Chapter 212

ARIA'S POV

Brandon stared down at me, his dark eyes fiercely searching my face, digging deep as if looking for any hidden sign of a lie. "Do you love me, Aria?"

My eyes locked onto his, my heart hammering so violently against my ribs I was certain he could hear it. "I do," I said, trying with everything inside me to make him feel the absolute weight of those words.

But Brandon just let out a hollow, bitter laugh, shaking his head as a look of profound exhaustion washed over his face. "You don't. You care about me, Aria, yes. But you don't love me."

"I do love you," I insisted, my voice breaking completely. I reached up, my hands desperately cupping his face, wanting nothing more than to force him to believe me, to erase the agonizing doubt in his eyes. "Brandon, please. I do."

"Then why does loving you hurt this much?" he asked, his voice cracking down the middle.

The raw vulnerability in his tone tore right through me. As he spoke, the tears he had been fighting so hard to hold back finally spilled over, rolling slowly down his cheeks.

The sight of his tears broke something vital inside of me. I couldn't stand his pain for another second, especially knowing I was the one who had caused it.

I moved instinctively. Leaning up on my toes, I gently kissed the wet tracks on his cheeks, tasting the salt of his tears, before shifting my focus to press my lips firmly against his.

It was a desperate, pleading kiss, meant to show him everything I couldn't find the words to say.

When I finally pulled back slightly, my breathing was ragged and uneven, but I kept my gaze fierce and locked onto his.

"You are my boyfriend, Brandon. I chose you. I will never lie to you again, and I never, ever meant to hurt you."

Brandon stared down at me, his chest heaving as he searched my expression for even a fraction of hesitation. "Are you telling me the truth?"

I gave him a firm, desperate nod. Seeing my answer, the rigid tension in Brandon’s broad shoulders finally snapped. He didn't say another word.

Instead, he wrapped his powerful arms around me, pulling me against his chest so hard it took my breath away. I buried my face into the crook of his neck, holding onto him just as tightly, letting the familiar scent of him wash over me.

We stood there on the balcony, locked in a fierce, silent hug as the chaotic storm of the morning finally began to settle.

After a long, quiet moment, Brandon pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands resting gently on my waist. The anger was gone, replaced by a soft, genuine regret.

"I'm sorry, Aria," he murmured, his voice low and thick with emotion. "I'm sorry for storming out and leaving the way I did. I was just... I was so blinded by seeing him there. I couldn't think straight."

"I know," I whispered, reaching up to smooth down his hair. "I understand why you were angry."

He let out a quiet breath, his thoughts shifting as he glanced toward the glass doors of the penthouse. "Did Amelia go to school?"

I nodded softly. "Yes. I dropped her off myself right before I went to the office."

Brandon’s expression softened even further, a look of quiet determination settling over his features. "Come on. Let's go. I'll drive you to go pick her up from school. I need to see my little princess and apologize to her for leaving like that."

A small, relieved smile finally broke through my exhaustion, and the heavy weight in my chest lifted just a little bit. "Okay," I breathed, wrapping my fingers tightly around his. "Let's go get her.”

The drive to the school was completely different from the agonizingly quiet ride earlier that morning. This time, Brandon kept his right hand resting flat on the center console, his fingers tightly intertwined with mine.

Every now and then, he would lightly squeeze my hand, a silent reassurance that we were going to be okay. When we pulled up to the school gates, the final bell had just rung, and children were pouring out into the afternoon sun.

We stepped out of the car together. The moment Amelia walked through the double doors, clutching her backpack, she stopped in her tracks. Her little eyes went wide, darting from me to Brandon, and then down to our linked hands.

"Uncle Brandon!" she cried out. She didn't care about the other kids or the teachers around her. She just sprinted down the concrete steps as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Brandon didn't hesitate. He dropped his hand from mine and immediately dropped to one knee, opening his arms wide.

Amelia threw her small body into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Brandon pulled her close, burying his face in her dark hair, his large frame completely enveloping her.

"I'm so sorry, princess," Brandon whispered softly into her hair, his voice thick with emotion as he held her tight. "I'm sorry I left this morning. I was never mad at you. Never."

Amelia pulled back slightly, her eyes bright and filled with pure relief. "You're not mad?"

"Never," Brandon repeated, a breathtakingly warm smile spreading across his face—the kind of smile he reserved only for her.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, perfectly intact candy bar he must have grabbed from the hotel lobby. "And I think we still have a very large box of chocolates waiting for us at home to share. What do you say?"

Amelia’s face lit up, a brilliant, beautiful smile completely erasing the sadness from earlier. She nodded eagerly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek before turning to look up at me.

Standing there, watching the two of them under the warm afternoon sun, the cold anxiety that had frozen my chest all morning completely melted away.

Brandon stood up, keeping Amelia cradled securely in one arm, and reached his free hand out to wrap around my waist, pulling me close against his side.

As we walked back to the car together, the three of us completely whole again, I knew the road ahead would take time—but looking at the man holding my daughter, I knew there was nowhere else I’d rather be.