The world is quiet.
Lira is in her pajamas.
11:02 p.m.
Lira: Staring at her ceiling like it just insulted her life.
Me: I was in bed. Hoodie on. Mood: spiraling.
The room was dark except for the soft glow of my fairy lights and the soul-sucking memory of today.
Damian's words.
His calm.
His eyes.
And Aeron's silence.
Until—
Ding.
My phone lit up.
And I swear my soul left my body and moonwalked across the carpet.
[Aeron]: Are you okay?
OH.
So now he cares?
I stared at it for a full forty seconds before replying.
[Me]: Define "okay."
[Aeron]: That bad, huh?
[Me]: You tell me. You vanished after dropping a Jade-bomb on me like a villain in a telenovela.
No reply for a second.
Then…
[Aeron] is typing...
Then nothing.
Then typing again.
Bro was fighting for his LIFE.
Finally—
[Aeron]: I didn't know she told you. Or what she said. But it's not the full story.
[Me]: Then what is the full story?
[Aeron]: Complicated.
[Me]: Wow, what a thrilling and satisfying answer.
Then silence.
I sighed and was about to throw my phone into a pillow when—
[Aeron]: Okay. Here. I'll tell you something no one knows.
I blinked.
[Aeron]: Sometimes, when it's too quiet, I can't sleep. My brain replays stuff. Stupid things. Bad things. I pretend I'm fine all the time. But I'm not always.
I froze.
He kept going.
[Aeron]: That day at the lockers… I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out sometime. Then Damian showed up, and I panicked like a coward.
Oh.
Oh.
My heart did an actual backflip.
[Me]: You were gonna ask me out?
[Aeron]: Don't rub it in.
[Me]: Too late. Already writing it in my diary. "Dear future children…"
He sent a laughing emoji.
Then a pause.
Then:
[Aeron]: I don't know what we are, but I don't want to screw it up.
My chest did the stupid fluttery thing.
The soft flutter that feels like butterflies got stuck in molasses.
[Me]: Maybe don't ghost me next time.
[Aeron]: Deal.
[Me]: Also… thanks for texting. I needed this.
[Aeron]: So did I.
And then… nothing else.
No goodnight.
No final emoji.
Just…
Peace.
For the first time in forever, my mind wasn't spinning.
Because the boy who always looked away?
Finally looked at me.
Even if it was through a screen.
End of Chapter 19