Aria’s POV.
The air inside the car was suffocating. It smelled like Daniel’s cologne-spicy and sharp, the kind of scent that lingered long after he was gone. My head was spinning. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. He’d lost it. Completely and utterly lost it.
I watched him walk away, his shoulders stiff, his hands shoved into his pockets. There was a storm in him, one I couldn’t quite understand. And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
My heart was still pounding. I felt trapped-between anger and confusion, between the memory of his fist slamming into Liam’s face and the way he’d looked at me, his voice pleading when he told me to get in the car. I wanted to scream at him, to demand answers, but the words were stuck in my throat.
I sat there for a moment, gripping the edge of the seat like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My pulse was still racing, and no matter how hard I tried to steady it, I couldn’t.
Finally, I shoved the door open and climbed out, slamming it shut behind me. The sound echoed through the parking lot, and for a brief, satisfying moment, it felt like I had some control over the chaos Daniel had left in his wake.
Liam was still parked a few spaces away, leaning against his car, his hand pressed to his jaw. He looked stunned, his usual easygoing grin replaced by something more cautious. I hesitated, taking a step toward him.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice softer than I expected.
He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing slightly, and then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll live.” His tone was clipped, his usual lightness replaced by something harder. “Your boyfriend’s got a hell of a right hook, though.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said quickly, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I don’t even know what he is.”
Liam raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between pity and disbelief. “Whatever he is, he’s got some serious anger issues,” he muttered, rubbing his jaw. “You should be careful, Aria. Guys like that… they don’t just stop at one punch.”
The implication hit me like a slap, and I took a step back, my stomach twisting uncomfortably. “Daniel wouldn’t hurt me,” I said, though the conviction in my voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be. “He’s just… complicated.”
“Yeah,” Liam said dryly, straightening up. “That’s one way to put it.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Look, I’m not trying to get between you two. But whatever’s going on with him, you need to figure it out. For your own sake.”
I didn’t respond. What could I say? Liam didn’t know Daniel-not really. But then again, did I? His words from last night echoed in my mind. Do you really know me, Aria? The truth is, I barely know anything about you.
The truth was, I didn’t know him. Not the way I thought I did. And after this morning, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
Liam nodded, his expression softening slightly. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
I nodded, turning away before he could say anything else. My feet felt heavy as I made my way across the parking lot, toward the main campus buildings. The weight of the morning clung to me, dragging me down with every step.
The halls were bustling with students, laughter and chatter filling the air, but I felt like I was moving through a fog. People passed by in a blur, their faces indistinct, their voices muffled. I barely noticed when someone called my name.
“Aria!”
I blinked, turning toward the sound. It was Mia, my classmate. She was standing by the coffee cart, a steaming cup in her hand, her dark curls bouncing as she waved me over.
“Hey,” I said, forcing a smile as I approached her.
“What happened to you?” she asked, her brow furrowing as she looked me over. “You look… frazzled.”
Frazzled was an understatement. I felt like I’d been dragged through an emotional hurricane. “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, but Mia wasn’t buying it. She arched an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she leaned against the cart.
“Don’t give me that,” she said. “I know you, Aria. Something’s up. Spill.”
I hesitated, glancing around. The last thing I needed was for someone to overhear this mess. “It’s Daniel,” I said finally, lowering my voice.
Mia’s eyes widened slightly, and she leaned in closer. “What did he do now?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “He… he punched Liam this morning.”
Mia’s jaw dropped, her coffee forgotten as she stared at me. “What? Why?”
“Because he saw Liam picking me up for class, and I guess he thought…” I trailed off, my cheeks flushing. “I don’t know what he thought. He just lost it.”
“What, Aria,” Mia said, shaking her head. “That’s… that’s not normal. That’s scary.”
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly, though even I wasn’t sure if I believed it. “He was just… upset. He thought Liam was trying to-”
“To what? Kidnap you? Steal you away?” She shook her head again, her expression incredulous. “Look, I know you’ve got this whole tortured-romantic image of Daniel in your head, but seriously, Aria, this is a red flag. A giant, waving, neon red flag.”
I bit my lip, looking away. I knew she was right. Deep down, I’d known it from the moment Daniel slammed his car in front of Liam’s. But knowing it and admitting it were two very different things.
“I don’t know what to do,” I said finally, my voice breaking.
Mia softened, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” she said gently. “But you do need to think about what’s best for you. Not him. You.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. You’re right.”
But even as I said the words, I couldn’t shake the image of Daniel’s face from my mind. The way his eyes had burned with anger, with desperation. The way his voice had softened when he begged me to get in the car.
He was dangerous. I knew that now. But he was also hurting. And as much as I wanted to protect myself, I couldn’t ignore the part of me that still wanted to save him too.
Even if it meant losing myself in the process.