When the fear of isolation pulls Ashton and Ria together, nothing can prepare them for the collision. An anomaly shatters the repetitive fabric of their lives, sending them on a journey of discovering themselves and one another.
Beneath Ashton's gen...
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"I'MGOING TO BE in the shower," Sophia calls before slipping into the bathroom.
"'Kay," Jared mumbles more to himself as he finds a comfortable seat in the living room, poetry book in one hand and a glass of lemon tea in the other. Exhaling a sigh, he tosses his notebook on the coffee table. He tips his glass and takes a light sip of his drink, attempting to clear his mind.
Knock-knock.
Before he has a chance to conjure his first string of words company arrives, and he has a sneaking suspicion he knows who it is. He trudges to the door and reveals Dea with her usual glory of sparkling eyes and even brighter smile. "Hi!" she chirps and skips past him.
"Hey." He rubs the nape of his neck and twists a lock of hair around his fingers. "Sophia just got in the shower."
She whirls around in a flurry of floral fabrics as her sundress twirls around her. "Oh! I actually wanted to talk to you."
He frowns with tendrils of curiosity slinking around him. "Me?"
Dea bobs her head, sending her long ponytail swaying behind her shoulders. "Can we step outside for a moment?" A serious tone lingers under her masked smile.
"Yeah, sure." He follows as she leads the way to the balcony.
The sun rests in the center of the sky and warms his back. He looks down at Dea as she purses her full crimson lips and tucks stray hairs behind her ears. Winds of a summer day brush through them, pushing his wavy hair into his eyes. He drives it back and adjusts his glasses.
Dea peers at her entangled fingers. "Jared..." Her voice is soft but threads of her thick accent tangle beneath it. "Do you hate me?"
"What?" He cocks his head to the side.
"Do you hate me?" She looks up this time and takes a step closer. "Because of Sophia and I?"
His heart thrums. Sweat glazes his palms. "Why would you ask that? Sophia and I broke up years ago. I'm so over that." Even as he chuckles to prove his point, her expression remains firm. She knows. Of course, she knows. Jared is pretty sure everyone knows.
"She's my best friend," he mumbles. "I just want what's best for her." He shoves his hands into his sweats and looks down at his socks. Even if that means you.
"I'm sorry. I swear, I'm trying to keep our relationship as platonic as possible until I know you're ready."
What?
Jared scowls and stares at the hopeful expression across her face. "Is that why...is that why you two haven't started dating yet?"
"I know it must be weird for you." Dea wraps her small hands around his wrists. "I don't want to hurt you or make things awkward. I really care about Sophia and I care about your friendship. I can wait until you're ready. I-"
