Chapter 401
401
Aria could clearly feel how rushed Owen was with those last few wraps of gauze . She didn’t think much of it , quickly buttoned her shirt , and said , “ I’ll head back now . ”
Owen , still kneeling on one knee , kept his head down as he packed i
I up the med kit . He didn’t look at her . “ Okay . Goodnight . ”
Aria laughed in only sever
only seven – thirty . ”
He kept his head down and said nothing , so Aria shifted off the couch a bit and said , “ I’ll get going , then . ”
“ Alright . ”
There wasn’t any more room in the medicine box , so Owen closed it up . Hearing nothing behind him , his ears perked up .
Finding it odd , she copied his pose – half – crouching beside the coffee table , propping her chin on her hand as she watched him .
Owen had no idea she was this close .
When she stayed silent , he found it strange , finally turning his head .
Their noses brushed , so softly it was almost nothing , a feather – light touch that startled them both .
He froze , startled , and jerked back , meeting her gaze
head – on .
They were so close , Owen could see himself reflected in her
r eyes .
She looked just as surprised , still wearing that dazed look , as if she hadn’t expected him to turn so suddenly .
He’d just bumped her nose … If he’d leaned in a bit more …
Owen’s eyes dropped , lingering for a fraction of a second on her slightly parted lips .
‘ Where is he looking ? ‘
Aria slowly came back to herself , her lips closing
gas she subconsciously pressed them together .
The lamp cast a warm glow over them , the whole room hush and mellow .
The faint smell of antiseptic , the clean scent of his laundry detergent … it all felt strangely intimate .
Aria was the first to snap out of it , but she didn’t speak . She just quietly studied Owen , her gaze drifting over his brows , his nose , his mouth , his jaw …
Vanessa always said Owen carried a kind of otherworldly calm , as if nothing could tempt him , making it impossible to even entertain the idea of crossing a line .
At first , when they worked together , Aria hadn’t noticed – she’d just thought he was principled and trustworthy .
But somewhere along the way , they’d grown closer
And eventually , she realized he liked her .
Her nose began to itch – she scrunched it , but couldn’t fight the urge , and finally sneezed .
Owen snapped out of his trance , too .
He quickly turned away and tried to stand , but his left leg had fallen asleep from kneeling so long .
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He stumbled , nearly sitting back down , and in the confusion , his hand landed on something soft – Aria’s hand .
The more flustered you are , the more mistakes you make .
“ Sorry , ” Owen apologized quickly , pulling his hand away, but Aria caught it , saying , “ Let me help you up . ”
He realized she was offering her right hand – the uninjured
P
one – so he accepted her support and got to his feet .
He tried to sit down , but Aria didn’t let go . Instead , she led him forward . “ When your leg’s numb , you need to stand and walk it off . That’ll make it pass faster . ”
If he hadn’t knelt so long to help her with the stitches , this wouldn’t have happened – she felt it was only fair to help .
Their hands , one warm and one cool , intertwined .
Owen stiffly shuffled forward , walking like a toddler taking his first steps , even though only one foot was numb .
He found himself entirely focused on her hand . It was so much smaller than his .
He tried to loosen his grip , but Aria held on tight .
She noticed something was off with his walk and asked , “ Are both your feet numb ? ”
Pulled back to reality , Owen forced himself to play it off , “ A little . It’s almost fine . ”
A few more steps and the tingling faded .