The Artist's Amour (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 18: Broken Angel

Thank you all for the awesome support! My goal is an upload a day so I can offer you all some entertainment for the summer before school turns my life into a living hell. XOXO

Chris's POV

Nick soon fell asleep in Aria's arms as the storm subsided. Pete and I continued to exchange glances with each other. It was just so unusual. Usually when Nick got like this, he became so attached to my hip. No one else had ever been able to calm him down, besides Lacey. And here Aria was, slowly patting his back as she whispered secrets into his ear. This whole situation was so bizarre.

After sometime, she slowly sat up with him in her arms. "Where is his bedroom?" She silently whispered/mouthed to me. I quickly got up and lead the way as my son continued to sleep in her arms. We walked down a corridor before turning and entering his room. It was large yet vacant. I never noticed before, but now being here with Aria, his room looked like something straight out of a magazine. Something so staged and unnatural. She glanced up at me and smiled reassuringly before moving towards his bed.

The sheets were already pulled back so she gently laid him down before pulling the covers up over his body and tucking him in. After she was 100% sure he was as comfortable as he could be, she finally stepped back. "You were gr-" I started, but was cut off by Aria's hand over my mouth. A finger went to her lips, mouthing that I need to shut up. We both turned to Nick as we saw him stir a bit before finding a more comfortable position and rolling with it.

After we made it outside, and slowly closed the door, Aria gave me the okay to talk. "You're amazing." I finally got out, glancing down at her. Her face heated up as she looked away. "Thanks." She mumbled.

Before I could say anything else, or pull her body flush against mine again, she was already walking back towards the living room to talk with my father.

"How was the brunch?" Pete asked as we all sat down in my living room. Aria sat beside me on the love seat. I was was so incredibly tempted to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer, but I wasn't sure if she wanted that.

"It was wonderful." She nodded, smiling as Pete continued to make small talk.

"Did you still want those extra buckets of paint for the room upstairs?" He asked.

"I would love them, thank you." She nodded, looking even more engaged in this conversation as he asked her about her plans for the house. If Pete was presented with a conversation over house repairs and DIY's, he could be here for literal days. I remember all the work he wanted to do here in this penthouse, before I lied and said that altering anything wasn't part of our lease agreement. He bought it and soon let go of his crazy ideas, but Aria and that house brought all that back in waves.

I was surprised he hadn't actually pulled out wooden chip stain samples for Aria's floor. "Here let me just show you some samples-"

I spoke too soon.

"Dad! I think it's about time you headed back, right? So much to do at the hardware store." I nodded, shuffling towards him and helping him up.

"Why, yes, but-"

"Oh, rubbish, you'll be fine." I nodded, ushering him towards the elevator doors.

"Well it was nice seeing you, Aria!" He called over my shoulder.

"It was wonderfully being able to talk to you as well, Pete!" She called back, as he was already halfway through the door.

"Thanks dad, bye." I nodded, and he sent me a quick wink.

"I'll be on my way now, son. Don't hurt that girl, Chris. She's a keeper." He nodded toward Aria as she busied herself with snooping around my apartment.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I replied, as we both watched her open up random drawers. Her body froze as she felt our stares on her.

"I-I was just-" she started, but my hand went up.

"Save it, Aria. Snoop away." She grinned largely at me, before going back to looking through drawers.

"She reminds me a lot of your mother." Pete nodded, smiling as we both watched her almost break one of my glass paper weights. She awkwardly set it back down before moving towards my book collection beside the large open full wall window. Her hands graced a book stack that was held up by some angel bookends, which she somehow managed to break a wing off of. Pete flinched slightly as we both felt at least $500 disintegrate into thin air. She stared at the broken wing for what seemed like years before tucking it behind one of the books, and out of sight. I couldn't help the smile that speed across my faces.

And neither could Pete.

"You've got a handful with that one." Pete chuckled before pressing the elevator close button.

"That I do," I smiled. "Night Dad."

"Night." He nodded, as the elevator doors completely closed.

I glanced back at Aria to find her laying on the couch with the broken angel wing and angel in hand. "I broke your bookend." She whined, trying to place the piece back in.

Oh, so she did have an honest bone in her.

"How the hell did you even do that?" I asked, picking up some of Nick's toys that lay scattered around the penthouse.

"I-I'm not sure. One minute I'm admiring the wing, the next, I'm holding a piece of it in my hand." I chuckled at the explanation as I placed all the toys in his chest and moved to sit next to Aria.

"Let me see it." I sighed. She crawled further up the coach until she was nestled between my legs as she handed me the statue and broken piece. Her eyes were started to lift heavily as she laid her head on her hand, against my chest. The piece looked like clean break, something superglue could fix, but as I glanced down at Aria, I didn't feel like going anywhere. Her head rested like a child's against my chest as her breathing became in tune with mine.

"You smell good." She mumbled, lazily drawing circles on my stomach before resting them on my side.

I was approached with an ultimatum.

My hands were still occupied with this fucking angel.

Ah fuck it.

I dropped the angel and the piece on the ground somewhere, hearing a few more pieces break off, and dollar bills run down the drain. But it was completely worth it as my hands wound their way around her waist and she snuggled closer.

I wasn't too sure when I even fell asleep, but the warmth and scent from Aria's body was too intoxicating to not send me into a deep slumber.