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 MuV Card and My First Love 12.5 % Chapter 17 settled in with their shows while us younger ones attempted to learn poker , mostly failing but having fun anyway .
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 .
JMG Divst Love
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