Chapter 65

Aria's POV Aiden ended his call quickly and set the phone aside. I watched nervously as he picked up the fork and began eating the noodles I'd made. Even doing something as ordinary as eating instant noodles, he managed to look impossibly elegant - back straight, movements precise, not a single drop spilled. The silence stretched between us until I couldn't stand it anymore. My brain scrambled for something—anything—to say. "So... what do you think of Claire?" I blurted out, immediately wanting to smack myself. Real smooth, Aria. Aiden paused mid-bite, his dark eyes finding mine. "Claire?" "You know, the woman your aunt and uncle were practically throwing at you tonight," I clarified, trying to sound casual while my heart hammered against my ribs. He resumed eating, face betraying nothing. "I don't think anything of her." "She's very beautiful," I continued, picking at a loose thread on my sleeve. "Most men would find her attractive." "I'm not most men." I swallowed hard. "Do you have