StartNovelChapter 17
Chapter 17
After six months apart, we'd both changed. Aiden looked different thinner, with sun-lightened hair, but still
unfairly handsin that effortless way that had made half our high school swoon.
I might have been naive about people, but | always had good taste. It's probably why I'd spent years following
him around like a lovesick puppy, convincing myself that the boy next door was my destiny. Looking at him now,
| could still see why but the view was different when you weren't looking through rose-colored glasses anymore.
After a moment's pause, | walked over with an easy smile, the kind you give distant acquaintances. “Hey,
Aiden! Didn't expect to see you here.”
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His hand froze mid-reach for my suitcase, staring atlike I'd started speaking in tongues. The casual tone
seemed to throw him more than anything else - no trace of our history, no hint of the girl who used to hang on
his every word.
It took him a solid minute to recover, hands slightly shaking as he grabbed my luggage. The confident golden
boy suddenly looked unsure of his role in this new script.
Mom leaned in, whispering an explanation: “We ran into him outside. He insisted on coming to help. Wouldn't
take no for an answer - you know how he gets.”
| just smiled, letting her know it was fine. And surprisingly, it was.
In the car, | filled the silence with stories about college life, making my parents laugh with tales of midnight pizza
runs and failed attempts at doing laundry. While we all carefully ignored Aiden’s presence, | caught him fighting
back smiles in the rearview mirror, like he couldn't help himself.
He lingered when we got home, clearly angling for an invitation inside, but we all politely deflected with that
practiced suburban courtesy that says “not today” without actually saying it.
Throughout break, | kept busy with driving lessons (finally getting my license) and meeting up with old friends. |
heard through the grapevine that he tried to catchseveral times, but | was always conveniently out. Mom
mentioned he’d stop by, looking like a lost puppy, only to leave disappointed.
| was genuinely puzzled why he'd even try - what could we possibly have left to say to each other? Sstories
are better left unfinished.
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New Year's Eve brought the usual chaos. Our house was packed with family - my grandmother and aunt had
flown in from Chicago, bringing their usual mix of love and . After our traditional family dinner (complete
with my dad's infamous attempts at grilling in winter), the older generation settled in with their shows while us
younger ones attempted to learn poker, mostly failing but having fun anyway.
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Chapter 17
That's when the Carters showed up unexpectedly, loaded down with gifts like they used to every year before
everything changed as if nothing had changed at all
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Chapter 16
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