Align Ourselves Read online

  Upstairs, she took a long bath and tried not to think of Ben, or Lex. Or anyone else for that matter.

  She put on a long black nightgown and climbed into bed. She willed her muscles to relax, focusing on relaxing each part of her anatomy piece by piece. But to no avail.

  She was still wide awake when she heard Lex come to their room. He went into the bathroom, and she tried to fall asleep while he took a bath. But the more she longed for it, the more awake she felt.

  "Hey," he said, climbing into bed.

  She got a little distracted by his bare chest, the muscles on his body, and his tan skin before responding with her own 'hi.'

  He laid on his back and sighed.

  "I'm letting him live. And I'm not banishing him. Isn't that enough?" he asked.

  "What?" she asked, a little confused.

  "Ben," he said, turning on his side to face her.

  "Oh," she said, shaking her head. "Right. Yeah, uh, thanks for that."

  He looked confused. "Isn't that why you're upset with me?"

  "I'm not upset with you," she said, turning to face him. What the hell is he talking about?

  "Oh," he said, "I just figured you were."

  "Why?"

  "You have a sad look on your face. You have all night."

  She didn't know what to say to that. She was a little surprised that he noticed.

  "Why?" he asked. His eyes were a little glassy. He must've been a little drunk.

  "Nothing in particular," she lied.

  "Come on, just tell me," he said.

  "Why should I? You've been ignoring me for days. And-and you didn't want to talk to me when I asked. You didn't even want me to come with you."

  "Yes, because I needed some time to think. And to decide on what to do with that piece of shit you call a friend," he said.

  "Well, I guess I need some time to think now," she said.

  "You ask because you want to know what's going on," he said. "I ask because I care for you, and I don't like seeing you sad."

  Aria stopped short. Did he really just admit that he cares for her?

  "And you don't think I care about you?" she asked.

  "Not particularly, no," he said with a half-smile.

  "Well, I do," she said, looking away.

  "Okay, then. Why are you sad?"

  "I'm not sad," she said, shaking her head. "Actually, I kind of missed you..." She could feel her chest and her face warming up.

  He laughed.

  She turned to glare at him, embarrassed. "What's so funny?"

  "If you need anything, just tell me. You don't have to lie and tell me what you think I want to hear to get back in my good graces."

  She felt even angrier than before. How the hell could he say something like that? " You're an asshole," she said.

  "Maybe so. But at least you know I'm being honest."

  That stung. And to her embarrassment, she felt angry tears, making her vision blur.

  She turned back on her side, facing away from him, not wanting to look at him for a second longer. She hoped he would say something. Take it back. Apologize. Maybe even reach out.

  He didn't.

  Chapter 23

  Surprisingly, Ben left quietly.

  He said his goodbyes, promising that he'd be back soon. A few people seemed sad to see him go, but most were relieved. Aria only hoped that he learned his lesson, that he wouldn't cause any more trouble.

  She was the last person he said goodbye to. And she tried not to flinch when he told her that he loved her.

  "Stay out of trouble," was all she said back. He looked hurt, but she couldn't find it in herself to feel bad about it.

  Two days after Ben left, she walked to town with Brent and Peter. They were chatting about nothing in particular when Peter asked her what it was like being married to Lex.

  "It's not so bad," Aria said. They had gone from strangers to allies. To possibly even friends.

  "He's so cool," Peter said. And then he went on to tell Aria about the night that Lex had drunk with them, the stories he told.

  Aria felt a little bitter. They all seemed to like him. And it wasn't like she didn't want them to, but her own personal feelings about Lex were making it difficult to listen to Peter and Brent talk about how cool he was.

  They stayed in town for a while. Aria veered off to look around alone when she came upon a book that caught her attention. The vendor was an older gentleman, and the items he was selling were totally random. He had everything from books to animal skin to candles.

  Aria picked the book up and looked through it for a few minutes before purchasing it. Yeah, she was still mad at Lex. But she couldn't resist the opportunity.

  That night, she waited for him in their rooms, anticipation churning in her gut.

  When he came in and didn't even acknowledge her, she thought about throwing the book in a corner and never mentioning it again.

  He went to their bedroom, and she stayed in the front room for a little while longer, contemplating if she should give him the gift or not.

  What the hell. We have to talk eventually.

  She went into their room and found him sitting on the loveseat, reading a book.

  "So I went to town today," she said, standing by the fireplace.

  "Yeah," he said, not looking up.

  "I got you something.”

  He finally looked up. He seemed a little surprised.

  She went to her side of the room and got the book out of her bag. She walked back to where he was sitting and wordlessly handed it to him.

  King Arthur

  He studied the cover for a minute, a smile playing on his lips.

  "How fitting," he said, opening the book. “Thank you," he said, giving her a real smile for the first time in days.

  "You're welcome." She felt a little awkward, just standing there. She made a move to leave, but he grabbed her hand, making her stay.

  "Really," he said, "thank you. You didn't have to."

  "I know...but I couldn't resist," she said, looking down at his hand. Their hands were complete opposites. Hers was small, her skin smooth. His was large and rough.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "About what I said the other night. It was rude. I know that I can be an asshole. I'm working on it, I swear. I really am sorry."

  "Wow. If I would have known a book could-" she began, fighting a smile.

  He let go of her hand, playfully shoving it from his. "Shut up. I mean it. And not because of the book. I was being a dick. And I apologize."

  "It's okay," she said. "And I-I'm sorry too. For...for not telling you about Ben. And thank you for letting him stay. It means a lot to me."

  He nodded.

  Aria felt awkward again, so she decided it was time for bed.

  It wasn't long before he joined her. She was almost asleep when she felt him shift and come closer to her.

  He moved until he was beside her, not as close as he'd been that morning in the house, but closer than he'd ever been in this bed. She could feel his arm moving underneath the covers.

  She felt it wrap around her middle.

  She opened her eyes in the darkness, completely surprised by his closeness and the feeling of his arm draped around her waist.

  "Is this okay?" he whispered from behind her.

  "Yeah," she whispered back, putting her hand on top of his, "It's okay."

  In the morning, his arm was still wrapped around her. But at some point, she must have scooted back because she could feel his body pressed firmly against hers.

  They were no longer lying on opposite sides of the bed. They met in the middle.

  She felt momentarily happy, content. A slow blush crept up her chest when she realized she could feel him hard against her lower back.

  It's natural, of course. She knew that. In fact, she was a little surprised that this hadn't happened sooner. They had been sleeping in the same bed for quite some time.

  She slowly made her way out from under him, getting out of the be
d, trying to spare them both the embarrassment of that situation. He stirred a little but didn't wake. Thank god.

  She went down to the throne room for breakfast after changing. Grace wasn't at her regular spot at their table; instead, she leaned against the one her friends were at.

  "Aria!" Peter yelled, "We're going on a trip. Wanna come?"

  "Where are you going?" she asked, walking up to stand beside Grace.

  "There's this place Grace wants to take us to," Peter said.

  Aria looked at Grace. She wanted to go, but she wasn't sure if she was really invited.

  "It's just a little hike. There's a waterfall and shit," Grace said, shrugging.

  "Okay, sure. If you don't mind," Aria said, raising an eyebrow in question.

  "Why would I mind?" Grace replied, looking a little annoyed.

  Aria shrugged. Even though Grace was getting along with the rest of her friends...she and Aria still hadn't really gotten to know each other.

  After eating breakfast, she went to get her backpack since Grace said it'd be a good idea to bring a change of clothes. Aria was pretty excited, hoping she'd get the chance to swim again.

  "Where are you going?" Lex asked, leaning against the door frame to the bathroom.

  "Grace is taking us on a hike. She said there's a waterfall or something," she said, finding it a little hard to look at him. He was still shirtless, and his hair was sticking up at random angles. And he looked so damn cute, nothing like how Aria imagined a king should look.

  "Have fun," he said, smiling.

  "Thanks," she replied, walking past him and leaving the room.

  She wasn't sure why she felt so different around him. Then again, he had willingly held her last night. He'd never done that before. She felt like things between them had shifted, and they were standing on the edge of something.

  She met up with Grace, Mara, Brent, Peter, and Martinez. They set out, and within two hours, they reached the place Grace had told them about.

  The scenery took Aria's breath away. The waterfall was huge, but the river below it wasn't very deep. There were plenty of rocks for them to perch on and jump from.

  She spent the day by the river with her friends, wading in the water.

  The water was freezing, but at some point, Mara convinced her to stand underneath the waterfall with the others.

  This is what Earth should be like, she thought, watching Brent and Martinez taking turns to see who could stand under the waterfall the longest.

  They were all at ease, laughing and enjoying themselves.

  Summer had turned to Autumn, but if anything, it was even more beautiful than before. Everywhere she looked, Aria saw shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown. She wished she had a better drawing ability, so she could capture the beauty.

  After her swim, Aria perched on one of the rocks and tried to untangle her hair. It had grown a lot in the past two months, almost reaching the bottom of her rib cage. She sighed in frustration, wishing she'd thought to bring a comb.

  "Hey," Grace said, sitting down on a rock adjacent to hers. "Want some help?"

  Aria studied her for a few moments, trying to figure out what angle she was playing.

  Grace noticed and rolled her eyes. "Want me to cut it for you?" she asked.

  "You have scissors?" Aria asked, unsure.

  "No, but I have my sword," Grace said, raising an eyebrow.

  Aria thought about it. Her hair was longer than she'd ever had it. And it would be nice to get a trim, but she wasn't sure about how comfortable she was having Grace's sword so close to her body.

  "Sure," she finally said, shrugging, "What the hell? I could use a trim."

  Grace nodded and went to get her sword. After she came back, she separated Aria's hair into three sections; on her left, her right, and down her back.

  Grace grabbed a fist full in the back, and before Aria could say anything, she slashed through it with the sword.

  Aria's hand went to the back of her head. She stopped short when she realized just how much Grace had cut off.

  "What the hell, Grace? I said I wanted a trim!" she yelled.

  Grace shrugged and grabbed the hair on Aria's left side.

  "Stay still if you want it to be even...or if you like having both ears," Grace said; it sounded like she was smirking.

  Aria’s hair now stopped just below her collar bones. She'd never had it that short before.

  "Oh my god," she said. "If I had known you'd cut so much off, I never would have agreed!"

  "Come on, it looks good," Grace said, shrugging.

  Aria wasn't sure. And it wasn't like she had a mirror, so she couldn't even tell if Grace was serious or not. Aria was pretty sure that Grace had done it on purpose, maybe in the hopes of making Aria look ridiculous.

  She tried to look at her reflection in the water, but she couldn't really get a clear view. She decided to wait until she saw what it looked like in an actual mirror before yelling at Grace again.

  Grace gave Brent and Peter haircuts too. But unlike Aria, they actually got trims. When Grace was finished with Peter, she looked at Mara, raising her eyebrow.

  "Oh no," Mara shook her head, "Don't even think about it."

  "Come on!" Grace yelled, "They all look so good!"

  "And I don't?" Mara asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Point taken," Grace said, smirking.

  Aria was pretty sure that they were flirting. They'd been doing that more and more lately. And the only other person that Grace smiled at so much was her brother.

  Chapter 24

  Eventually, they had to head back. By the time they reached the palace, the sun had almost set.

  Aria was starving, but she decided to go to her room to wash up before dinner. But mostly, she wanted to look in a mirror.

  She went straight to her vanity table as soon as she got to her room. She was a little surprised by the girl she saw looking back at her.

  Grace was right. It looked good. Really good, actually. Her dark hair was wavy and clean, and it framed her face perfectly. She felt like a brand new person. She didn't know haircuts could do that.

  She took a bath and got ready for dinner. She decided to wear something other than her typical shirt and pants combo in a moment of sheer giddiness. Searching through her dresser, she settled on something she thought she'd never wear.

  But she'd felt so different with the haircut, so maybe it was fitting that she picked up a long red dress and put it on. The neckline plunged a little, and the material was soft and light. It was a plain dress. The most notable thing about it was the slit on the side that came up a little past the middle of her thigh.

  She picked up a thin silver necklace that she'd gotten as a present when she got married. It took a few minutes, but she clasped it behind her neck.

  She looked at herself in the mirror again. The girl staring back was almost unrecognizable. She'd gained weight, her face round, and her breasts full. Her face had gotten a little tanner in the past few days, and her hair was healthier than she'd ever seen it. The girl looking back at her looked like a queen.

  She made her way to the throne room in good spirits. Once inside, she walked straight to her table. She noticed a few people staring.

  A few of her friends actually did double-takes. The thought made her want to blush. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

  Once she was close enough to look at Lex and Grace seated before her, Aria was reminded of all the ways they looked alike. Both of them had stopped talking; both of their mouths were slightly parted in surprise. Both of them had their eyebrows raised, just a fraction. Aria tried not to laugh.

  They looked away at the same time, too.

  She sat down and tried not to blush.

  "You cut your hair," Lex stated after a few minutes of silence.

  "Actually, Grace cut it for me," she said, meeting his eyes.

  "You're welcome," Grace said from Lex's other side, a smile playing on her lips.

  "Oh,"
Lex said. He cleared his throat, and in a much quieter voice, he added, "It looks nice."

  "Thank you," Aria replied, now blushing in earnest. It wasn't like she'd never received a compliment before. But something about the way he said it made her skin heat.

  She poured herself a glass of wine, figuring that it'd help her relax a little.

  "Did you have fun today?" he asked, still looking at her.

  "Yeah, um, it-it was fun," she said, taking a long sip from her glass. "It's a beautiful place. I'd like to go again."

  "Well, maybe I'll take you next time," he said, smiling.

  "It's not too far. I think I can manage to go by myself," she said. She hoped he understood that she was teasing him.

  "Ah, yes. I'm sure you could."

  "Maybe next time, I'll take you."

  He smiled, taking a sip of his own wine. "I'd like that," he said, turning back to face the crowd.

  What the hell...were they flirting?

  "I'm gonna head out," Grace said, "You two...enjoy your night."

  Aria felt herself blush again. It was stupid; Grace had only wished them a good night. It wasn't like she was implying anything. Or was she?

  "I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before," Lex said after Grace had left.

  "I was in a dress when we got married, you know. But then again, I'm sure you had more important things on your mind than my wedding gown."

  "No, I remember," he said, "What I meant to say was that I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress voluntarily."

  Aria laughed at that, taking another long sip of her wine. It seemed to be helping; she was feeling a lot more relaxed.

  "So, I've been thinking," she began, "I need like...a job or something."

  "You're the queen."

  "Yes, but you actually have things to do. I haven't done much of anything. I have a lot of spare time on my hands, so I'd like to do something productive with it."

  "Well, I've got to admit I'm a little surprised. Queens don't typically ask for work," he said, smirking at her.

  "Well, I don't want to be a 'typical' queen."

  "I can see that. Tell me, what would you like to do?"