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Aria sighs and her eyes begin to shine “No, babe, of course not I want you to have everything you’ve drea husband and babies and years of wedded bliss I just…” She presses her lips together “I kno easy it is to have the wool pulled over your eyes I just want you to be careful”

“It’s too late to be careful,” I say, sniffing, trying not to break out in full-fledged sobs

I haven’t even admitted it to myself until now, but it’s true

The second I laid eyes on Mason Stewart, it was too late to resist He is it, the one A part offor him to come back since the moment he left, a part that knows no other man will ever touch my heart the way Mason has

“It’s not too late,” Aria says “You just need to—”

“It is,” I say fir There is never going to be anyone else for me, Aria Mason is it He’s the only man who’s ever made me feel this way”

“Addicted?” Aria supplies

“No!” I remember the baby is asleep and lower my voice as I add, “Not addicted Hopeful And happy And understood He getsshe’ll understand “He knows me, inside and out He’s the only man who has ever made me feel loved for exactly who I am, warts and all”

“You don’t have any warts You’re gorgeous, Sissy,” Melody says, using the old nickname from when she was too little to say ‘Lark’ “You could have any man in Bliss River Any man in Atlanta!”

“But I don’t want any s don’t work out this ti for someone to fill the Mason-shaped place inside of me because no one ever will”

Aria sighs again and slowly shakes her head “Okay If that’s the way you feel” She pulls out a kitchen chair and sinks down into it, hands co to cup her cocoa

“Does thatfor dirt on Mason?”

“Yes, fine,” Aria

“And could you maybe be a little nicer to hi?” I know I’ they will, then…