Chapter 3

When I came to again, Jason was sitting at my bedside.

His eyes were fixed on the wall of photos, looking melancholic.

All of them were secretly taken by me while we were together.

Some were of him climbing a mountain or diving in the ocean, while others were of him focused at work.

Each photo was a quiet reminder of how important he was to me.

On the back of every single picture, I had written a note.

"Jason, I miss you so much."

"Jason, I love you."

"Jason, when can I see you again?"

His fingers grazed over the words like they meant everything, reluctance softening his handsome features.

He didn't want to leave me, didn't want me hurt or be abandoned.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

Putting on a strong facade, I said, "Jason, I'm okay, really.

"Don't listen to what Mary says. I can take care of myself.

"I just… not feeling well. I'm sorry I wasted your time. You should go.

"I don't want to be the reason you're upset. I'll move out soon. Just give me a little time, Jason. Please.

"Just a little bit… I'll pull myself together, I promise…"

But by the end, my tears had already soaked through the back of his shirt.

Jason turned around, pulled me into a tight hug.

"Silly girl," he murmured. "If you left me, where would you even go?

"You really want to push me away? Shouldn't you be begging me to stay?

"I'm not going anywhere. Not anymore."

I looked up at him in disbelief.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as his cool, elegant fingers wiped them away. Then his lips gently brushed against mine.

My hands, once wrapped around his waist, slowly reached up and locked around his neck.

That night, I slept soundly in his arms. But the next morning, I woke up to my phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was from Ruth.

I put her on speaker instantly.

Her voice cut through the room, venomous and furious.

Ruth shouted, "Jason Morrow, are you with her?!

"Aria, you tell him this—if he's not in front of me in the next thirty minutes, we're done!"

She hung up right after that.

I sat there, pale and panicked, not knowing what to do. Then I scrambled to hand Jason his clothes from the floor.

I said, "I'll help you get dressed. The driver's probably downstairs. I'll tell him to step on it. I'll make breakfast now. You can eat in the car—"

But before I could finish, Jason pulled me back into his arms, sat me on his lap, holding me like I was something precious.

My face flushed as his warm hand closed around mine.

"Don't mind her," he said. "You're making it seem like I'm terrified of her or something."

I blinked, pretended to be a little thrown off, unsure.

He looked at me and added, "I've had enough of her tantrums. You, on the other hand, your gentleness? I never get tired of that."

"But… she's still an heiress," I whispered. "Aren't you scared she'll really call off the engagement?"

He gave a short, cold laugh. "She won't. Believe me, the Dudley family still needs the Morrow family. I should've reminded her of that long ago. Maybe then you wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

His words weren't a confession exactly—but they weren't nothing either.

I looked up at him, eyes shining.

"Jason, are you saying you're not going to let me go?" I asked.

He smirked, messing up my hair like I was some puppy.

"I gave you 1.5 million dollars and you didn't look this happy. Do you really like me that much?" he asked.

"Yes!" I answered without hesitation, a happy tear slipping from the corner of my eye. "I like you the most in the world, Jason!"

I was lying through my teeth—my favorite person in the whole world was my stepbrother, Sterling Blake, the one who raised me up after our parents died.

Seven years ago, he died in a theatre that was sponsored by Jason.

Jason had built the theatre specially for Ruth to practice her musicals.

Jason's grandma was obsessed with musicals.

Ruth wanted to win her over, so she said she wanted to learn to perform too.

Jason pulled some strings and invited Sterling to teach her.

I still remember the way Sterling had smiled before he left for that gig. "This one's different, Aria. I'm teaching one of the richest girls in Jemcrity. Word is, she's generous as hell—one lesson with her pays more than your entire year of tuition. If she likes me, maybe she'll keep me on for a few more.

"That way, I can buy you that pretty princess dress you've been eyeing. And those sparkly shoes, too.

"Oh, and it's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it? What do you want this year?"

I tugged on his arm like a little kid, swaying side to side, told him I wanted a big fluffy teddy bear.

And I waited, all day, excited out of my mind, just waiting for him to come back.

That night, he did come back. He brought the bear too. But it was his body that returned. And the teddy bear? Burned to a crisp, charred black from sulfuric acid.

After that night, I never got to feel my brother's love again. Sterling was gone, just like that. And so was the last bit of family I had. I became a full-on orphan that night.

That was also the night I first heard of Jason.

Both of them were incredibly handsome men. They even had the same eyes. However, their lives were totally different.

"Why do you add a star each time you write my name?" Jason asked.

His arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me into his warmth. The scent of him completely surrounded me.

However, his bright eyes were locked onto the notes I'd written on the back of the photos I'd secretly taken.

Stars littered the notes.

Of course, I knew what the stars meant. They represented Sterling. He had died and gone to Heaven, resting among the stars.

If I hadn't included the stars, I wouldn't be able to pour out that burning, desperate love I'd got within me.

My throat tightened, and my eyes welled up.

I looked up and lied, voice trembling, "You're like the star, beyond my reach. I was scared you'd read my confessions and laugh at me, think I was ridiculous for even trying..."

Before I could finish, his lips crashed against mine.

He kissed me like he was starving. Fingers tangling in my hair, pressing my head to his.

When I tasted blood on my tongue, he let me go reluctantly.

He laughed softly, voice low and magnetic, looking incredibly attractive.

"No need to be scared," he murmured. "Just say it. Say you love me."

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

My arms wrapped around his waist as the words tumbled out of me, each one directed toward Sterling.

I cried out, "I love you, so much.

"Don't leave me. Please.

"I miss you so damn much."