And every single time it happened, I found myself reaching for her without even realizing it.
A hand on her back.
Her knee.
Her wrist.
Anywhere.
Just to pull her a little closer.
Aria finally looked at me.
The smile she gave me nearly wrecked me.
Because it wasn't real.
Not the way it used to be.
Not the smile she gave me when one of our little gremlins did something ridiculous.
Not the one she wore when Kara was happy and relaxed and teasing the hell out of Drake.
This one was different.
The smile she used when she didn't want people worrying about her.
The smile she'd perfected after spending half her life carrying things alone.
Gods, I hated that smile.
I wanted the one from two nights ago.
The one she'd given me while dancing barefoot beneath the stars.
The one that h
