☆Hate Sparks☆

Chapter Six: Growing Attraction (Aria's POV)

The weeks following her breakup with Jason were a whirlwind of change for Aria. She threw herself into her work at Blackwood Energy, but found herself increasingly conflicted about the company's environmental practices. Every decision, every meeting, seemed to echo with Zoe's passionate arguments from their first encounter.

But it was the community cleanup project that truly became Aria's anchor. Those hours spent with Zoe and the other volunteers were a respite from the turmoil in her personal and professional life. And if she was being honest with herself, a large part of that was due to Zoe's presence.

As they worked side by side one sunny afternoon, Aria found herself stealing glances at Zoe. The environmental activist was laughing with a group of volunteers, her curls wild in the breeze, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Aria felt her heart skip a beat.

"Earth to Aria," Zoe's voice broke through her reverie. "You okay there? You seem a million miles away."

Aria blinked, feeling a blush creep up her neck. "Sorry, just... lost in thought, I guess."

Zoe's expression softened. "How are you doing? Really? It's been a few weeks since... you know."

Aria took a deep breath. "It's been... challenging. But also freeing. I feel like I'm rediscovering myself, if that makes sense."

Zoe nodded, her hand briefly touching Aria's arm in a gesture of support. The simple contact sent a jolt through Aria's body.

"I'm proud of you," Zoe said softly. "It takes a lot of courage to make a change like that."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Aria felt the world around them fade away. There was something in Zoe's gaze - a warmth, an intensity - that made Aria's breath catch in her throat.

The moment was broken by a call from one of the other volunteers. Zoe gave Aria's arm a gentle squeeze before heading off to help. Aria watched her go, her emotions in turmoil.

She was falling for Zoe, hard and fast. But Zoe was with Alex, and Aria was still healing from her relationship with Jason. It was complicated, messy, and potentially disastrous.

As the day wore on, Aria found herself hyper-aware of every interaction with Zoe. The brush of their hands as they passed tools back and forth, the way Zoe's laugh made her stomach flip, the lingering glances that seemed charged with unspoken tension.

At the end of the day, as they were packing up, Zoe approached Aria again.

"Hey, a bunch of us are going to grab dinner and drinks to celebrate how much progress we've made. Want to join?"

Aria hesitated. She wanted nothing more than to spend more time with Zoe, but she was also terrified of revealing her growing feelings.

"I... I'd love to, but I have some work to catch up on," she lied, hating herself for the disappointment that flashed across Zoe's face.

"Oh, okay. Maybe next time?" Zoe's smile was a little forced, and Aria felt a pang of regret.

"Definitely next time," she promised.

As Aria drove home, her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. She was falling in love with Zoe, there was no denying it anymore. But Zoe was in a relationship, and Aria was still dealing with the aftermath of her breakup with Jason.

Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something growing between them. The way Zoe looked at her sometimes, the lingering touches, the easy intimacy of their conversations... was it possible Zoe felt it too?

Aria sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. She had no idea what to do with these feelings. But one thing was certain - her life had irrevocably changed since meeting Zoe Martinez, and there was no going back now. All she could do was move forward, one day at a time, and hope that somehow, someway, things would work out.