Page 121 of Tempting the President

“I fear a part of me will always doubt myself, will think I am incapable of leading our club.”

Helios had shaken his head at Kellion’s admission. “It’s not a part of you. Rather, it’s the echo of your parents’ voice in your mind. It’s goddamn baggage from your past, and it’s time you got rid of it, don’t you think?”

Kellion’s lips twisted. “Would it really be that easy?”

Helios didn’t smile back. “Look at you now. If someone told you years ago that you’d be admitting such a thing to me, what would you have thought?”

“That the other person was a lunatic.”

“Exactly. And yet you’re here now, and it wasn’t as hellish as you thought it would be, was it?” Helios clapped a hand on his back. “I don’t love the club any less than I did the day I started it, but my time to lead is over. It’s your turn now. It’s your fucking destiny, so can you fucking stop with the dithering? It’s not like you, Argyros.”

Thinking about that exchange made Kellion shake his head. Only the President could give damn good advice combined with a healthy dose of cuss words. But it was advice Kellion had heeded, and now he had good news to share with Aria. She deserved to be the first to know since it was only because of her he had the courage to put the past behind him.

But then he saw her pale face, and Kellion’s heart nearly stopped beating. In three swift strides, he was kneeling in front of her. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Someone named...Dinahcalled.”

Kellion froze.

“She says her...mistress...Ms. Jacqueline...needs you.” Aria’s voice was flat. “The woman saysJack—-”

Kellion flinched, knowing at that moment Aria must have figured out why he had to leave during the day of her exhibit. “Aria—-”

But Aria continued as if she hadn’t heard a single thing. “—-Dinah says Jack...hasn’t been eating...for aweek.”

All the time Aria was speaking, her gaze was focused somewhere behind him. He had a feeling she would rather look at anywhere but him and, Kellion thought bleakly, he couldn’t blame her for it.

“Aria, look at me.”

He expected her to refuse, but instead, she squared her shoulders and slowly faced him.

Ah, God.

The pain in those blue-violet eyes nearly broke him. Kellion wasn’t sure how much she knew, but clearly, she knew enough to feel hurt. Betrayed.

“It’s not what you think, baby,” he said hoarsely. But even to his own ears, his words sounded like the lie it was.

He took her hands in his and flinched at how cold and weak they felt in his grip. “Aria, please.” He could hear the desperation in his voice, and he didn’t give a damn. All that mattered was that he reached her. That he made her believe. Because right now—-

It felt like she was slipping away from him, so far away that he had a feeling he would never be able to catch her if he let her go.

“Please. Believe me. Whatever you think—-it’s not like that.”

A tear slowly trailed down her cheek, and he ached, everything in him goddamn ached at the way she bit her lip hard, as if she was doing her best to stop it from trembling.

Ah, God.She looked so broken, and somehow her very silence made it even more terrible, like she had been crying out for him all this time – and he hadn’t heard a single damn thing.

And that was when it became clear.

This time,everythingbecame clear, and there was no room for doubt and ambiguity.

His Aria had started as a rebound, had been his way to forget the girl who owned him for so many years. His heart hadn’t belonged to her at the start, but it did now.

He loved her. He loved her like he had never loved Jack, like he had never loved anyone. His love for her had such depth that it made his feelings for Jack seem paltry. He loved her so much he found himself wishing he had the power to turn back time. Because if he did, then he would wish that they had never met. That way, he could ensure she was spared the pain she was suffering now – because of him.

“Aria, listen.” He wanted to cup her face, wanted to kiss her, wanted to lick that teardrop away because he felt like it was burning her skin, a reminder of his betrayal.

He wanted to do so many things but he couldn’t because right now, he felt like he didn’t deserve to even look at her.