Aria's POV
Perhaps sensing my profound tension, steered the conversation into entirely new waters.
"I'll tell you a secret," he said, his voice a low, intimate murmur, cutting through the anxiety that hummed between us. "One about my first love."
"What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it, my voice tinged with an embarrassing hint of jealousy I couldn't quite hide.
"Why did you fall for her?" I asked, trying to sound casual while something uncomfortable twisted in my stomach.
Aiden's lips curved into that half-smile that always made my pulse quicken. "She reminded me not to dwell in past sorrows during my lowest point. Without her, I might never have achieved what I have today."
I bit my lip, gathering my courage before asking the question burning inside me: "D
