The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 140

Chapter 140

ARIA’S POV

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The next morning, the sun was already high in the sky when I finally opened my eyes. The bright light hurt my head, and I felt like a heavy weight was sitting on my chest.

I had spent so much of the night crying on the balcony and thinking about Julian’s betrayal that my body simply gave up. I was so tired that I had slept right through my alarm and the usual morning noises of the city.

I was still lying in bed, feeling lost, when the door creaked open. Amelia stood there, already dressed in her school uniform, though her tie was crooked and her hair was a mess.

“Mommy? Wake up,” she said softly, poking my arm. “The sun is very high. I think I am very late for school.”

I jumped out of bed, my head spinning as I looked at the clock. It was almost ten in the morning. “Oh no, baby! I am so sorry. I must have slept too long.”

“It is okay, Mommy,” Amelia said. She looked at me with those big, curious eyes. “But since the bus is gone, you have to drive me today. Can we go now?”

I rushed to get ready, my mind still foggy from the night before. As I grabbed my car keys and led her to the door, I stopped and knelt down so we were eye to eye.

I held her small hands in mine, my heart squeezing with fear. “Amelia, remember what we talked about in the car yesterday? About the man at the hotel?”

Amelia nodded her head seriously. “I remember, Mommy. You said he is a stranger and I must not follow him.”

“Exactly,” I said, my voice firm. “I don’t care what he says, or what he buys you. You do not leave the school gates with anyone but me or Uncle Brandon. Do you promise me again?”

“I promise, Mommy. I won’t go with him or anyone else. I will stay with my teacher,” she said. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, and for a second, I felt like I could breathe again.

I drove her to school and watched her walk safely inside the building. I waited until she disappeared through the doors before I turned the car around.

On the drive back, I felt a deep, heavy exhaustion in my bones. I was supposed to go to my shop today. I had a lot of cakes to bake and orders to fill, but I just couldn’t do it.

My heart wasn’t in it. I wasn’t in the mood to bake anything or smile at customers. I just wanted to stay home and hide from the world.

When I got back to the apartment, I saw my phone lying on the living room floor where I had angrily shoved it last night. It was buzzing like crazy.

I didn’t even have the energy to pick it up. I walked into the kitchen to make some tea, trying to find some peace in the quiet house.

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18:18 Mon, Jun 1

Chapter 140

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But the peace didn’t last long. I heard a loud noise at the front door, the sound of someone who had a key and was in a very big hurry.

A second later, the door burst open and Brandon rushed inside.

He looked like a man who had seen a ghost. His hair was messy, his shirt was wrinkled, and his face was pale He stopped when he saw me standing in the kitchen, still wearing my sweater and holding a mug

He let out a huge, shaky sigh and leaned his back against the door, closing his eyes. He looked like he was about to fall down. “Arial” he shouted, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank God. Why didn’t you answer me?”

“Why are you here, Brandon? And why did you come in like that?” I asked. My voice was low and tired.

“I have been calling you for hours!” he yelled. He wasn’t trying to be mean; he was just terrified. “I called a hundred times. When you didn’t pick up, I thought the worst. I thought Julian had come back and taken you. I thought you might have hurt yourself because of all the stress. I thought… I thought you were gone. I almost lost my mind driving here.”

I looked at him, and instead of feeling happy he was there, I felt a spark of anger.

So you came to find me now? Why do you care so much this morning, when you ignored every single one of my calls last night? I needed you most last night, Brandon. I was alone, I was crying, and I was scared. You were the one person I wanted to talk to, and you turned your phone off.”

Brandon looked down at his shoes, looking ashamed. “I… I just didn’t know what to say to you. Aria. I was too furious. I was so angry about Julian that I couldn’t think straight. I wanted to wait until I was calm before I spoke to you because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.”

I shook my head, a bitter laugh coming out of my throat. “I don’t buy that, Brandon. You were being selfish. Just because Julian showed up and things didn’t go the way you wanted, you decided to hide. You knew I was worried about Amelia’s safety, yet you still played the victim. You made me bear all of that weight alone when I was at my breaking point.”

I stepped closer to him, my eyes stinging with fresh tears. “Do you know what this feels like? Years ago, when I was dealing with pregnancy hormones, betrayal, and neglect, Julian did the exact same thing. He turned his back on me when I was at my lowest. He disappeared when I needed him most. And now, here you are doing the same thing. You walked away when the situation got hard. You left me alone to face the storm. Is that your version of love? To disappear when I need you to stay?”

“Aria, I am so sorry,” he whispered. He stepped toward me to touch my arm, but I stepped back

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