However..

Aria couldn’t ignore the sting anymore....the sharp pain from those uncomfortable shoes was cutting into her every step. She excused herself, pretending to take a call, and slipped out of the restaurant. The rooftop had a small compartment...half smoking area, half for people who needed air.

She wasn’t there to smoke. She just needed to breathe.

A few older men lingered nearby, cigarettes glowing in the dim light. Their eyes flicked toward her, and though she couldn’t catch every word, the tone was clear...judgment, amusement, something that made her  uneasy. Reading the room, Aria quickly turned away and rushed back downstairs, feeling slightly off.

Peter noticed the shift, but...he was too eager, too desperate to keep bragging now that more colleagues had joined. He basked in the attention, and Aria sat quietly at his side, half-listening.

Dinner arrived. One male colleague happened to sit next to Aria. Unlike the others, he wasn’t interested in Peter’s boasts...he turned to her instead. His questions were geniune, his tone warm, and he was surprisingly good at conversation..

Peter, however, noticed. Petty jealousy prickled at him. Later, on their way out, he brought it up.

“That guy was talking to you a lot, wasn’t he?”

Aria snapped. “That was your colleague trying to make sure I wasn’t left awkward and ignored while you were too busy boasting. Don’t twist it into something else.”

She slipped off the heels, holding them in one hand, and slid her aching feet back into her old shoes. Blood spotted the back of her ankle where the straps had dug in. Peter hadn’t even noticed until now.

“Go home, Peter,” she said firmly, her voice breaking but resolute. “I’m done for the day.”

Her words carved a line between them....Peter knew staying would only escalate their fight. He stood there, torn, but didn’t follow.

On her way back home, Aria tried to hold back her tears. She couldn’t even pinpoint what hurt the most...Peter’s ignorance, his petty accusations, his disregard for her comfort, or the judgmental stares from strangers. All of it felt like too much, piling over her chest like an invisible weight.

Her phone buzzed.

Peter: Sorry. Good night.

She stared at the message for a moment, then locked her screen. The apology felt thin, like a bandage over a wound that needed stitches.

Just then, another notification popped up.

Victoria: Hey, if you wanna come over, feel free. Caren and mom-dad are at my aunt’s place tonight.

Aria’s heart softened a little. Victoria’s house had always been a safe corner of her world. Still, her mind wandered...so it’ll just be the three of us? You, me… and Shawn?