Path To Realization (Fighter's Den, #4)

Chapter 14 - Aria

*PLEASE NOTE: Wattpad has been glitching my updates recently so there is a fair chance quite a few of you missed the previous update. Please double check that you've read the previous chapter before reading this one. Thanks!*

___________________

PRESENT

"Leaving already?" Fawn asks. It's only three in the afternoon but I did overtime two days this week to make sure I could leave early on Friday.

"Hell, yeah." I snort and place all my files in my briefcase. "I'm going to go home and crash and wake up on Sunday."

"You better stop talking like that before I get turned on." Fawn winks and I burst out laughing.

"I won't have to set up a single alarm." I continue and lean forward. "Just turn my phone off and sleep for twenty-four hours."

Fawn moans exaggeratedly with her head tipped back, pretending to hold on to my desk for support. Unfortunately her eyes are closed so she doesn't see that Owen uses that exact moment to walk by, freezing in his tracks at the noise that comes out of Fawn and eyes glazing over when he catches the lust on her face. I'm laughing so hard at this point that I sink to the floor so I can lean my back on my desk, no longer able to stay on my feet. Fawn opens her eyes but her own giggles are immediately cut off when she notices Owen. Her face turns beet red, eyes widening alarm.

I point a finger at Owen and barely get my words out through my laughter. "Either you're looking at her like that because you've never heard her make that sound or you've definitely heard her make that sound and you're having sex flashbacks."

Fawns swings her gaze to me, gaping. "Aria!"

"What?" I shrug. "I want to know."

My words snap Owen out of his lust-induced coma and he averts his gaze from Fawn, clearing his throat. "Ah, have a good one, ladies."

He stalks away and this time Fawn looks like she's seconds away from sacrificing my first born to the devil himself.

"Sorry." I offer sheepishly. "I take it you haven't bumped uglies?"

"No shit, Sherlock." She hisses. "And we were making great progress."

"Well you did just give him a front row seat to your orgasm face. If that won't have him crawling back then I don't know what will."

"You make a fair point. And crawling back to me insinuates him on his knees..."

"And then you'll be making those moaning sounds for real."

We both share a giggle over that, elbowing each other. To say Fawn was surprised to find out what my personality is truly like would be an understatement. I'd been so wary and closed-off when I first came to Boston. Now I'm slowly letting go of the hold this city has over me and molding back into the Aria I used to be, the one who never had trouble making friends or making others laugh. Fawn says my presence is contagious and it's been a while since I've truly believed those words. With each day that passes I'm making progress with feeling like myself again. I hardly have nightmares, I'm no longer jumpy or suspicious (for the most part), and my heart has been steadily reconnecting with this city I once called home. I actually feel like I'm finally fucking home.

I owe a huge part of that to my family for having my back relentlessly and reminding me that I'm so freaking blessed to be surrounded by people who love me. I don't regret moving to California or using the opportunity to find myself again but I do regret missing more years with them than I thought I would. I've been fighting tirelessly to make up for it.