Not the hope you sparked in me.
It was everything about you,
I’m like a lock, and you the key.
You’re a flame lit inside me,
And I ask you please come home.
Everything is brighter by your side,
Together, not alone.
I don’t care about the music
Or about the final score.
All I know is that without you,
I will always be wanting more.
Aria drops back into the pillowy couch and lets her notebook slide to her lap. That’s just it: She wants more.
Butthe song. She looks back over the words just to be certain she didn’t imagine it. That she has, in fact, crafted exactly the sort of song her heart’s been yearning for. A song that’s honest and raw. A song that’s also romantic. Aria knows her fans will love it.
But her own thoughts trip her up:Romantic.
If Aria’s being honest in her music, it’s probably also about time she’s honest with herself: She has undeniable feelings for Griffin, and she doesn’t mean friendship.
Even if it “makes sense,” no part of Aria’s heart wants Griffin in the friend zone. She wants all of him. His company, his laughter. Dress-up events, dress-down events. Simple at-home hangouts. She wants him close. His arms around her.
Kisses on the patio.
She’s even willing to endure the online chatter, the criticism and speculation. The fact that the tabloids will blast them both just for clicks. Griffin, of all the people she’s ever known, is someone who could endure it, someone who would know to slap on the blinders and ignore it. She can trust him.
This whole time, Griffin has been a safe, reliable place for her, a place she blossoms.
Aria racks her brain trying to think about her past relationships. None of them compare even in the slightest. Her feelings for Griffin are the strongest she’s ever felt for someone else.
She pulls in a shaky breath when the realization hits.
Aria is in love with Griffin Hayes.
Immediately, Aria is flooded by doubts. He’s already pulled away, so how could he want more? Is she setting herself up for heartbreak like she’s already endured time and time again? What if he rejects her? What if she loses what remains of their friendship in the process?
Stop, Aria commands herself. Never before has she felt this way, and she’ll be damned if she leaves it up to fate. For better or worse, she’s going to tell Griffin.
It’s true that he might not feel the same.
But Aria’s also not the type to stay in the wings and let something she wants pass her by. Aria gets up and looks around the room until she finds her phone nestled between the mixing boards. As she pulls up Griffin’s contact information, she begs the universe to align whatever stars are required for the very best outcome.
She hits the button to dial.
The ring sounds exceptionally loud and clunky in her ear asAria waits. Her heart picks up, blood pumping faster through her in anticipation. It rings and rings.
“Come on, Griff, pick up,” Aria whispers to herself—or any celestial power willing to lend a hand.
Finally, her call goes to voicemail. Aria hadn’t considered the possibility of voicemail, and she’s usually much more of a texter than a message leaver, but in the name of giving this a real, true effort, after the beep, she speaks.
