Why I Love ~Sequel To Entwined~

Wedding Jitters

Dedicated to J.K.R

As Usual the genious gets all the credit ; )

Chapter Ten

Wedding Jitters

            It was two in the morning when James dragged his feet up the stairs to his and Aria’s apartment looking scruffy and sad. Aria stumbled through the apartment when she heard the knock, rubbing her eyes and wrapping a house coat around herself.

“James?” she whispered, still half asleep. She was almost positive she was dreaming before she heard his voice; low and pained as he looked at her.

“Hey Arie, can I come in?”

He looked so cold and so tired Aria just couldn’t say no. “Of course,” she opened the door wider and turned on a small light that cast a warm glow across James’s haggard face. It hurt her to see him so, so she busied herself with making the tea.

“You changed the locks,” he said, gladly taking the cup of tea she handed him.

“They were broken.”

“Right,” he winked and blew on his tea.

Finally, after sitting silence for a full five minuets, Aria couldn’t help it anymore “What are you doing here James? I thought you were in Siberia.”

“I was,” he said “But I came back for a week; visited my parents, stopped in to see Lily and Albus, you know. Caught up on some news.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, insides trembling “Like what?”

“Well,” the grin on his face slipped “I heard you were getting married, for one. Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Adam Ilion,” she said, proud to say his name.

“When’s the wedding?”

“August 24th.”

He nodded “Nice time of year for a wedding; warm and sunny.”

“That’s what we’re aiming for.”

He smiled at her “I wish I could say I’m happy for you, Aria, but honestly…” he looked out the window “It’s breaking my heart.”

Aria felt tears threaten and looked into the blue pools of James’s eyes, once full of so much joy and mischief. Since he had gone to war though, the light had gone out of his eyes. His eyes were empty pf everything she had once loved about him.

“I…I’m so sorry, James.” She whispered, still staring at him.

He shrugged “You have nothing to be sorry for, Aria. We had something, but I…I threw it away when I left you. I regret it every day, but it’s my own bloody fault for losing you.”

She sniffed “It’s not your fault James, it’s not anyone’s fault really. We messed up, and our paths strayed.”

“You always had a way of putting something into words, Aria.” He gave her a small smile “It’s something I’ve always loved about.” He got up and she followed him to the door.

“James…” I started. I wanted to tell him not to go. To stay with me, or at least take me with him-wherever he was going, it didn’t matter to me.

“There are so many reasons why I love you, Aria, but I ran out of time to tell you.” He smiled one last time at her with empty eyes and slipped down the stairs and out into the dark.

            “I’m getting married in a week.” Aria whispered to herself. It was August 17th, one week until her wedding. She stared hard at herself in the tiny bathroom mirror, seeing everything but her pretty face. “It’ll never last,” she said “I’ll never look this good by the time I’m forty, and Adam will leave me.”