The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 166

inter 166

Chapter 166

ARIAS POV

Blake stared at me for a long time, the silence stretching out heavily between us. He looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers together nervously as he tried to process my question.

When he finally looked up, his eyes were full of conflict and genuine pain. “Aria, I am in a very fight spot here, Blake said,

voice cracking slightly.

swear to you, I am not trying to take sides, and am definitely not trying to force you to choose Julian over my own brother. I know Brandon loves you, and I know how good he is to you. But Julian is my best friend. He is losing himself completely, Aria. I am only doing what any good friend would do when they see someone they care about drowning.”

leaned back in my chair, folding my arms tightly

across my chest. My heart was still pounding from the terrifying image of a broken Julian, but fry anger and bitterness quickly rose up to shield me from the pain.

Julian is entirely responsible for his own predicament, Blake,” I said, my voice cutting through the quiet room like a knife. Nobody forced him to drink. Nobody forced him to behave the way he did. He created his own derrons, so he might as well learn to live with them now.”

Blake opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to cut him off. “For five long years, I had my own massive trials,” I continued, the memories of my struggles making my throat tight.

I was hurting, I was stressed, and I had to deal with everything all on my own. And do you know who was there for me through all of it? Brandon. He supported me, he protected me, and he never gave up on me. I dealt with my pain because of him.”

I took a deep, steadying breath and looked Blake dead in the eye, making sure he heard every single word clearly. “I am dating Brandon now, Blake. We are officially together. Julian just has to deal with it, whether he likes it or not.”

Blake went quiet, absorbing my words. He looked at me carefully, his eyes searching my face for something. Then, he leaned forward, dropping his voice to a soft, hesitant whisper.

“Do you love him, Aria? Do you really love Brandon?”

The question hit me like a physical blow. I froze, my tongue suddenly feeling tied. Did I love Brandon? He was everything a woman could ever ask for.

He was kind, attentive, wealthy, and devoted. But when Blake asked me that question, my mind didn’t instantly scream yes. Instead, a heavy, complicated wave of emotion flooded my chest.

Brandon is an amazing man,” I started, looking away from Blake and focusing on the wall behind him.

He treats me like absolute royalty, and he has been my rock for five years. He treats Amelia like she is his own daughter, and he just brought me a huge bouquet of roses today. Any woman would be lucky to have a partner like him in their life.”

Blake let out a soft sigh, shaking his head gently. “Aria, you are beating around the bush. You didn’t answer my question. I asked if you love him.”

[

“I am building a life with him, Blake,” I snapped back, my defensive walls going right back up because I hated how easily he could see through me. “That is all that matters.”

Blake realized he wasn’t going to get a straight answer out of me. He looked at his watch, seeing how late it was getting, and slowly pushed his chair back from the dining table.

He stood up, looking at me with a soft, concerned expression that made me feel incredibly vulnerable.

“I should get going,” Blake said quietly. “But before I leave, Aria, please promise me you will think deeply about all of this. Don’t hurt yourself, and don’t make impulsive decisions about your relationships just because you feel pressured by everyone around you, or simply because you want to punish Julian for what he did. Marriage and love shouldn’t be used as a weapon.”

His words struck a nerve, making my stomach twist uncomfortably. I didn’t say anything as I stood up to escort him to the front door.

We walked into the foyer, and just as Blake reached out to turn the doorknob, the lock clicked from the outside. The heavy wooden door swung open suddenly, and my eyes widened in complete shock.

randon was standing on the porch.

moment Brandon stepped inside, the warm air in the house instantly turned freezing cold. His eyes flicked from me

Chapter 166

straight to Blake, and his entire posture hardened.

Alertlying icy glare took over Brandon’s face, a look so dark and hostile it made my breath hitch in my throat. He looked Hike a predator marking his territory.

“Blake,” Brandon said, his valge dropping into a dangerously low, rumbling tone. “What are you doing here at Aria’s place?” Blake cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure under his brother’s intense stare. “I just stopped by to talk to Aria for a bit. I was actually just leaving.”

Brandon didn’t say another word to him. He didn’t even say goodbye. He just stood there like a wall, staring his own brother down until Blake quickly slipped past him, hurried down the porch stops, and walked toward his car.

Once Blake’s car drove away, Brandon closed the front door with a firm thud. He turned to me, the harsh look on his face softening just a little bit, but his eyes were still scanning the room suspiciously.

“Why are you here so late, Brandon?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual as I walked back into the living room. “I thought you had a ton of work to finish up tonight.”

“I did, Brandon said, following closely behind me. He ran a hand over his face, looking genuinely exhausted and stressed. “But I have been calling your phone for the past two hours, Aria. You didn’t respond to any of my texts or calls. I got incredibly worried about you. My mind went straight to the worst case scenario. I honestly though! Julian had broken his promise and came here to cause trouble for you and Amelia.”

I realized then that I had left my phone upstairs in my bedroom after taking my shower, completely forgetting to bring it back down when Blake arrived.

“Oh, Brandon, I’m so sorry,” I said quickly, reaching out to touch his arm to calm him down. “Nothing happened, I promise. I just left my phone upstairs in my room while I was downstairs talking with Blake. I didn’t hear it ringing.”

Brandon looked down at my hand on his arm, his shoulders relaxing a bit, but his curiosity wasn’t satisfied. “What was Blake doing here anyway? What did you two have to discuss for two hours?”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second. I didn’t want to tell Brandon about Julian’s suicidal state, or about Blake’s confession regarding my father’s company. I knew Brandon already despised Julian and I honestly just wanted peace tonight.

“It was nothing major,” I lied smoothly, offering him a reassuring smile. “He just stopped by to say hello and see how I was adjusting to the new CEO position. He wanted to check up on me after all the crazy media drama outside the hotel this morning.”

Brandon looked at me carefully, as if trying to read my mind, but he didn’t push me further on it. Still, the tense energy in his body remained.

To completely divert his attention away from Julian and the company, I decided to change the topic to something else. “Brandon… Why are you always so incredibly cold to your brother? He is your flesh and blood, but every time you two are in the same room, it feels like an active warzone.”

At first, Brandon didn’t respond. He walked over to the coffee table, his eyes lingering on the massive bouquet of red roses he had sent me earlier.

He touched one of the petals gently, keeping his back turned toward me. The silence in the room grow heavy again. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, carrying a deep, old bitterness that ran through his veins.

“I would rather be completely on my own,” Brandon said, turning around to face me with a cold, hard expression.

“I would rather walk through this life completely alone than surround myself with people who do not actually care about me. Blake spent his entire life trying to please a man who hated us both, and he never once stood up for me when it mattered. Blood doesn’t mean anything if there is no loyalty behind it.”

My heart ached for him a little bit. I could see the deeply rooted trauma of his childhood reflecting in his eyes, and it explained why he was so fiercely protective and possessive over the things he loved now.

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