Blackmailing Aria [Book 1 of the Stavros Series]

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Copyright 2018 booklings21 BLACKMAILING ARIA

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Enjoy and

CHAPTER 1

"I can't believe he's here." I groan leaning back on the expensive couch, in the lobby of the Stavros Hotel.

My roommate Daisy sits next to me, sympathetically patting my shoulder. "He's still in love with you, and honestly, I find it adorable." She twists her head to look at Holden, who was standing at the front desk with her boyfriend Chase.

"You're only saying that because he brought your boyfriend along with him." Sydney argues, glaring at Daisy from the other side of me. She is the only one out of the five of us who is on my side with this, but that's only because she's never liked Holden.

"It was supposed to be just us girls, like we've always planned it."

I don't care if I'm acting immature. I'm royally pissed off at Holden, because not only did he ruin a vacation that has been set for years, he also thinks if he follows me to another city, I'll take him back.

"Well a lot of things have changed this year Aria. We didn't expect this," Daisy replies.

"Yeah, who knew that the two of you would have totally hot boyfriends." Sydney smiles beside me. When she notices my glare, she looks at me apologetically. "Okay, well one of you."

Before I can get my hands around her neck, a voice interrupts us. "Okay, the suite is ready to go ladies." Chase announces and pulls Daisy up from the couch taking her hand and entwining their fingers. We grab our bags and head for the bank of old fashioned looking elevators.

"What took you guys so long?" Sydney demands as the doors to the elevator open.

Holden comes to stand beside me, our shoulders brushing. "They never saved a room for us, so he felt bad and gave us an upgrade." Feeling uncomfortable, I take a step to the side, not caring if my action was obvious or not.

I steal a quick glance at Holden, and saw hurt flash in his eyes. He wasn't even trying to hide it, but neither was I.

"Well I'm just excited to go check out the city. We probably won't even be at the hotel that often." Daisy leans into Chase's side with a soft smile. Seeing them together makes my stomach churn. Three months ago that was Holden and I, but then he had to go get drunk and sleep with that fiend.

The pain is still fresh which makes standing next to him even harder. I still remember Sydney pulling me aside after class one day and telling me about what she saw at a party: my boyfriend fucking another girl. I still remember walking into his frat house, my friend pulling me inside to confront him. I remember how how eyes lit up when they saw me and instantly darkened when I asked him if it was true. I still remember his silence, how the whole world seemed to freeze around us. I still remember the feeble shake of his head. I still remember feeling numb for a week, dragging myself around the campus moping. I still remember everything.

I can't ever forgive him for what he's done to me.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when the bell for the elevator rings. The doors slide open revealing a single short hallway. There's only one door in the hallway, which is all the way at the end. Instantly I find it odd. Every hotel I've been too - although not many - have multiple rooms on one floor, even if it's a suite.

We walk out of the elevators, dragging our bags like dead weight. I don't know how, but sitting in a car for hours could really do a number on you.