Falling for the Fire

Chapter 48

*Brooklyn's POV

The next few weeks went by in an absolute blur. We were all extremely busy getting ready for the event, and I almost didn't have time to think about Ari.

Being around her got easier and easier, but she would still barely speak to me.

I was kind of thankful that we were barely talking, because it was making it at least a little bit easier to try and get over her.

When she first confessed that she had feelings for me and wanted more than friends with benefits, I was strongly considering it. I thought about giving in and explaining everything to her and just going for it, but the further away we drifted, the more the thought left my mind.

She'd made it very clear that she didn't want much of anything to do with me after I turned her down the first time. I couldn't say that I blamed her, and I started to tell myself that this was all for the best.

I could keep going with my refusal to be in a relationship with anyone, and everything would go back to normal.

I didn't love not talking to Ari as much, but that's how it was before and I needed to get used to it again.

We were still working together just fine, and that's all that this needed to be.

Before we knew it, the start of the wine and food festival was just a few days away. Everything was going smoothly, but the stress was increasing with everything to do.

There was a kickoff party that we were getting ready for, and I could basically feel the nerves coming from Ari.

"You good?" I asked her as we sat at the conference room table.

"Yeah..." she sighed, "I think so, this is just - it's a lot, I'm a little nervous."

"I can tell," I told her.

"Jeez, thanks," she said.

"Sorry I didn't - that wasn't meant to be a bad thing," I stammered, "I was joking."

"I know, it's fine," she said in an exasperated tone, "there's just a lot going on."

"Right, sorry..." I trailed off, "no more joking."

"That's not what I meant," she mumbled.

"Okay," I said as I clasped my hands together, "I'm just going to shut my mouth now."

It had been like this between us a lot lately, and I should've learned by now that I just needed to stay quiet.

Ari glanced over at me before she went back to what she'd been working on, and I did the same.

The kickoff party was tonight, and while we didn't have much to organize for it, there were still a few things to finalize.

We all left work a little bit early that day so we could go and get ready, and I caught Ariana on the way out to our cars.

"Hey," I said as I walked to catch up to her, "anything else we need to do for tonight?"

I was only trying to offer my help, but it still appeared that she didn't want to take it with the way that she was reacting.

"Nope," she said matter-of-factly, "all good."

"Alright, I'll see you there," I told her.

"Yeah sure," she quietly responded, "sounds good."

I shook my head to myself as I got into my car, she still really couldn't stand me.

Maybe I needed to drop the whole, trying to be friends thing, but I thought it would be good for both of us. Apparently not in her eyes.

I went home and freshened up and put on my outfit that I had planned out. This was a fairly upscale party, so I did my best to look the part.

It was taking place at a restaurant near the event space, and I made my way there as soon as I was ready.

I walked in to the back room that we had rented, and started to take in all of the people that had already arrived.

I found Eliana and Owen and made my way over to them. As much as she'd been annoying me lately, they were currently the only people here that I knew.

"Hey Elle, Owen," I said as I walked up to them.

Owen put his hand on the small of Eliana's back as they turned to look at me.

"Hey Brooklyn," he said with a polite grin.

"Is your new best friend not here?" She asked with a smirk.

Most of the time she was being bitchy, but I could tell that she was joking around with me this time.

"I don't know," I grinned, "we don't really hang out as much now so...guess you guys are stuck with me."

"She's right over there though if you want to ditch us," Elle said as she nodded towards the opposite side of the room.

I turned around to look, and it felt like my heart skipped a beat when I saw Ari. I really hadn't felt tempted by her in quite a while, but Jesus Christ she looked gorgeous.

She wore a tight red dress that was perfectly hugging her curves, and her brown hair was swept over her shoulder in loose curls.

"Did you see her?" Eliana asked.

"What? Oh - I, yeah I did," I stammered.

I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself as I pulled my eyes away from her. I knew that I should just leave her alone, it was clearly what she wanted, but I was being pulled to her like a moth to a flame.

"I'll be right back," I said to Elle and Owen.

I started to walk towards her when a woman that I didn't recognize stepped up beside her. I stopped and tried to watch from afar without being too obvious, just as she put her hand on Ari's back.

My stomach lurched, and I tried not to stare. The pang of jealousy that surged through me caught me off guard, and it was concerning.

I watched the two of them talking, and Ariana looked far too happy for my liking. Who the hell was this woman?

She kept her hand on her back the whole time that she stood there, and Ari didn't seem to mind one bit. It was clear that the conversation was very flirty, and I felt my anger start to creep in.

As soon as the woman left, I walked up to Ari.

"Hey," I said, "didn't know you had a date tonight."

She raised an eyebrow at me before crossing her arms over her chest. Shit, I probably shouldn't have come out and said that so quickly.

"I don't," she told me, "that was just a friend."

"Oh," I responded, "it just kind of looked like - "

"Brooklyn," she cut me off, "I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but first of all, that's none of your business, and second, you shouldn't care either way, right?"

"I - " before I could manage to get any other words out, the woman called Ariana over to where she was standing.

"I have to go," she said, "I'll see you around later."

She left me standing there in a stupor as realization came flooding over me.

I didn't want Ari to be with anyone else, because I needed her to be with me. Now I had to figure out how to make that happen.

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