Until You (Off-Limits)

I lean back against the doorframe, my eyes on Aria and the man standing next to her. She’s wearing some ridiculously high heels tonight, and she’s almost as tall as her boyfriend with them on. Her long hair flows down her back in dark waves, and her stunning chocolate eyes are flashing.

I watch as her smile melts away because of something he said and cross my arms, forcing myself to stay put. Aria is always smiling. I’ve always known her as the girl that’ll smile through her tears, the girl that won’t let the world see the pain that lives inside her. She’s one of the strongest women I know, so who the fuck is this asshole that’s putting that frown on her face?

I watch as she places her hands on his shoulder, her eyes on his. She speaks to him so softly that I can’t make out her words, but her expression tells me she’s placating him somehow. She’s appeasing him, so they must have been arguing. I don’t like the anger in his eyes, the way Aria seems to reason with him. Something about this whole exchange doesn’t feel right to me.

Aria rises to her tiptoes, as though she’s about to kiss him, and I tense. Right before her lips meet his, he notices me standing in the hallway and takes a step back, his eyes widening with recognition.

Aria follows his line of sight, her lips tipping up in a familiar smile when they settle on me.

“Grayson,” she whispers.

Aria walks up to me, her heels clicking against the wooden floor. She pauses in front of me, the top of her head barely reaching my shoulder.

“Aria,” I say, my voice soft. Her name has always felt like a sin on my lips.

She tips her head to the side and smiles at me, her eyes twinkling. I breathe a sigh of relief — this is the Aria I know, ever surrounded by a hint of mischief.

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she says, her voice as sweet as it’s always been.

I nod, and her smile widens.

“Still so incredibly eloquent,” she adds, her eyes filled with amusement. “It’s nice to see you. I’m not sure Noah will ever get used to not having you around anymore.”

It’s been five years since I moved back to California, and I’m not sure I’ve gotten used to it myself. During the time I was studying, Miami became home to me, and in some ways, it still is. After all, it’s where Noah and Aria are.

I tense when Brad wraps his arm around Aria’s waist and glance at him, assessing the man that seems to have stolen Aria’s heart. What does she see in him? Must be his character, because surely she isn’t into this type of guy? He’s wearing more hair product than she is, and his teeth are weirdly white. It’s unnatural, and it creeps me the fuck out.

“Darling, won’t you introduce me?” he says, not a trace of his previous annoyance present.

Aria’s eyes light up, and it irritates me. It annoys me she lights up for him like that.

“Grayson, meet my boyfriend, Brad.”

Brad holds his hand out for me and I glance at it, part of me wanting to leave him hanging. I grab his hand and shake it with far more force than I need to. He pulls his hand away and slides it into his pocket, struggling to hide a grimace. “It’s so great to meet you, Grayson,” he says. His tone gets on my nerves. I see the eagerness in his eyes, the irritating smile. I know his type, and I can’t stand people like him. Sleaze ball. What does Aria see in this guy?

My eyes roam over him, taking in his far too tight shirt and his douchebag haircut. How much hair gel does this guy use? I can’t help but wonder if his hair would budge if I place a tennis ball on top of his head. I doubt it would. If anything, it might permanently fuse to his hair.

Brad turns to Aria and holds her tighter. “Darling, you never told me you knew Grayson Callahan.”

He sounds far too excited, and his tone grates on me. Aria smiles tightly, her eyes shifting away, as though her connection to me makes her uncomfortable. “He’s my brother’s best friend,” she says, her voice soft.

Her brother’s best friend, huh? I guess that is what I am, but she’s always treated me like I’m one of her friends too, like I’m family.

Brad turns to her, his brows raised. “The CEO of one of the world’s largest software engineering firms is your brother’s best friend, and you work for a boutique firm?”

Aria shrugs him off and walks toward the dining room, where Noah has already put his birthday cake on display.

I watch her as she forces her signature bright smile onto her face, but she isn’t fooling Noah or me. He glances at me with raised brows, and I shake my head slightly.

Brad follows and stares at her. It annoys me that he so obviously demands an answer. “Not everyone can get into Aequitas,” she says eventually, her voice soft. “Besides, I’m not working as an engineer. I have no relevant work experience. You know that.”

Aria sits down at the dining table and starts fussing with the plates and cutlery, her expression stormy. Brad sits down beside her, his arm on the back of her chair, and I drag my eyes away. He’s fucking clueless. He doesn’t even seem to realize that Aria is angry.

Noah clears his throat awkwardly and smiles at me. “Aria and Brad work together,” he tells me, breaking the silence. “They work for a small firm that mostly dabbles in communication software. It’s nothing like yours, of course, but it’s the same field, I think.”

I stare at Aria, my heart tightening at her haunted expression. I don’t know what’s going on, but her sadness is clearly tied to her job, and it looks as though Brad is rubbing salt in an open wound.

“You can,” I say, and Aria looks up at me, her gaze questioning. “You can get into Aequitas.”

She blinks, her cheeks reddening just a little. I’ve caught her off-guard. I can tell by the way her eyes widen, the way her lips open, as though she wants to say something, but doesn’t know what.

“You have an engineering degree, no?”

She nods slowly. “I specialized in software engineering.” Her gaze lingers, yet I can’t read that look in her eyes. Is it admiration? For a split-second I wonder if I inspired her to follow my path, but then I shake my head and smile. Of course not.

“You will always be welcome at my firm, Aria.”

She looks down at her plate, her cheeks turning crimson. She looks like she doesn’t know what to say, and I love that expression she’s wearing. Aria is rarely at a loss for words, but I’ve got her speechless. Over something so simple too. She should’ve known there’s always space for her by my side.

Noah sits up excitedly and grins. “That’s a great idea,” he tells her. “You should consider it. There isn’t a better company to work for, especially in your field.”

Brad nods. “I agree,” he says, his eyes on me. “I’d absolutely love to work for you,” he tells me. “Do you have a business card? Maybe we can chat sometime next week.”

I lift my wine glass to my lips and take a sip before placing it back down on the table, trying my best to suppress my irritation. “Not you.”

Brad blinks in confusion, while Noah bites back a smile. “I apologize for his abrasiveness,” Noah says, not sounding apologetic at all. “He means that his invitation only extends to Aria.”

I shake my head. Noah has always done this, translating my handful of words into full sentences. I never understood why — it’s not like I’m ever unclear. I just don’t see the point in wasting my words where they’ll remain unheard.

Aria glances at me, and the way she looks at me makes my heart feel strange. Her eyes are filled with so much hope, as though working for me actually means something to her. I wonder if she’s ever applied… fuck. What if she did and her application got rejected? I should’ve created an alert for her name.

Noah clears his throat and straightens in his seat. “Let’s cut the cake,” he says, smiling. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

His eyes drift to the photos on top of the fireplace, and I expected him to rise and choose a photo of his parents to place on the table with us. Aria and Noah have made it a tradition to include their parents on special occasions. They’ve done it for years, so I’m surprised when Noah tears his gaze away from the photos. He glances at Brad and then picks up the cake knife.

“Wait a minute,” I say, rising to my feet. I walk over to the fireplace and grab one of the photo frames, carrying it back to the table carefully. Noah looks up at me with gratitude in his eyes, and I can’t help but wonder if he’d have ignored their standing tradition because of Brad. Surely not?

Aria’s eyes meet mine, and I can’t quite decipher her expression. It looks a lot like helplessness blended together with gratitude. She rises to her feet to sing happy birthday to Noah, and I sit back to look at her. Her voice still renders me speechless. It’s as sweet and beautiful as she is.

I drag my eyes away and stare at the cake she made for Noah. It’s obvious she put a lot of thought into this year’s design, and I fight the tinge of jealousy I feel. To have someone care about you that much… to have someone hand make you a birthday cake, what would that be like?

My eyes fall to Brad, and I tense involuntarily. He’d better appreciate Aria, he’d better treat her like the queen she is. I’ve taken men far more powerful than him down, and I won’t hesitate to ruin him if he ever hurts her. For his sake, I hope he never does.