It took me close to a week, but I finally found the time to check out the latest watchlist entry on the Nemesis Platform, and part of me wishes I hadnât.
Itâs him. The guy that killed Aria and Noahâs parents.
He might have been listed anonymously, but thatâs too many coincidences. The bad breakup. Nyx telling me she had a big day coming up right before Ariaâs first day at work. And now this.
I canât ignore it any longer. I canât keep lying to myself. Iâve suspected Nyxâs identity for a while now, and if Iâm truly honest with myself, I knew from the moment I saw her finish a query using patterns Iâd only ever seen in two places before: in Bradâs software, and on the Nemesis Platform.
Fucking hell⦠is this some sort of joke? A twist of fate? I donât know what it is, but what I do know is that Aria and Nyx are the same person. The girl of my dreams⦠is my best friendâs little sister.
Iâve been fantasizing about her, fuck. Some of the shit Iâve said to her, telling her I wanted her lips around my cock, that Iâd make her moan my name. Shit.
I tense when Aria walks into the living room, another one of her big T-shirts on, a towel raised to her wet hair. âHey, Gray,â she says, walking up to me, and I click away the information I found.
Should I tell her? I should say something, but what? The things Iâve said to her as Ash, damn. Sheâd be horrified if she knew it was me. The idea of her looking at me with disgust in her eyes has me gritting my teeth.
Besides⦠Iâm not a hundred percent sure, am I?
Aria sits down on the sofa beside me and grabs her laptop. She doesnât even notice me staring at her. Could she be Nyx? If Iâm honest, Iâve been imagining Ariaâs face every time I think of Nyx. Part of me already expected it to be her, wanted it even.
Lately, our conversations have gotten more and more inappropriate, and thereâs no going back. Thereâs no way for us to pretend it never happened, that she didnât turn me on, that I didnât tell her I want to fuck her.
My phone buzzes, and I jump. My heart races when I realize itâs a notification from the Nemesis Platform.
:
I glance at Aria to find her staring at her screen, a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
:
Aria laughs, and my heart skips a beat. âWhatâs so funny?â I ask her. She freezes, as though sheâs only just remembering that Iâm sitting here.
âOh Gray, itâs nothing,â she says, a faint blush staining her cheeks pink. She looks beautiful, sitting on the sofa with me, her hair still wet, not a trace of makeup on her face. Sheâs fucking breathtaking, and sheâs so far out of reach. I canât ever go there with Noahâs little sister⦠but Nyx⦠I could have the part of Aria that is Nyx.
Aria looks back at her screen and bites down on her lip. I see the impatience in her eyes, and it tugs at my heartstrings. All this time Iâve been wondering about Nyx, wondering if she enjoys our conversations as much as I do. Now I know.
I glance down at my phone as I type a reply, a faint smile on my face. Iâm feeling conflicted, but I canât resist either. Iâm addicted to Nyx.
:
Aria giggles, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she looks down at her screen. âSorry,â she murmurs, before she starts to type.
:
:
Aria bursts out laughing, and I move closer to her. She slams her laptop closed before I get close enough to see what sheâs up to, and I lean back beside her, my thigh grazing against hers. She tenses, and I wrap my arm around the back of the sofa, over her head.
âWhatâs got you giggling like that?â I ask, part of me wondering if it might just come up. Iâm not a superstitious man, but tonight Iâm looking for a sign. Do I tell her, or not?
Aria turns to look at me, her face flushed. âOh, I was texting a friend. Itâs really nothing,â she says, a hint of guilt in her eyes.
I nod, my eyes roaming over her face. Sheâs stunning, and those lips of hers⦠yeah, theyâve starred in all my recent fantasies of Nyx. Lately, things have been different between us. We havenât crossed any lines, but thereâs definitely an attraction. Is she feeling conflicted about it the way I was? I felt guilty texting Nyx while imagining Aria, and maybe she feels the same way.
âHow has work been? Have you adapted well?â I ask, trying to find something to talk about; a way to explain why I suddenly moved closer to her. Besides, weâve barely had time to talk lately. Weâve both been far too busy with work. Aria and I try to eat together at night, but usually weâre both sitting at the dining table with our laptops out, and more often than not, she disappears into her bedroom straight after. I guess thatâs what made it easier to miss the signs.
Thinking of her lying in bed just a few steps away during all the late-night conversations weâve had recently, fuck.
Aria looks up at me and smiles, making my heart skip a beat. âItâs honestly been so great,â she tells me. I lean in and brush a wet strand of hair out of her face, and she bites down on her lip, looking a little flustered. âI canât thank you enough. A fresh start is exactly what I needed, and it couldnât have come at a better time. Iâll work hard, Gray. You wonât regret hiring me.â
I smile and shake my head. âI know I wonât, Ari. I wouldnât have hired you if I thought you would disappoint me.â
She nods, her gaze solemn, and it fucking guts me. Sometimes I think thereâs more, but right now? Right now sheâs looking at me like Iâm nothing more than her brotherâs best friend, as though Iâm merely her boss. I shouldnât want her to see me any differently, but now I know who she is, I want more. I want her smiles, her laughter, her passion.
I want everything she gives Ash.