The Queen Of Bad Things (Book 2)

Chapter 8. Naughty

Aria stared at me with a horrified expression. "You want me to come home with you? I don't even know you." Her voice filled with panic, and she scooted back in her bed. Aria turned to look at Tina.

"Aria, I think it is best," Tina said.

"Why?" Aria demanded.

"We think that if you come home with me, something could trigger your memory," I said. "It's your choice, of course, but if you go to live with Tina, we would have to transfer Angel back and forth between us. The mansion—"

"You have a mansion?" Aria arched one eyebrow and her lips mashed in a straight line.

"Sort of. . ." I trailed off. My gaze flickered to Tina, and I gave her a questioning look.

Tina pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head.

"We lived there together," I said.

"How do you have a mansion?" Aria asked. "Are you famous?"

"I sort of inherited it." I mashed my lips together to stop from laughing and shrugged. It was difficult to see her act this way. Aria had no idea what went on after she got to California.

"Right. . ." Aria trailed off. "I'm supposed to know this, aren't I?" Aria groaned in frustration and buried her face in her hands.

"It's fine, Aria. You will learn things slowly. A lot has happened, and it is a lot to take in. We don't want to explain all of it at once and send you into shock," Tina said.

"The mansion has plenty of room. You can stay in whichever bedroom you want. I don't expect you to—" I stopped and sighed. "We won't share a room. Ultimately it is your choice, but I hope that you will give this a chance. If you don't like it or find it overwhelming, you can stay with Tina or your mother."

"My mother," Aria scoffed. "She lives in Nevada, and I refuse to go back there."

Tina cleared her throat. "Aria, I think you should know that your mother left Jim. Tammy lives in California now. Jim died shortly after your mother left."

Really shortly afterward–I thought sarcastically.

"Oh," Aria breathed. "N-no, that is fine. I think I will try to live with Ace and Angel first." Aria turned away from Tina and looked at me. "I would like to have my memory back, and if you think being with you where we lived might trigger something, I'm all for it." Aria gazed away from me shyly.

The way Aria looked away from me reminded me of how shy she once was. I hadn't seen her shy away like that in a long time. When I first met Aria, she commonly shied away from people. However, as Aria got used to everyone, she rarely hesitated to tell people how she felt or thought.

"I brought you some things," I said. I held up a duffel bag that belonged to her.

Aria looked at it and bit down on her lip. Aria's eyes locked with mine. Intensity clouded her blue eyes, and her lips parted. Aria's chest rose and fell unsteadily.

The way Aria looked at me completely disembodied me. It took everything I had to step forward, drop the bag on her bed, and drop my gaze.

"I'm going to leave Tina to help you get dressed. Your cellphone is in your bag. It is charged. All you need to do is turn it on," I explained.

"Where is Angel? You said you would bring him to me," Aria said.

"I wanted to talk to you about where you were going first. Angel is in the waiting room with your mother—"