(Sequel to OLD VERSION of Deal) Cross My Heart •jb• ✔️

Chapter 31; Figuring It Out

Justin's POV:

"Weren't you with Ryder in high school the whole time?" I asked Aria, following her into her parent's living room and closing the door behind us.

"Technically no, the only reason I was ever connected with him was because he knew that my mom was alive and decided to use it against me," She said as I folded my arms over my chest and hummed sharply which made her huff, "Justin, Daniel is nobody he wasn't even-"

"So then how come he said things would've been different if he didn't go on his scholarship?" I asked her, questioning her again as she sighed and ran a hand through her hair before turning and walking towards the sofa, "Aria answer me,"

"We liked each other in high school until all that bullshít with Ryder started," She said to me as she sat against the arm of the sofa, my muscles tensing at her words, "We kissed once, it wasn't a fling that involved sex but more of that high school crap,"

"You kis-"

"It was puppy love Justin,"

"Yeah well it would make sense since he wants to act like a starved dog," I snapped to her, her eyes meeting mine but no reply to my words following which made me huff, "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"It wasn't important enough for me to tell you at the time when we first started dating or right now," She said and I rolled my eyes, leaning back into the door as I watched her squint her eyes at me, "Don't be like that, not once did I question the amount of girls you fücked before we dated and I never will because it doesn't matter,"

"Yeah, well it matters to me Aria,"

"Why?" She asked in a frustrated tone, her anger starting to show when she bit the inside of her cheek and fixed her glare on me.

"Because it does,"

"That's not an answer Justin," She said to me.

"It is an answer, I'm not the one who flung myself into another man's arms as if you both missed the hell out of each other," I said to her and a blunt oh left her lips, my glare challenging her own as I replayed the image of his arms around her.

"Justin, he was a friend before I was even close to you but he means nothing to me,"

"Doesn't seem like it," I said, not realising the doubt in my voice that was loud and clear, something I knew due to the softening in Aria's features.

"Do you think I'm lying to you?" She asked me, "Are you jealous?" She continued, the hurt I could slowly see from me being pissed at her for the true reason.

"Aria you know how I get when other guys try to-"

"Yeah but Justin," She said, pushing herself away from the sofa and walking towards me, "A guy can do whatever to get my attention but I wouldn't act on it because I know at the end of the day I have all that I want back home with you and Mia," She mumbled, "Please don't put it in your head that you can't trust me-"

"Aria I trust you, not them," I said to her and she pressed her lips together, looking up at me as I bit the inside of my lip, "I don't like him,"

"He didn't do anything to you babe-"

"He touched you and talked to me as if I wasn't with you and that he probably has a chance to rekindle whatever flame you guys had," I said, my fingers clenching into my palms the more I spoke.

"Babe there is no flame," She said to me, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion at me, "I have everything I want with you and always will,"

"I..." I started, letting her words settle in but the doubts clouding my mind were circling and the possessive side of me wasn't helping at all, "He doesn't sit right with me, especially after what he said," I puffed out a breath, rubbing the palms of my hands into my face as I pinched the bridge of my nose.