Managing Boys

Managing Boys (28)

I thought about what Fiona said for a while. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, honestly. But I wasn’t sure if I even believed her or not. I didn’t know her that well, she wasn’t very nice, and she did want Ash for herself. He just didn’t seem like the kind of guy that would use me.

But I couldn’t have known for sure. Fiona had known Ash longer, when Aria had been alive. I just didn’t know what I was supposed to believe in.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to bring it up to Ash. Things were already strained between us, what with everyone thinking Grim and I were the ones in a relationship.

I dreaded weekends now. Of course, I didn’t like going to school, but going to my dad’s house was even worse. Annabelle tried to steer clear, but she’d still show up every now and then and completely ignore me. I tried to stay at my mom’s house as much as I could, but she was busy with work on weekends and I didn’t want her thinking that anything was wrong over at my dad’s.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with all this wedding business. Was I going to have to live with Annabelle once they were married? Did that mean I had to live with Grim? I didn’t think that was a really good idea.

I was overthinking all of this. I didn’t even have to worry about this yet. They hadn’t even picked a date yet. For all I knew, they could break up and not even get married.

And I sure hoped for that.

When the doorbell rang, I let out a sigh and waited for my mother to come get it. When she didn’t, I waited for Sophie to get it, but I then remembered that she was Sophie. She wasn’t going to come downstairs from her room and answer the door. It rang again.

“Aria, could you get the door?” my mother called out from the kitchen. I let out a sigh and pushed myself up off the couch.

When I opened it, my eyes went wide. What the hell was he doing here?

Ian smirked at me like he always did. “Hello, Aria,” he greeted, and then he seemed to realize what he had just said. “Hah. Just like your boyfriend’s band.”

At the mention of the word boyfriend, my stomach turned. Grim wasn’t really my boyfriend, and we weren’t even talking to each other. Ash was my actual boyfriend, but he was supposedly using me because I reminded him of the girl he actually loved...

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

He seemed amused by my tone. “I can’t just visit my ex-girlfriend?”

“No, you can’t.” I scowled and closed the door a little. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to see you.”

Just because he wanted to see me didn’t mean I wanted to see him. Did he not understand it? He knew why I wanted nothing to do with him but that didn’t stop him from coming near me.

“Well, I don’t want to see you,” I told him, moving to close the door again. “Go home.”

“Ian!” a new voice now called out, and I bit down on my lip to stop myself from letting out a groan. “You’re here? How great it is to see you again!”

I couldn’t help but disagree.

“Mrs. Slater,” Ian grinned over my head to my mother. “Sorry for dropping by uninvited! I just really wanted to see Aria.”

My mother seemed to think this was so sweet. I, obviously, didn’t. I was glad Sophie was upstairs and not down here, or else she’d be having the same reaction.

“Yes, but he was just leaving.” I forced a smile and tried my hardest to push Ian out the door. He wouldn’t budge. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Ian!”