jabs. No snark. Just them, swapping stories about terrible work meetings, their worst dates, and childhood embarrassments.

Turns out, Ethan once tried to build a treehouse and fell out of it — twice.

"I swear, I've never met someone who makes chaos look this good," she teased, sipping her wine.

"I could say the same."

Their fingers brushed on the table. Neither pulled away.

And then, of course, the universe decided to ruin it.

---

"Aria?"

She stiffened.

That voice. That smug, too-confident voice.

She turned — and sure enough, there stood Nate Harper, tall, blonde, annoyingly attractive in a preppy finance-bro kind of way.

Her ex.

"Wow," Nate said, flashing that infuriating grin. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Ethan straightened immediately, one arm resting on the back of Aria's chair, posture casual but protective.

"Nate," she said coolly. "Didn't know you still existed."

"Ouch," Nate chuckled. "Still sharp. Who's this?"

"Her date," Ethan answered smoothly, extending a hand without standing. "Ethan Cole."

Nate hesitated a second too long before shaking it.

"Oh. Right. Heard your name. The boss guy."

"That's me."

Nate's gaze flicked between them, smirk widening. "Didn't peg you for the office romance type, Aria."

"I'm full of surprises."

Ethan's fingers brushed her shoulder.

Nate's eyes narrowed. "Well, listen. A bunch of us are grabbing drinks later. You should swing by, Aria. Like old times."

"I'll pass," she said, voice sharp.

Nate laughed. "Still feisty. Alright. I'll see you around."

He gave Ethan a thin smile before walking off.

Aria let out a breath.

"Ex?" Ethan asked.

"Unfortunately."

"Douchey finance guy?"

"Bingo."

Ethan chuckled. "He's got nothing on me."

She snorted. "Cocky much?"

"Truthful. I mean, did you see how fast he bailed when I stepped in? Man looked ready to call his mom."

Aria laughed, some of the tension easing. "You're impossible."

He leaned in, voice dropping. "But you like me."

"I'm working on tolerating you."

"Progress."

---

Dinner arrived, delicious and overpriced. They ate, swapped more stories, and Aria found herself forgetting the Nate encounter altogether — until her phone buzzed.

A text.

Nate: Still miss you sometimes, you know. We were good together.

Aria made a face.

Ethan noticed instantly. "Problem?"

She hesitated, then passed him the phone.

He read it, jaw ticking.

"Want me to drown him?"

She laughed, touched by how quickly he went from smug to protective. "I'm good. Just delete it."

Ethan did one better — he typed back.

'Lose my number.' Then hit send.

Aria blinked. "You didn't."

"Consider it community service."

She grinned, ridiculously fond of him.

"Thanks, Cole."

He shrugged. "No one ruins our night."

It hit her then. This wasn't a fling anymore. Wasn't a game or a dare or a work rivalry.

It was something real.

Something terrifying.

Something perfect.

---

After dinner, they wandered the resort paths, hand brushing hand, neither quite brave enough to fully grab the other's.

"Hey," Ethan said, stopping by the water's edge. The fairy lights reflected in his eyes, making him look annoyingly beautiful.

"Yeah?"

"I meant what I said earlier. I like you. And I suck at this — at relationships and feelings and not screwing things up. But I want to try. With you."

Her throat tightened.

"I'm scared too," she admitted. "But I'm done running from this."

He smiled, brushing a stray hair from her face.

"Good. 'Cause I'm not letting you go."

And then he kissed her.

Slow. Sure. Like a promise.

And for the first time in forever, Aria believed it....