ARIA'S POV

I should’ve said something. I should’ve corrected her. I should’ve screamed, NO, HE DIDN’T GET ME THE DAMN FLOWERS, A STRANGER DID. But instead, I smiled. My cheeks stretched so wide, I was pretty sure they’d crack open.

"Aria, they’re beautiful!" Rhea said, her voice came soft, too soft. And that’s when it hit me—Rhea wasn’t the same. She looked… thinner somehow worn down. The brightness was still there, but dulled, like someone put a curtain over ...