But less than two weeks later, he’d heard that I was with Nicolas.
His friends said that night, when they all came to the bar, Aaron didn’t say a word. He just sat there silently, drinking.
And yet, for the entire year after, Aaron acted completely normal around me.
He appeared so normal that I’d started to think he might not even remember we were once schoolmates or that we’d crossed paths a few times.
Thankfully, Aaron lived in a detached house, so I didn’t have to endure the awkwardness of dragging him upstairs and running into neighbors.
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Chapter 16
+25 BONUS
To his credit, Aaron was surprisingly well–behaved despite being utterly wasted. He leaned on me gently, and wherever I guided him, he followed without a fuss.
After helping him out of his coat and shoes and tucking him under the blanket, I let out a breath of relief and turned to leave.
“Don’t go.”
He grabbed my hand abruptly, his voice a soft murmur.
“I need to go home and rest,” I coaxed quietly.
Fine, I wasn’t about to argue with a drunk man.
“Can’t you rest here?”
Aaron opened his eyes, his gaze damp and pleading.
I steeled myself, pried his hand off mine, and set it aside.
“No. We’re fake dating. We can’t sleep together.”
Something in my words must have triggered a response. Aaron suddenly sat up, eyes wide, looking utterly bewildered.
I had to admit–ugh–he looked so pitiful that it tugged at my heart.
“It’s not fake!”
I scoffed, deliberately teasing him. “What do you mean it’s not fake? Did you forget what you said to me just a couple of days ago?”
Aaron seemed to drift into memory, his gaze turning hazy again.
In the next moment, he suddenly pulled me over and flipped me beneath him, pinning me down.
“It’s not fake. You’re talking nonsense,” he said firmly.
I let out an exasperated laugh and was about to retort when I felt his soft lips pressed against mine. The unexpected touch sent a jolt straight to my core, leaving me stunned.
My eyes widened, and all I could see was Aaron’s face, close and impossibly clear.
After a moment, he pulled back slowly, looking into my eyes before letting out a goofy, contented laugh.
“It’s not fake anymore.”
I gave up.
Surrendering to my fate, I lay flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
What did he think this was? A kiss to seal the deal, like a signature binding me to him?
After kissing me, Aaron drifted straight to sleep, but his hand remained tightly clasped around mine, as though afraid I’d run away.
I stared into space for a while and sighed softly.
“Aaron, oh Aaron… If you’d confessed to me back in college could I have avoided the mess of this past year?” I wondered.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 16
A year I’d thought was filled with happiness–being with Nicolas–only to wake up and realize it had all crumbled into pieces.
“If only you’d confessed sooner,” I murmured, letting out another sigh before closing my eyes and falling asleep. What I didn’t know was that, in the darkness, Aaron, who seemed sound asleep, slowly opened his eyes.
He gently pulled me into his arms and placed another kiss on my forehead.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll follow through on the plan I made a year ago. I’ll pursue you properly this time. I just hope you won’t blame me for being late.”
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