"Aria— You—" Eric blurted out, his voice caught somewhere between desperation and disbelief.
"I believe your presence isn't welcomed here." Kael cut in, his tone carrying the weight of an order rather than a suggestion. His arm tightened around me, his body a shield, firm and unwavering. The sharpness in his gaze was enough to slice through Eric's bravado, but the idiot still had the audacity to act tough.
Eric straightened, puffing his chest as if that would somehow tilt the balance of power. "What the hell is this Aria? Are you trying to make me jealous?"
I scoffed, turning to face him, utterly unimpressed. "Jealous? You really think that highly of yourself, Eric?"
"I know I made a mistake, Aria," he insisted, his voice pitching higher with frustration. "But you kissing this guy in front of me? That's low, even for you."
My muscles tensed, nails digging into my palm as I peeled away from Kael slightly to face Eric. This fucking—
