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Just then, Ryan stuck her head out the door "Aria? We have a question about the papier-lanced at Hanna, then shrugged and followed Ryan back into the barn As she instructed how the stars should look, her stoent Fuji, not with that painting in Aria’s closet They had to figure this out soon

And even though she’d lashed out at Hanna for it, the new detail about Noel scared her, too Noel didn’t know anyone at the Bill Beach Why was he there? To see Graham?

To steal meds?

She reached into her pocket and touched the ticket stub she’d found in Noel’s wallet yesterday--she’d given Mike the wallet to return to Noel thisThe o, after Courtney’s death, when Real Ali was definitely ie on the back about Noel believing in someone Aria hadn’t told her friends about it--they’d juirls wielding hockey sticks, though It didn’t necessarilyto her bag across the room, she pulled out her iPad and typed THE WOODS CINEMA into Google In a split second, the results came up The first entry was for a cinema in Maplewood, New Jersey

Aria’s mouth went dry Tabitha was from Maplewood And Ali and Tabitha had clearly been at The Preserve together--and were even friends Did this mean Noel had visited Ali when she was at The Preserve? Did he spring Ali and Tabitha out for a night so they could go to a o all the way to New Jersey? And ould Noel say to Agent Fuji that he’d never met Tabitha if he clearly had?

"Aria?"

Aria spun around Noel stood behind her, almost like she’d conjured him His hands were in his pockets, and there was a serious look on his face

"H-hey," Aria said shakily, turning the iPad facedown on the table

Noel glanced toward the door "Can you talk?"

Aria nodded and slipped her iPad back into her bag When they walked into the sculpture garden again, Hanna was gone For a while, there was only the sound of their footsteps Halfway down the path, Noel stopped next to what everyone called the Slinky "So I’ve been thinking about Olaf"

Aria felt her throat close "Noel, I"

He put his finger to her lips "I was an asshole that trip, Aria I felt jealous that I didn’t know the Iceland side of you, and I was afraid that when you got there you were going to change and not be intoup, I just acted like a whiny, ridiculous idiot I should have just let you go with Hanna and Mike instead of couy, but I also sort of get it"

Aria blinked It was the last thing she’d thought he was going to say Just last week, she would have been flattered and touched--here was gorgeous Noel, worrying she was going to drop him But now she felt hollowed out Suspicious Why was Noel forgiving her so easily?

Noel took her hands "I still want to be with you I want to go on another vacation and do it right We can even go back to Iceland if you want This time, I’ll ride one of those silly horses"

Aria knew she was supposed to laugh, but she couldn’t muster the emotion She looked away instead, a luhts Ali and Tabitha, her irl Ask him

Noel cocked his head "You seem miserable"

"I’ "I just" She trailed off If only there was a way to bring Tabitha’s na really random or suspicious But how?

Noel pulled his hands away "What the hell, Aria? Here I aetting you the decor chairwo you for cheating onkind of old, okay? The secrets, the strange behaviorit’s like I’m not fully part of your life"

"Don’t say that," Aria whispered "I’ve just been distracted, that’s all"

"With what?" Noel demanded

Aria’s throat bobbed All she wanted was to exonerate him But she couldn’t just ask for the answers

She stared at Noel An indentation of soh the pocket of his jeans It was his cell phone A tantalizing idea wormed its way into her mind

She took a few moments to center herself, then stepped closer and cleared her throat "I can’t stop thinking about what I did to you I still feel awful because of it And with the explosion on the boat and al out at sea, I’ve been a mess, Noel"

"Then tell me about it," Noel said "Don’t hide it Don’t hold it inside and uess"

"Okay," Ariaup some tears "I will I pro For aback, but he tentatively wrapped his arainst his chest She slid one hand down the length of his waist Carefully, delicately, she pinched the top of the phone with two fingers and slipped it out one inch at a time, as deftly as a pickpocket Noel shifted, but he didn’t seeone

Aria dropped the phone in the big pouch of her hoodie When they broke away, Noel was staring at her lovingly again

She sed hard and gestured to the barn door "Well, they need me back inside"