Gabriel’s POV
Annie, Nick, and I were so focused on our conversation about Aria’s memories that I barely noticed her getting up and walking away.
I glanced quickly and saw her standing by the window. All of this was too much for her, she needed a break.
“I think it was her grandma,” Nick said and I put my focus back on our conversation.
“She could have been under that spell too,” Annie frowned. “You can’t be sure it was her who cast it.”
“We need to lift the spell,” I jumped in. “We will know for sure who did it when she remembers.”
Nick wanted to say something, but we were interrupted by a thud.
I looked toward Aria and saw that she was laying on the floor, unconscious.
“Aria!” We all screamed at the same time.
I jumped up and ran by her side. I gently turned her, so she would lay on her back. I cupped her face and stroked her cheek with my thumb. I lifted her chin slightly and listened to her breathing.
I heard her shallow breaths and was relieved. Her pulse was normal.
“Aria!” I called her loudly and shook her slightly.
She did not respond.
I tried one more time, but nothing.
My stomach twisted up in knots. I knew that she would be okay but seeing her like this was making me incredibly afraid.
Nick was shaking beside me. He grabbed her hand and growled.
“Nick, calm down. She will be okay,” I said, trying to calm myself in the process. “Annie, go to the kitchen, soak a towel with cold water, and bring it to me.”
“Please wake up, baby,” Nick said quietly, squeezing her small hand. “I am freaking out, come back to me.”
Annie hurried to the kitchen and came back a few moments later with a towel in her hands. She was shaking and looking worriedly at Aria.
I grabbed the towel from her and gently tapped it on Aria’s forehead and cheeks. I repeated the process a few times before I saw her move a little.
She scrunched her pretty face and squeezed her eyes shut. After a few moments, she opened them and blinked a few times.
“Oh, thank Goddess,” Nick said and kissed her hand.
I chuckled a little. The mate bond really messed him up. I could swear I saw him tear up a little. There was no way he would freak out this much if it wasn’t for the bond. But I was glad to see that he cared this much about her.
“What happened?” Aria asked quietly, trying to get up.
“You fainted,” I said and helped her up to sit. “Don’t stand yet. Take a few deep breaths. You will be okay.”
She smiled at me. “Thank you.”
I smiled back and got up. Nick immediately sat behind her and pulled her to his chest. He inhaled her scent deeply and I saw Annie smile a little.
“Were you worried, big guy?” Annie teased him.
He growled slightly. “Shut up, Ann.”
“I am fine, Nick,” Aria said and stroked his hand.
She tried to move away from him, but he pulled her back. I frowned at him. He should let her go.
“Don’t move yet, Aria,” he said before I could intervene. “Please, Nate needs to calm down and your scent does the trick.”
Aria chuckled and relaxed a little in his arms.
“Could you at least go to the couch?” I asked. “She is not comfortable on the floor.”
Nick sighed and nodded. “I know. Come on, get up slowly.”
He grabbed her waist and pulled her up. She was still unsure on her feet, so Annie and Nick helped her to the couch.
I went to the kitchen to get Aria a glass of water.
When I came back, Aria and Nick were sitting on the couch and Annie was on the sofa. Nick was still holding on to Aria like she was going to disappear if he let her go. He was still inhaling her scent deeply.
I chuckled and walked over to Aria. I gave her a glass of water and she smiled warmly at me. I smiled back and sat on the other sofa.
“Thank you,” she said and sipped the water. “I am sorry that I scared you. I was just overwhelmed by everything.”
“We get it, A,” Annie said and grabbed Aria’s hand. “You are handling this much better than I would. I would scream and cry and break something.”
Aria laughed. “And fainting is better?”
“No,” Nick growled. “I was freaking out the whole time. I would rather see you break stuff.”
We laughed at Nick, and he frowned at us.
“You were pretty freaked out,” I teased him. “Never faint if there is just Nick around, Aria. I did all the work while he was panicking.”
Aria laughed. “Noted. I will only faint when you are here.”
Nick growled and buried his face in her hair. I saw that she was a little uncomfortable, but she let him hold her close.
“So, what are we going to do about your memories?” Annie asked her and Nick and I looked at her angrily.
Aria’s POV
“Goddess, Annie, the woman just fainted. Give her a little space,” Nick said, and finally, let go of me.
I was glad he held me. His presence made me feel safe, but at the same time, I was uncomfortable and wanted to move away from him.
These feelings were confusing, and I was getting pissed off. I should just decide if I was comfortable around him or not. But I couldn’t.
“It’s okay, Nick,” I said. “I want to talk about this. There is no use pretending it didn’t happen.”
He frowned and ran his hand through his hair. “I just want you to be okay.”
“I will be,” I smiled and stroked his arm.
“I can do a spell to reverse it,” Gabriel said.
“You can?” I asked him and raised my eyebrows.
He nodded. “Yes, I need to examine you to determine what kind of spell was used on you. And then I can reverse it.”
I stared at him, not knowing how to respond. Did I even want to know what happened? Were those memories good or bad? What if they were about my parents and I didn’t remember some wonderful moments I shared with my family? What if they were bad and something horrible had happened?
“Aria?” Nick called my name.
“I am okay,” I said quietly. “I am just thinking about this.”
“Do you not want them back?” Annie asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “I am afraid to remember. What if those memories are bad and something has happened to me? Something that I don’t want to remember.”
Nick growled but other than that nobody said anything.
After a few moments, Gabriel got up and came to sit beside me. He took my hands in his and he smiled warmly at me.
“We can’t be sure if those memories are good or bad,” he said. “But no matter what they are, we will all be here for you. We don’t have to do the reversal spell right now. You can take as much time as you need to decide what to do.”
Annie nodded and smiled at me. Nick squeezed my thigh supportively.
I looked back at Gabriel and felt this vast need to hug him. So, I did. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He immediately hugged me back and chuckled. He placed his hand on my head and held me close. I had never felt safer.
“Thank you, Gabriel,” I said and let go of him.
“No need to thank me,” he said and smiled at me. “Just let me know when you decide.”
“I have decided,” I said bravely. “I want you to do it now.”
The three of them looked at me surprised.
“Are you sure?” Nick asked and took my hand.
“Yes,” I said. “I can’t go on not knowing what happened. I need to know.”
Gabriel nodded. “Okay. I will do it.”
“Now?” I said and started to get up.
Gabriel pulled me back. “No. Tomorrow. You need to rest first.”
I sighed and wanted to protest but Gabriel’s gaze stopped me.
“You came home terrified, you found out about the spell, you fainted. I am not putting you through anything more today,” he said strictly. “The spell alone is going to drain your energy and we don’t even know what those memories are about. You need to eat and sleep. We will do it tomorrow.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “What are we having for dinner?”
We settled on a pizza and spent the rest of the evening watching movies and laughing. I tried not to think about the next day, but it was hard. What was I going to find out? How will it change my life? What will happen to me?
