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“Aurora.” Aiden seemed a bit surprised to see her there, but he had always been good at masking his feelings, so she couldn’t be sure whether it was surprise or disdain.
She remembered him and Ethan getting up to no good when they were kids. Aiden had always been quiet and grumpy, but he seemed to bond well with Ethan. He had always ignored her, and Aurora had always been intimidated by him if she wasn’t lying.
Taken back that he had recognized her, she was at a loss for words. That rarely ever happened with her because she was always confident.
“What are you doing here?” She finally asked him.
She hadn’t seen Aiden ever since he had gone off to college. His parents had passed away when he was young, and she remembered he lived with his aunt. But she hadn’t seen him in all these years, even if he came back for the holidays, considering how small her town was. Ethan spoke about him sometimes, but only that he owned some big company in New York and was super-rich.
“My aunt has been sick,” he said quietly, eyes boring into hers. The years had matured him, and he was no longer the skinny boy who used to be best friends with her brother.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” His response was curt, signaling he wasn’t in the mood for conversation. There was silence after that, but he kept looking at her with an expression she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
It seemed like he was observing her or maybe he was thinking what she was? Seeing him like this after all these years, unexpectedly, made him feel familiar to her. She hadn’t realized before what she did now, it had been too long since she had seen him, and she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to ask what he had been up to but he was silent, his expression unreadable.
Maybe it was the age factor or the fact that she had always been so intimidated by him. Feeling uncomfortable, Aurora decided it was best to leave.
“I was just leaving. Hope your aunt gets better soon.” With that, she turned away, feeling a little stupid. He didn’t respond, and she didn’t bother to look back as she started walking home. Their house was near the ocean, so it wasn’t a long walk.
She felt a bit stupid, but she couldn’t figure out why. Why was he making her feel like this?
During the walk back home, she kept thinking about Aiden. She couldn’t understand his attitude.
Why was he so grumpy even after all these years? She made up her mind to ask Ethan about him the following day.
That night she dreamed of the city lights in New York and a tall man walking on the beach towards her.
Chapter 2
The next day, Aurora went down for breakfast and found Aiden in the kitchen with her father and brother. Her energy instantly dropped down a few levels. She still hadn’t shaken off the feeling from last night, bumping into Aiden so unexpectedly. His attitude had always put her a little off but this time there was something different about him.
She locked eyes with Aiden just as she entered the kitchen. His face remained passive as he looked at her, seeming to judge her. Suddenly, Aurora was transported back to childhood. That was the same look her mother used to give her, silently berating her for every wrong thing she did. Her mother and Aiden’s demeanor were similar in that sense.
Her mother had suffered from bipolar disorder ever since she was a kid. Her maniac episodes were all too common in her childhood while growing up. Ethan was their mother’s favorite child. That left Aurora feeling lonely and rejected all her life.
Even then, she loved her mother with all her being. She always tried to find excuses for the way her mother behaved. That was always the inner kid in her trying to find appreciation and affection from her mother. Growing up, Aurora felt a sense of loneliness that she couldn’t shake to this day. With only one friend till high school, she had never been able to come out of her shell and be confident around people.
That is why she found solace in writing and books. That was a world she was familiar with, a world that was always accepting of her. No matter what happened, her books always welcomed her. Her journal was her best friend, as cliche as that sounded. That was why she tried hard to make a career doing what she loved.
“Good morning,” she tried to sound cheerful as she entered the kitchen.
“Want coffee? I just brewed it.” Ethan smiled at her, motioning towards the coffee pot.
“Sure,” she managed to smile, not looking at Aiden. She didn’t want to meet his eyes. Ethan poured her a cup.
“I’m sure you remember Aiden.” He gestured towards Aiden, forcing her to look at him. He was wearing a gray t-shirt that made his eyes stand out, not to mention the muscles built for a god hidden under it. She suppressed a shiver.
“Yes, I do. We met yesterday,” she responded, taking a sip from her coffee, and managing a small smile.
“Oh really? That’s great. Aiden’s here for the holidays to see his aunt. She hasn’t been feeling well.”
“What happened to her?” She asked, now looking at him directly. Aiden seemed a bit surprised that she was talking to him.
“She fell down the stairs and broke her hip. She’ll be on bed rest for some months now.” He responded, and she could detect a hint of sadness in his voice.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. It’s been some time since I last saw her at the bookstore. She always used to pop-in for a crime novel.”
