Chapter 17 Chapter 17 After six months apart , wed both changed . Aiden looked different thinner , with sun lightened hair , but still unfairly handsome in that effortless way that had made half our high school swoon . I might have been naive about people , but I always had good taste . Its probably why Id spent years following him around like a lovesick puppy , convincing myself that the boy next door was my destiny . Looking at him now , I could still see why but the view was different when you werent looking through rose colored glasses anymore . After a moments pause , I walked over with an easy smile , the kind you give distant acquaintances . Hey , Aiden ! Didnt expect to see you here . His hand froze mid reach for my suitcase , staring at me like Id 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 . Wouldnt take no for an answer you know how he gets . I just smiled , letting her know it was fine . And surprisingly , it was . In the car , I 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 Aidens presence , I caught him fighting back smiles in the rearview mirror , like he couldnt 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 , I kept busy with driving lessons ( finally getting my license ) and meeting up with old friends . I heard through the grapevine that he tried to catch me several times , but I was always conveniently out . Mom mentioned hed stop by , looking like a lost puppy , only to leave disappointed . I was genuinely puzzled why hed even try what could we possibly have left to say to each other ? Some stories are better left unfinished . New Years 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 drama . After our traditional family dinner ( complete with my dads 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 . 16.3 % Chapter 17 Thats 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 16.6 % Chapter 16 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!