#Chapter 65: Day Off

Aria I spent most of the next morning in my pajamas, moving from the bed to the couch and back again like a broken record. The coffee table was littered with cold mugs of half-finished tea and stacks of abandoned paperwork that I’d half-heartedly tried to work on before giving up. My day off wasn’t exactly comforting. It felt more like a punishment than a reprieve. Around noon, my phone buzzed, breaking me out of a half-awake state on the sofa. I grabbed it and felt a little relieved upon seeing Bella’s name on the screen. “Hey, Bells.” “Hey yourself,” Bella replied. I could hear the sounds of dishes clinking and voices in the background; she had likely slipped into the walk-in freezer at her restaurant job just to call me. “How are you holding up?” I shrugged even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Fine. Just… you know. Hanging out at home.” There was a pause, then an exaggerated sigh. “Aria, you can’t just sit around all day moping. You’ll