Chapter 267
Aria’s POV
I grumbled as I stepped off the twelve-hour flight, my neck stiff from the
uncomfortable position. Aiden had insisted on upgrading Summer’s seat, but she’d refused first class. They’d compromised on business class instead, which seemed ridiculous considering she’d booked me into first class.
I stared down at my boarding pass, trying to find my seat number when I heard Summer’s voice calling out.
“Aria! Over here p>
I glanced up and hurried toward her. “Are you sure you don’t want me to upgrade you? It’s going to be a long flight back too p>
“It’s not my first rodeo,” she said, backing away from me like I might force her into first class. “I’ll be fine! Call if you need anything p>
I watched her retreat to business class with a sigh before settling into my plush seat. As I adjusted my position, I noticed a man with striking eyes sitting diagonally in front of me, watching me with interest. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
The flight was long and boring. After takeoff, I picked at the gourmet dinner they served, managed a few sips of water, and tried to distract myself with movies on my tablet. By 10 PM, my body clock gave up, and I reclined my seat to sleep.
I only managed about six hours before the announcement for landing woke me. Rubbing my eyes, I took a sip of water while waiting for the plane to touch down. It was around 9 PM local time, and noticeably colder than back in New York. I pulled on my knitted cardigan for extra warmth.
Those six hours hadn’t been nearly enough. I stumbled forward in a sleep-deprived haze, yawning so wide I didn’t notice when I bumped straight into someone.
“I’m so sorry!” I blurted out, looking up to find a familiar face. “Mr. Duncan p>
“Ms. Jones,” he replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement. “What a coincidence p>
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Did I hurt you p>
“Not at all p>
Ethan Duncan looked down at me, and I suddenly felt self-conscious about my disheveled appearance. His almond-shaped eyes seemed to take in everything, making me feel exposed. I shifted uncomfortably, aware I was blocking other passengers.
“We should probably keep moving,” I said, gesturing to the line behind us. “I’m holding everyone up p>
He nodded without pressing for more conversation. “I’ll be on my way then p>
I watched him stride ahead with purposeful steps before continuing my sleepy shuffle toward baggage claim. After sending Aiden a quick “landed safely” text, Summer appeared beside me.
“Aria, it’s chilly out. Do you want to swap jackets?” she asked, eyeing my thin cardigan with concern.
“I’m okay. Let’s grab our luggage-Christopher’s probably waiting for us.” Christopher was Claude’s assistant, responsible for getting us settled at the hotel. Summer checked her watch and nodded in agreement.
We’d barely exited the terminal when we spotted a tall man waving enthusiastically in our direction.
“Summer! Aria p>
After quick greetings, Christopher drove us to the hotel and got us checked in. This wasn’t my first collaboration with Claude, and Christopher knew neither Summer nor I had much interest in hitting the local nightlife, so he left us to rest once we were settled.
Despite my earlier exhaustion, I felt wide awake after arriving at the hotel. I soaked in a hot bath, and just as I emerged wrapped in a fluffy towel, my phone rang. Aiden’s name flashed across the screen.
I flopped onto the couch, draping myself over its back as I answered. “Hey, Aiden p>
“Made it to the hotel?” His deep voice sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.
“Got here around five. Just finished a bath.” I ran my fingers through my damp hair. “Aren’t you tired p>
I opened my mouth to deny it but betrayed myself with an enormous yawn instead. “Maybe a little,” I admitted.
“Is the performance tonight p>
“No, tomorrow evening p>
“Good p>
The line went went quiet.
I clutched the
phone tighter, wanting to tell him
how much I missed him but feeling
silly for being so needy after just one day apart. Finally, I gathered my courage and whispered, “I really miss you, Aiden p>
My face immediately burned with embarrassment at my confession. Before he could
respond, I rushed to end the call. “I should get some sleep! Bye p>
I hung up and threw myself onto the king-sized bed, pulling up my phone gallery to look at the photo I’d secretly saved-the one Aiden used as his screensaver. Some talented stranger had captured us perfectly in profile. Looking at it made my heart flutter; we matched perfectly in height, build, even our facial
structures complemented each
other.
We were a hundred percent compatible. I couldn’t help grinning like an idiot at the thought.
The comfortable bed and lingering warmth from my bath soon had my eyelids drooping. I pulled the blanket over myself and fell into a deep sleep.
I didn’t stay asleep long, though. By 3 AM, I was wide awake again, jet lag messing with my internal clock. I munched on a protein bar and played a few games on my phone to pass the time.
Around 5 AM, I got a text from Lillian: “Honey, do you have time to shop while you’re there? Could you pick up a few handbags for me p>
I considered my schedule. “My flight’s at 7 PM the day after tomorrow. I should have most of that day free p>
Lillian responded with a flurry of heart emojis and pictures of the bags she wanted. “No problem,” I texted back.
With nothing better to do, I decided to work out my restlessness with yoga. After two hours of stretching and poses, daylight finally began streaming through the windows.
I texted Summer, who admitted she hadn’t slept much either. We agreed to meet for breakfast downstairs.
Shortly after we finished eating, Christopher called to say he’d arrived to take us to
the venue. I hurried back to my room to grab a jacket, noting the gloomy sky outside that promised a chilly day.
By 9 AM, I was meeting with Claude and the other musicians. After exchanging greetings, we immediately began rehearsing.
The performance was scheduled for 8 PM and would run for two hours, with my part taking up about forty minutes. Since my accident, I hadn’t performed formally on stage like this The nerves were definitely there, fluttering in my stomach.
But everything went more smoothly than I’d expected. After finishing my portion, I slipped my jacket back on, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders.
Summer handed me an opened bottle of water and leaned in close to whisper, “Aria, that guy we saw yesterday on the plane? He’s actually in the audience p>
I took a sip, raising an eyebrow. “Who p>
“The one you said you barely knew the guy who was on our flight p>
I gave her a teasing look. “Are you interested in him? Want me to get his number for
you p>
“Of course not!” she protested, her cheeks turning pink. “I just thought it was a weird coincidence p>