Love Of My Life

36

I'm not sure if this chapter made sense because I am half asleep but I wanted to at least update lol thank you for the love on this book xx

...

Ben

I don't know if I woke up to the sunlight streaming in to the suite, or the bickering I heard but either or I still hear Aria and she's upset. Lucy stirs as well, and Gwilym is dragging Joe out of the kitchen area. He had passed out there last night shortly after Aria did.

My eyes take a second to adjust but I sit up right and study who Aria is talking to. Rami is beside her, but there's a man in the doorway that she's bickering with. I've never seen him before.

"Could you just leave?" Aria asks. She sounds exhausted. Not just physically either, mentally as well.

"We need to talk," the man says.

"No. No we don't,"

I quickly stand up, and walk over to Rami and Aria. I put a hand on Aria's back, softly.

"Is there an issue?" I ask. My voice is scratchy.

"Jesus, how many people are in there?" The man asks, craning his neck to get a better view.

"Matthew was just leaving," Aria says, her voice quiet but tense.

"Not before we talk," Matthew says. I don't like the way he looks at Aria.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Rami says. "We've been over this countless times. Please leave or I'll call security,"

Matthew holds up his hands and backs out slightly.

"I'll go, just remember what I have Aria. I recommend talking to me so that what I have doesn't get...lost," he says, smirking slightly. He walks away and down the hallways, whistling a song. Rami pushes the door shut.

"Who was that?" I ask. Aria leans into me and I wrap my arms around her.

"My ex boyfriend," she mumbles. What does he have that she wouldn't want 'lost'? I have so many questions but I don't want to overwhelm her.

I also didn't know her ex boyfriend was such a creep. Something about that whole interaction was just weird, and how did he even find her? It's not like we are at her house, or mansion rather. Someone would have had to have told him where to find her. But who?

"I want to know how the hell he found you, especially at my door," Rami says. His face is red from anger.

"Me too," Aria says, her voice barely a whisper. I kiss her temple.

"What was he threatening you with?" Rami asks her. "He said he had something of yours?" Lucy walks over to us, a blanket wrapped around her. She rests her head on Rami's shoulder.

Aria shifts uncomfortably in my arms.

"He has information on me," Aria says. She sighs heavily as a groggy Joe and Gwilym join us. "A lot of information on my personal life that he keeps threatening to sell to the press,"

Joe sighs heavily and runs his hands through his hair. "Who do I need to beat up?"

Aria laughs sadly. "My ex boyfriend somehow found me here," she explains to catch up Joe and Gwilym. "He was great when we first started dating, and that was when I was 21 so four years ago give or take. Then he got really clingy and invasive and it was just toxic so we broke up. Anyways, he had learned a lot about me and my family and he keeps threatening to sell pictures and information to the press. He's never gone as far as to stalk me like this though. He must really want something,"

"It doesn't make sense how he found you," Gwilym points out. This conversation is actually going in circles. 

"That's the point," I say, getting frustrated. "He just bloody showed up! Clearly someone told him but who the hell had contact with him?"

I feel Aria shrug. "It's common knowledge we dated for the most part, but Brian and Roger are the only ones who really know all the details. And their kids, because before you guys they were my only friends and family,"

"Does this mean we're family?" Joe asks. He suddenly seems to perk up. "Not that I'm changing the subject but I need the clarification," he adds quickly.

Aria laughs. "I consider you guys family, I just didn't say anything for a couple reasons,"

The lot of us collectively move back to the couches, continuing our conversation. My head is spinning trying to gather all of this new information. It doesn't help that everyone, except for Gwil and I, are extremely hungover. 

"Why wouldn't you want to talk about it?" Rami asks. "I've considered you guys my family for a while now. Especially you Aria. We've known each other for a while now,"

"I'm scared at how close we got so quickly," Aria admits. She sighs, as do a couple others. "It's weird because I feel at - I don't know - home with you all and I'm scared after filming that will be it. Because after all it's just a movie,"

I lace my fingers with Aria's and bring her hand up to my lips, kissing it gently. Her face blushes very slightly, which makes me happy that I still have that affect on her.

"It's might be a movie, Ari, but I don't see these people going anywhere anytime soon. I know I'm not," I tell her. 

It's true. I get where she's coming from. I've worked on a couple different movies and shows and haven't kept in touch with my costars. But I feel the same thing she does. This group is different. They're more than costars and friends - they're family. We all just click and get each other. We never went through a real awkward stage of friendship.

Okay, maybe in the beginning, but it wasn't bad.

"You can't get rid of me," Lucy says, smiling. 

"Same here," Gwilym agrees.

"Aria, we're basically in a joint relationship with Ben so no, I'm not going anywhere," Joe tells me, laughing ever so slightly. 

"I agree," Rami adds. "Not about the relationship part, but about the not leaving part,"

"I love you, Aria," I tell her, turning to look at her. She faces me, her eyes slightly watery and her hair a beautiful mess. "I'm not leaving,"

I really do mean that. I've been in relationships before where I wanted to pan out and see how it went, but with Aria I just know that I don't want to go anywhere. I hope she feels the same - and I think she does. 

"You guys are great," Aria tells us. She leans into me. "You make me so emotional. I hate it," she laughs. 

A moment of silence passes before Joe speaks again.

"Not to ruin the moment, but we still need to find this - what was his name? - Mark? and we need to take care of him," he says.

Aria laughs. "Matthew," she corrects him. 

"I'm going to call him Asshole,"

"Clearly he went looking for you," I point out. It angers me thinking about it. I think Aria can feel it bubbling inside of me because she takes her other hand and grabs mine in both of hers. 

"I agree," she tells me. "He went to someone to find me,"

"Who would he go to?" Rami asks.

Aria shrugs. "Clearly someone I know, and someone who probably works on set because he knew to find me at Rami's,"

I sigh heavily, as does everyone else as the realization hits us all at once. 

There's a snake amongst the crew, and we all probably know who it is.