PAST

"This guy is a fucking tool." I mutter under my breath to Nate.

"Hmm?" He takes his face out of his plate of chicken, his mouth full as he blinks at me.

"Jesus, clean yourself up." I throw a tissue his way, my lips curling into a sneer. We've recently started hitting the gym a lot harder and grown one hell of an appetite but Nate is like a human vacuum around food.

He shrugs and finishes the bite in his mouth before wiping his face. "What were you saying?"

"I'm saying your sister's boyfriend is a fucking tool." I jerk my chin to the kitchen window that overlooks the front yard and scowl.

Aria and her new boyfriend Robbie are cuddled up on the porch swing. She has her legs in his lap while he messages them, leaning forward to kiss her. They suck face like they're sharing a piece of gum and I growl low in my throat, looking away. It's like every time I look at them they start making out. It's getting fucking ridiculous seeing their faces permanently attached.

"Yeah, I don't like him either." Nate agrees. He looks disgusted at the way Robbie tries to eat Aria's face off. What the hell kind of name is Robbie anyways? He sounds like he belongs in the Simpsons.

"He rubs me the wrong way." I add because it's true. Aria seems happy with him but sometimes he acts like a total creep. He's borderline obsessed with her, always watching what she's doing or what she's wearing or who she's talking to. The guy gives me the creeps.

"More like he's always rubbing on Aria." Nate grumbles and I wince at the reminder.

"What the fuck does she see in him?" I question.

He's an average looking dude, if that. With Ria's looks she could get any guy she wanted. Guys are constantly checking her out when she walks around Boston University campus and I've had to divert too many creeps from trying to follow her around like lost puppies. Makes me fucking grateful that we at least attend the same school and I can look out for her. Nate, too.

"I'm not sure if she even likes him." Nate admits. "Sometimes I think she just enjoys having company and not giving a shit who gives it. This fucker just happens to be around."

"But why him?" I scowl at the two of them when Robbie burrows his face in Aria's neck, making her giggle. "She could do so much fucking better."

"You're telling me." He snorts. "Hell, at this point I'd rather she be with you than that piece of shit."

My heart misses its next beat at his words. Of all the fucking things he could have said to me. I keep my face neutral as hell despite the fact that my hands are suddenly clammy.

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm just fucking around." He shoves my shoulder and disposes his plate in the sink. "You and Aria? That's gross, man. She's like your sister."

Then I guess I'm a fucking sleaze-ball because I want her so bad it's hard to fucking breathe knowing I can't have her.

How can he be so blind to my feelings? I know I go out of my way to hide them from Aria by hooking up with other girls so she never suspects me but...shouldn't Nate realize what I feel by now? Most of the time I'm being obvious as hell. You'd think he'd catch on by now.

"Yeah. Gross." I mutter.

I glance out to the porch again because apparently I have a hard-on for fucking torturing myself. My hands grip the counter behind me tightly at the sight of Aria nibbling Robbie's ear, him laughing and pulling her closer. They've only been together for a month so they're clearly still in the honeymoon phase. Now that's fucking gross.

I scoff and push away, heading to Nate's room so I don't have to be anywhere near those two. I know I'm a fucking hypocrite because I'm constantly dipping my dick in any girl that'll spread her legs for me—which is pretty much every girl that looks at me—so I have no right to feel jealous over Aria's relationship. It's not like I'm being honest with her about my feelings. How is she supposed to know I'm so fucking gone for her especially when I go out of my way to be a manwhore? I tried to tell her a couple times over the summer but each time I chickened out like a pussy, fearing that she'd reject me and then I would lose her too. Once she finds out about my feelings there's no going back and fuck me, that's terrifying. I can't live without Ria. I'd rather torture myself and stick to being friends than take the risk of telling her how I feel. I'm a fucking dumbass. I know it yet I can't bring myself to change it.

I flop on Nate's bed, staring up at the ceiling. I normally love joining the Hunters during thanksgiving but this time it's different. This time it's tainted because I'm forced to put up with that fucker Robbie. He's not my family and I sure as hell am not thankful for him. If I knew Ria was going to bring him home I might have bullshitted my way into staying on campus—that's how desperate I am to not be here. I would have stayed at my place but my parents always join the Hunters anyways so there was no way out of this.

A knock on the door has me sitting upright and I'm surprised to see Nate's dad watching me. Something in the way he stares at me gives me pause. I feel like I'm about to be in trouble.

"What's up, Matt?" I make myself say casually.

"Mind if I join you?" He gestures at the bed and I nod.

He takes a seat beside me and I shift nervously. I love Nate's parents like my own but right now I feel uncomfortable. Call it intuition but I have a feeling I'm about to get my ass lectured. Wouldn't be the first time, honestly speaking. Nate and I got enough of those growing up.

I wisely stay quiet while he visibly works out what to say. He seems thoughtful but wary and that puts me on high alert. I'm tense as fuck when he finally speaks.

"The first time you moved in beside us, I knew you'd be trouble." He starts. I blink, not expecting that. "You were a storm that came crashing in. A wild, reckless, and angry storm. I have to be honest with you—I wasn't sure how I felt about my kids being around you."

A muscle pulses in my jaw and I look at the floor. I know he's talking in past tense and it's been years since I first came here but fuck, that stings. What is he on about?

"Nate and Aria grew attached to you really fast. I always wondered what they saw in you that I wasn't seeing. At the time you didn't even want their friendship but they wanted yours. I kept wondering what I wasn't seeing that everyone else was. On the outside, you seemed like such a punk."

"Don't hold back on my account." I mutter. Matt laughs quietly, patting my knee to ask for my patience.

"I can remember the day I finally started seeing things different." He looks wistful, his stare stuck on nothing in particular. "Do you remember the time Aria learned how to ride a bike and those two boys overtook her on the street? Whizzed right past her and knocked her down?"

"That was bad." I nod, recalling the day. "Both her knees and palms were skinned. She was in a lot of pain."

"She was." Matt's grin is wry. "I was in the kitchen so I happened to see the whole thing through the window. I was so fucking livid that those idiots did that to my little girl. I could tell by the way she fell off her bike that it was a bad fall and I was ready to chase those little assholes down myself. Slammed my mug of coffee down and started for the door when I noticed someone running like their life depended on it. It was you."

I keep my mouth shut, knowing what's coming next. I remember that day like it happened yesterday. It was the day everything changed for me, too.

"Like I said—you were a storm. And man, did you come barrelling in to save my little girl. My jaw was on the floor the whole time I watched you run in front of those guys to stop them. You didn't even care that they might run you over. You just charged at them with rocks in your hand and threw it at their tires. It was laughable the way they flew over the handrails and landed on their faces. I thought you would stop there but you kept going. Beat the absolute shit out of them like I've never seen an eleven-year-old fight. You could have fought a grown man that way and won. At that point I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I think for a moment I was even a little scared of you."

I rub the back of my warm neck, chuckling in embarrassment. But man, I can still feel the anger I felt then when I saw Aria fall to the ground and try to hold back tears. At that point I stopped being a dick to her and accepted that she wasn't going to quit until we were friends and when I saw those guys hurt her, I realized how important she was to me and how I would do anything to keep her safe. Somewhere between her nosiness and constant smiles I grew a soft spot for her and damn if I was going to let anyone hurt even a hair on her head.

"When you were done with the guys you ran over to Aria and honestly I wasn't sure what you were going to do." Matt admits. "I could see you shaking with rage and the last thing Aria needed was your anger. But you surprised me a second time. It was like you flipped an internal switch and I was floored by how...soft you looked. I'd never seen you as anything other than an angry and untamed kid before but when you bent down next to Aria to inspect her injuries, you did it with the kind of gentleness nobody else could have given her. You blew on her wounds, kissed them, and wiped her tears. That's when I understood. You might have all these walls built around you but once you take them down, beneath all that rage and indifference, there's a selfless and loyal man that not many have the opportunity to get to know. You hide your goodness for those who deserve it and I believe that's what my kids always saw in you. After that day, I see it in you too."

I swallow harshly and look away, unable to meet his eyes. Why is he telling me this? I have a good relationship with Matt but we hardly have heart-to-hearts like this. I don't know what he's trying to accomplish by bringing all this up but all I feel is guilt. He sees more goodness in me than he should. I can be a fucking dick sometimes and he shouldn't give me the benefit of the doubt.

"That right there?" He points to my face. "That's what I'm trying to get at. You never see the goodness in yourself, Asher. Your demons own you and suffocate you everyday. You convince yourself you're not good enough, or you're too selfish, or some other shit that isn't true. Everyone can see past the walls you've built except yourself. You're trapped in your own darkness and that's why you pretend not to give a shit about what matters to you or go after the things you want. That's why you won't be with Aria even though you love her."

My gaze snaps back to his in total shock, mouth falling open. What in the fuck? He can't possibly know that. Shit. I wipe my damp palms on my jeans and laugh nervously.

"That's...that's not—"

"Cut the shit, Pryce. You couldn't be more obvious if you tried."

I clear my throat and fuck, I think I'm actually blushing. Of all the things I could have guessed Matt wanted to talk to me about, I'd never guess this. His eyes see right through me and I know I can't deny what he already knows.

"How?" I finally ask quietly, giving in. "How'd you know?"

"Are you kidding me? Everything you do is for her, Asher. Every word you say, every action you make, every last thing you do is with her in mind. You live for my little girl, son. Nobody can ever love her the way you love her. She's your one."

"My what?" I blink. I try not to focus on all the other shit he said and how it's so fucking true that my throat closes up with fear. It's true. I fucking live for her.

"Your one." He repeats like it's obvious. "The only one you'd sacrifice everything for, including your own happiness. The one you'd take a bullet for, change for, rip your heart out for. The one you're meant to be with without a doubt."

It's terrifying how right he is. I would do all of those things and more and based on the knowing look he gives me, he knows it too.

"You really think so? That no one can love her like me?" The vulnerability in my voice would be embarrassing under any other circumstance. Right now I don't give a shit about being tough or putting up a cold front. I need to know that what I'm feeling is real and more importantly, what I share with Ria is real. Most of the time it feels like I'm fantasizing about something that will never happen.

"I know it. You love her like I love Lily." The soft grin on his face that automatically comes from the mention of his wife is no surprise. The kind of love Nate's parents have is straight out of a fucking fairy tale or some shit. "But that wasn't enough. I didn't get to keep her for life just by sitting on my ass and hoping she'd notice my love. I had to fight every motherfucker against us so I could have her for myself. It was too easy loving her and even harder to actually get her but that's how I knew she was someone worth fighting for. I would fight for her in every lifetime if I had to. Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do the same for Aria."

"I can't." I tell him truthfully. "Because I would do it for her. I'd do anything for her."

The smile on his face is full of pride. Knowing I have his approval, his support, means more to me than he can ever know.

"Then go. Do something. If you wait too long you'll force her to find happiness without you. You'll force her to settle. And anyone who isn't you is settling because you're her one too. She's loved you from the day I caught her in her room making friendship bracelets for you with a huge grin on her face."

My heart stutters painfully. Aria...she loves me? The way I love her? It seems too good to be true.

"Robbie." I add grimly. "She's with him."

"Fuck him." Matt sneers. "I don't like that kid. He gives me the creeps and I've told Aria a million times to reconsider their relationship but she won't listen."

"She won't listen to me either."

"That's because you hate every guy she dates. She's used to your disapproval."

"True." I relent with a chuckle before growing serious again. "What do we do if she won't leave him?"

"We can't force her." He sighs. "And at this point I can't tell if she genuinely likes being with him or if she's just looking for some company."

"Nate said the same thing." I scowl at the mention. "And if I'm being so obvious, by the way, how is it that Nate is as clueless as he is?"

"That's the thing—I don't think he's clueless. At least not as much as he pretends to be."

"You're saying he knows? Doesn't seem like it."

"I think he knows but he won't admit it to himself. I think he's scared of the change. He really looks up to you, you know that?"

"Me?" I scoff. "I'm a spectacular fuck up and he's completely put together. What exactly does he have to look up to me about?"

"He admires the way you can stand your ground and won't take anyone's bullshit. He admires that you that can be tough as shit for the world but a little softer around the edges for the ones you love."

"Nate is a tough guy himself. What's so different between us?"

"Nate..." He trails off, trying to find the words. "Nate is an open book. He likes to act tough sometimes but we all know he's soft at heart and there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with being vulnerable except that sometimes it's scary. You and Aria being together would mean losing his best friend and sister because you two will share something with each other that he won't have or get to be part of. You know how Nate is. He likes to be a leader, the one in the driver's seat at all times. If you and Aria get together he'll be forced to sit in the back and he's never experienced that before. It's not necessarily a bad thing that he likes control. He just likes to take care of others and once you have Aria, that won't be his job anymore."

"I never thought about it like that." I admit. "But Aria will always need him. His sisters will always need him. He has to know that."

"He does. He just has a lot of love to give and doesn't want to lose more people to give it to."

I snort in amusement. "He's going to have a field day when he finds his one. For his sake, she better be fine with letting him take the lead."

"Something tells me he'll end up with a shy one. The one that's left out or not noticed. Those are the ones he has a soft spot for."

"Have you told him about this? The whole 'finding your one' business?"

"Not yet. He doesn't need it the way you do." He levels me with a serious stare. "And I hope you'll take my advice, Asher. There's nobody else I would pick for my baby girl. You're it so get off your ass and fucking earn it."

"Yes, sir." I tell him solemnly. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how he not only knows about and supports the love I have for Aria, but there's no one else he would pick. I still feel undeserving of her but his words make me want to become deserving.

"I don't know what's going to happen with Robbie but show her she chose the wrong man."

"You want me to encourage her to cheat?" My lips twitch, mostly joking.

Matt shrugs. "Lily was taken when we met. That didn't stop me."

I blink in surprise a-fucking-gain. Who was this man? "No shit?"

"In our defence, there were circumstances that proved she shouldn't have been in that relationship to begin with. Aria's in a decent relationship, at least that's what it seems like, so I wouldn't suggest swooping in and stealing her but just find a way to make her realize it. Make her realize you're hers."

"Why do I feel like that won't be easy?"

He grins like he knows something I don't. "The path to realization never is but it's always fucking worth it."

________________________

A/N

Who caught the title reference?

Oh, how I love the wisdom of the parents in these stories. This was such a heart-touching chapter!

Please VOTE, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

Happy Reading :)