My fingers tighten around the phone 115

Aria’s POV
I dragged myself toward the elevator, my body weighed down by bone-deep exhaustion and the emotional aftermath of
my confrontation with Ethan. His words still echoed in my head, each syllable cutting deeper than any physical wound
ever could. The harsh things we’d said to each other hung in the air like poisonous smoke, suffocating any hope for
reconciliation.
If we couldn’t even have one conversation without tearing each other apart, how could we ever build something real?
The thought sent a chill through me as my hand unconsciously drifted to my still-flat stomach. What kind of future
awaited this child? How could we possibly co-parent together?
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ping, revealing Leo leaning against my apartment door. He straightened
immediately upon seeing me, his usual easy smile replaced by an expression of careful neutrality that set my nerves on
edge.
“So what’s the deal with you and Ethan?” he asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
I inhaled deeply, biting my lower lip as my fingers twisted together nervously. “There is no deal,” I finally said, my voice
sounding hollow even to my own ears. “There could have been something, but now there’s nothing.”
“Didn’t look like ‘nothing’ to me,” Leo countered, his tone carrying an edge I rarely heard from him.
“It’s complicated,” I sighed, leaning against the wall for support. “But whatever possibility existed died the moment he
chose Emma over me.”
“So this is about that bitch Emma,” he rolled his eyes, then asked cautiously, “What about us then?”
The careful expression on his face softened something inside me, and for one fleeting moment, I wished I could love Leo.
It would be so much simpler. But we both knew that wasn’t possible. Leo wouldn’t love me the way I needed, and I
couldn’t love him the way he wanted. We mattered too much to each other to be anything but friends, like family.
“Leo, I love you,” I said, my voice hoarse as I stepped into his space. I met his eyes directly, dropping all pretenses and
letting him see how desperately I needed him to understand. “I love you like a brother, like family. I don’t want to lose
you.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Leo shifted his gaze away, taking a half-step backward. I could feel the rejection in that movement,
and my heart ached with the desire to comfort him, but I wouldn’t. Because that wasn’t what he needed from me right
now. Leo rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve just been under pressure from the Northern pack to settle down, find a mate
soon, and you’re the only woman I’ve ever been comfortable around long-term.”
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“But that’s not love,” I insisted, needing him to understand why we wouldn’t work. I didn’t want him to regret this
conversation someday, or spend a lifetime wondering ‘what if.’ I needed him to see how wrong this would be, “And as
much as you hate to admit it, you don’t want me like that either. That kiss felt weird to you too, didn’t it?”
“Ouch, don’t rub it in,” Leo joked, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Leo shook his head, looking up at the ceiling.
“I do love you,” I continued, turning serious again. “You saved me. When I was kicked out of the pack, I was lost, and you were exactly the light I needed.”
“But you’re not in love with me. Not that way.” Leo sighed. He looked over my shoulder down the hallway and nodded
slightly. Too many emotions flickered across his face for me to catch them all. Then his jaw tightened, his Adam’s apple
bobbing as he swallowed hard. “Ethan’s a good guy. Don’t give up on him. I can see there’s more between you two than
you want to admit.”
“I hope so. It’s just that there’s so much in our way,” I wanted to believe him, really, but actions spoke louder than words.
Leo looked into my eyes, searching for something I couldn’t name. He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on my
forehead, “Take care of yourself, baby girl. And if you can’t, I’m here.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that,” I whispered, not sure what else to say. It meant everything that Leo would still support me
after I’d rejected him repeatedly. I knew my own heart, and Leo would never be the one for me.
“I better go before I do something stupid,” Leo said, giving me a quick hug. I smiled against his shirt.
“Like what? Try to kiss me again?” I teased, playfully shoving him away and giving his shoulder a light punch. “Because let me tell you, that was spectacularly bad.”
“Ha! Goodnight, Aria,” Leo waved as he turned to walk down the hallway.
I’ll rewrite that dialog exchange to be different from the original:
“Goodnight, Leo,” I called after him, then felt compelled to add, “And Leo? Be careful around Emma. Trust me, that woman is pure poison.”
“Please,” Leo shot back with a dismissive wave, not even breaking his stride. “I’d rather hug a cactus than get within ten
feet of that manipulative snake.”