Бесплатный фрагмент - Soul Fulfiller

“Life is always the waiting for that moment when everything ahead depends solely on your own decisive actions.”

— Paulo Coelho

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“Dedicated to my beloved mother — thank you for your unwavering support and your selfless help. You are the best.

And to my dear sister Katya — an extraordinary young woman with a remarkable mind, boundless love, and constant support.”

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Present Day

“Mom, why are you sitting here staring at the sea? You do this every evening when we come down for the weekend. It’s boring.”

“It’s a long story,” I replied, kissing my son on the forehead. “I love you.”

“And I love you. Mom, how did you and Dad meet? I want to know all the details.”

“When I was fifteen, I was curious about things like that too. All right then — ready to listen?”

“Listen to what?” my husband asked as he came over to us and sat down beside us.

“Mom’s about to tell the story of her life, right, Mom?”

“Yes.”

“Mom is about to tell an interesting story from her life.”

Nine years ago…

And now it was just the two of us. My sister’s house. I knew it like the back of my hand — I could tell you where everything was with my eyes closed. And if she ever found out what Colin and I had done here, she’d kill me. That was how I spent my eighteenth birthday: we trashed the entire house, drank alcohol, and swam in the pool. I was lucky that all my friends had already turned eighteen — no one had to ask their parents for permission, and buying alcohol in stores was finally legal for me too, so I didn’t even have to spend money on that. My sister was already used to the fact that her little sister loved all kinds of parties, especially throwing surprises that were completely not to her taste. I asked Colin to help me clean up after last night’s party — we had both had way too much to drink, and I hadn’t even noticed when the house turned into a pile of trash. Meanwhile, I was trying to scrub a snow-white carpet that had been soaked with cherry punch, pineapple pieces scattered all over it. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, it was hopeless. I could already imagine how much trouble I was going to be in over that ridiculously expensive carpet.

“Aria, save this for later, I have more important work to do,” Colin whispered in my ear. He kissed me on the lips, picked me up, and carried me to the bed.

“Colin, this is my sister’s bed, and I need to clean up,” I tried to get out from under the drunk guy who had started kissing my neck. He kissed it hungrily, moving lower and lower, and I felt the touch of his lips on my body. A cry burst from my lips:

“Colin! Red!”

He looked at me for a second, but continued. He began unbuttoning the top buttons of my plaid shirt. I pushed him away forcefully, trying to get him to calm down and stop acting like a moral monster, but he grabbed my hands, pulled them behind my head, and held them there with his hand, while his other hand touched my bare waist. Colin kissed me passionately on the lips and whispered:

“Baby, don’t tell me when to stop.”

“You’re drunk! Get off me right now! Stop it! This isn’t funny.”

“Why do you keep turning me down? It only makes me want you more,” he said, continuing to kiss me, while one hand fumbled with the button on my jeans.

“I’m not ready. Colin! Stop! I’m going to scream!” I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t. He was much stronger than me.

“We both know you won’t scream, or I’ll have to hit you. I’ve waited too long for this.” He unbuttoned my shirt and pulled my jeans down with one hand, despite my attempts to resist. At that moment, I realized I couldn’t do it alone.

“Help! Help! Aaaah…” Colin covered my mouth with his hand and slapped me across the face. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. Anger and fear overwhelmed me. I managed to pull one hand free and punched him in the nose. He let go and pressed his hands to his face. Blood flowed from his nose, dripping onto my naked body, and I sobbed and screamed at the same time, seeing his satisfied expression.

I tried with all my might to break free and, thank God, I succeeded. While he tried to stop the bleeding, I rushed to the door, praying I’d make it in time. As I ran, I stepped on something sharp and lost the feeling in my foot. My legs gave way, and I fell. I screamed in pain, but I saw Colin, his face bloodied, heading toward me. I started crawling backwards and somehow managed to get to my feet. Just as I was about to run, I felt his strong hand on my wrist. He squeezed it so hard that I screamed and began flailing at him, trying to free myself. Colin roughly turned me toward him and hit me. I fell, and the white carpet was covered in blood stains. I screamed in pain again.

He squatted down next to me, grabbed my face, and said,

“You forced me to do this, you lying bitch!”

He began to undress me. I was in agony. Everything went black before my eyes and I lost consciousness.

I woke up to a burst of bright light. It was painfully bright. I blinked, and at once I felt the pain — spreading through every part of me. It dawned on me: this wasn’t a dream.

“Good afternoon, Ariel Moore. I’m Dr. Ren Maddox — you can just call me Ren. You’re in the hospital right now. Do you remember what happened?”

A middle-aged man with a pleasant voice was standing in front of me. I noticed his white lab coat, slightly fitted to his strong build. Beneath it, I could see brown trousers and a dark T-shirt.

“I remember there was a party last night. We drank too much, and that’s where it ends,” I replied.

“Is that all you remember?” Ren asked again.

“Yes,” I nodded.

Of course, I remembered everything down to the last detail, including what Colin Kandel did to me. My boyfriend beat and raped me. I tried to erase all traces of that night, but I didn’t tell the doctor anything.

“Okay, Ariel, get some rest. I’ll be back later, and your parents are on their way and will be here soon,” he said.

“Mr. Ren, is there anything you want to tell me?”

“You want me to tell you what happened?” He looked at me seriously. “Ariel, I know perfectly well you remember everything. Your parents already know everything, too. You have to tell the police who did this. That bastard’s facing a pretty penny; judging by your bruises, you resisted.”

My jaw dropped. What was I supposed to say to my parents? The doctor left, and tears streamed down my face. Suddenly, I felt an urge to look at myself in the mirror — to see just how bad it really was.

I carefully pushed myself up, immediately feeling the familiar pain in my right leg — something sharp making itself known. Barely reaching the mirror, I was horrified by what I saw. I hardly recognized myself: dark bruises under my eyes, my face brutally battered, a gash in my eyebrow, and my lip still bleeding.

How could this have happened?

That very day — the day I first met him — suddenly flashed through my mind…

…Ten years earlier

California is an amazing place. Sometimes it gets tiring when you’ve lived here your whole life, but every time you visit new spots, you discover a different side of it. My life is a constant chain of changes — something new every day — and I’m endlessly happy about that.

“Ariel! Sam’s here!” my mom shouted.

“Coming!”

My friend looked flawless, as always. I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

“So, where are we going today?”

“First, I’m going to introduce you to someone,” Sam replied, pulling me toward the door.

“Mom, we’re heading out. I’ll be home late.”

The weather didn’t disappoint — the evening sunset was just what was needed to lift my mood. I grew more and more curious about what Sam had in mind.

“Who are you going to introduce me to?”

“You’ll see for yourself,” she said.

We arrived at our favorite spot — a huge field, usually used for car races or exclusive parties. Almost every week, underground fights were held here as well. Today, it was motorcycle racing. The heat was unbearable. The roar of the engines filled me with a strange kind of passion. It was unreal.

“Ariel, meet my cousin,” Sam said, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek.

A very handsome young man looked at me and said,

“Colin.”

“Nice to meet you, Colin. I’m Ariel.”

“Want to ride with me?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“Can I?”

“If you ride with me, then yes,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.

“Go on, Ariel, you won’t regret it,” Sam pushed me gently.

We climbed onto the motorcycle, and I wrapped my arms around Colin’s waist, resting my head against his back. The guy on the black bike shouted at Colin:

“Colin, this is a bad idea!”

The guy was clearly unhappy with what Colin was doing. I wondered what he meant. I noticed that everyone else was riding alone — I was the only one sitting with Colin.

“Hold on!” Colin shouted.

The engine roared to life, and I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing myself tighter against him. When a gunshot rang out, I felt the wind whipping through my hair. It was an indescribable sensation, and I wanted to scream. I could feel Colin riding with complete confidence. I was enjoying the ride.

Sharp turns, unpredictable weather, and the antics of the other racers kept throwing challenge after challenge at us. I felt us veer sharply to the right and climb a hill. I gripped his waist even tighter and closed my eyes, feeling free. Adrenaline coursed through me, a mixture of thrill and fear. A couple of times, we lifted so high that I was grateful I held on tightly — if I’d been lucky the first time, I might not have been the second.

We arrived first. For a few seconds, we sat in silence, catching our breath and taking in the stunning view. The beauty of it all captivated us, and still panting, I tried to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes.

“That was amazing, thank you,” I said to Colin, handing him back his helmet. Adrenaline was still coursing through me. He kissed me on the cheek and wrapped an arm around my waist.

“You guys are so cool!” Sam shouted.

Colin left us and went over to his friends.

“So, girlfriend, did you like my bad-boy brother?”

“Just a little,” I replied with a laugh.

We headed toward everyone, moving in the direction of my best friend’s stepbrother. Colin brought me a beer, and I thanked him with a teasing smile. The music got louder, and the dance floor filled with people.

“Want to dance with me?”

“Baby, I don’t dance,” Colin replied, patting me on the back and grabbing another beer. Sam tugged me by the hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. I could feel Colin and his friends watching me, but I decided to ignore it. The alcohol seemed to have lifted my spirits a bit.

Suddenly, I felt cold hands on my waist. Turning around, I saw Colin. His hands stayed on my waist, and I placed mine on his shoulders.

“You said you don’t dance.”

“You have a good effect on me,” he said, stepping closer. I could feel his quickened breath. Something inside me stirred, and I reached up on my tiptoes. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him.

“And you have a bad effect on me,” I replied, continuing the kiss.

Present Day

“Ariel! How are you, sweetie?” I looked into the mirror again and saw my mom’s reflection.

As always, she was stunning: large brown eyes, a charming smile of a woman who knew life. Her lilac velour top fit her slender figure perfectly. Turning toward me, she threw her arms around me in a hug.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked.

“He’s at work,” my mom replied, averting her eyes, making it clear she didn’t want to talk about it. “Ariel, don’t you have something to tell me?”

“Mom, I threw a party at Emmy’s. I didn’t want you to find out. We drank a little too much, and I don’t remember anything — how it all happened, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m really ashamed, and I promise it won’t happen again.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

“I believe you, but your father doesn’t want to talk to you. He says you’ve embarrassed the family. I’m sorry for what happened to you, but I’ve always been unhappy with your parties — you know that, dear. I think things will be okay, maybe not now, but in the future.”

Silence caught us off guard. I listened to the ticking of the second hand, sinking deeper into my thoughts. A lump formed in my throat. If only I could turn back time… I can’t believe all this happened to me, even though I don’t clearly remember everything. I’ll be too ashamed to look any of my relatives in the eyes, especially Emmy and Jerrad. After all, it happened in their house. If only I hadn’t thrown that stupid party…

“Ariel, the doctor will keep you overnight. We’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon, so be ready,” my mom said, kissing me on the forehead before leaving. I heard the click of her heels on the floor and the door slam shut. Silence… I can’t stand it. It makes me feel so alone — and I am. I don’t want to see the Kandel family again. I never thought he would be the one to hurt me. Maybe I should tell the police… even though I don’t remember the details…

There was a knock on the door. I jumped — it was the same knock as when Colin arrived at my cousin’s house. A short, slightly plump man in a police uniform entered.

“Hello, Ariel Moore, I’m Mr. Stan. I’ve come to talk to you. Would you like to share what happened last night?”

I stared at him and muttered, “Yes, I do.” I decided the right thing to do was tell the police everything, namely, everything I remembered.

I described the entire incident, detailing what Colin had done: how he first assaulted me, then began to undress me, how he hit me several times, how I remember seeing my blood, his face, and soon I passed out. But from the unpleasant sensation between my legs, I realized he had raped me. Mr. Stan listened attentively, writing something down in his notebook.

“Ariel, I understand this is terrible, but let’s be honest: my nephew wouldn’t have done this if you hadn’t provoked him. He told me everything as well, but after you lost consciousness, he didn’t touch you and called an ambulance. The blood from you hitting the bed confirms the presence of alcohol in your system. I’ll give you a certain sum of money, and you can forget this unfortunate incident. If you refuse, I’ll make sure you regret it. I have connections far more powerful than yours. I hope you understand me. I’ll leave an envelope on your bed, and I hope this is our first and last meeting. Get well soon.”

My jaw dropped. What a nightmare! I watched Mr. Stan place the envelope on the bed and head toward the door. I needed to make a quick decision.

“Wait!” I shouted.

Mr. Stan turned, raising his eyebrows.

“Take the money. I don’t need your bribes. Understand? Now get out of here.”

He sighed heavily and added,

“You’ll regret this. I’m glad we understand each other.”

He ran into the doctor as he opened the door. In the meantime, I managed to cover the envelope with a blanket.

“Ariel, are you all right?” the doctor asked.

“Yes, perfectly. Thank you.”

The doctor went through all my bruises and hematomas, showing me how the areas on my leg and arm had swollen and turned a deep purple. I was still doubled over from the pain in my abdomen, but I was lucky — none of my internal organs had been damaged. He explained that because of the multiple injuries, my body could go into pain shock, and that the most important thing was not to delay treatment.

Inside, I felt emotionally hollowed out. There was a complete sense of helplessness, vulnerability, and shame over everything that had happened — and a crushing uncertainty about how I was supposed to go on living after this.

The night was long and тяжёлой. I couldn’t stop thinking about the words Colin’s uncle had said. Just hearing his name made me feel sick, my stomach turning. I didn’t manage to fall asleep at all.

During the day, just as she had promised, my mom came to pick me up. We drove in silence, not saying a word about what had happened to me. Dad wasn’t home, and Mom was in a hurry — she was already late for work.

I locked myself in my room, turned on some soft, lyrical music, and lay down on the bed, burying my face in the pillow, trying to escape my thoughts. Our town is so small that I was sure everyone already knew everything.

There was a knock at the door. Who could that be?

---

I opened it — and immediately recoiled. I wanted to scream, but Colin covered my mouth with his hand and stepped inside. I managed to break free from his aggressive grip and backed away, grabbing a knife from the table — one I must have forgotten there at some point. It was small, but sharp.

“Get out, or I’ll call the police.”

“Don’t you understand yet? You won’t scare me with this. I came for something else.”

“For what?” I pointed the knife at him. My hands were shaking with anger and fear.

“I need you. Put the knife away.”

“You’re crazy. There’s nothing between us anymore. Get out!”

“Aria, don’t do this.” He took a step toward me. I instinctively stepped back.

“You’re crazy. How could you do this to me? To your sister’s best friend?! Colin, you raped me, look at my bruises!” I pointed to the same hand I’d been holding the knife in, trying to emphasize how quickly I could react when he made his next move.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

He rubbed the back of his head with his right hand and bit his lip.

“Is that all you have to say?” Get out of here forever.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I couldn’t stop them.

“I really want to be with you. I really love you,” he took a step forward, but I hid behind the bar.

“Go away. Colin, you have no idea how much you’ve hurt me: physically and emotionally. Are you out of your mind? You realize you raped me, beat me several times, and almost killed me! I don’t want to know you,” I said, tears streaming down my face.

He took a deep breath and stepped back.

“You’ll regret this.”

He left, slamming his fist against the door. I was terrified. For a few more seconds, I stood in the entryway-kitchen, unsure of what to do or how to act. Facing such a situation for the first time makes it feel like your life is shattered. Every part of me ached. I knew I couldn’t fix what had happened right now, but I wasn’t sure I could live with it.

I spent the rest of the day in my room. In the evening, my cousin returned from vacation with her husband and son. There was a knock at the door. A pretty brunette walked in — my mirror image.

“Don’t you have anything to tell me?” she asked, giving me a stern look.

“Emmy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this. I thought we’d just have fun, like we used to.”

My sister listened carefully, then interrupted:

“I actually meant, why aren’t you having dinner with us? What happened — well, it was bad, but I was just like you at your age. Senior year isn’t easy. Come on, get up, let’s have dinner — I’ve missed you.”

I looked at her and realized that our parents had clearly told her the whole situation, though without any details — like the fact that Colin had assaulted me. I bit my lip, unsure whether to start that conversation or pretend nothing had happened. Before I could decide, my gaze shifted to my sister, whom I rarely saw in my life.

Emmy hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too.”

We had dinner as a family, and for the first time in a long while, I felt protected from the cruel world around me. Everything went much better than I had expected. My father, however, didn’t say a word to me, pretending hardly to notice I was there. It was a typical situation. Our relationship had been strained since childhood — he lived in his own world where I simply didn’t exist. Over the years, I had simply grown used to it.

“Maybe you’ll stay?” my mom asked as my sister and her family were getting ready to leave.

“Next time,” my sister replied.

The interesting thing about our family is that my mom had always treated her as her own daughter. When she lost her sister during adolescence, she had vowed to care for her niece. Emma’s real mother, Emilia, was diagnosed with brain cancer late in her pregnancy, with no hope of recovery. After giving birth, she fell into a coma. I, too, had always considered Emma my own sister. But when she turned seventeen, she left home and started living apart from us — first for school, then university, then marriage, and finally the birth of her child.

They hadn’t even left yet, but I was already missing them. My sister, Jerrad, and their son, Nate, drove off. I couldn’t get enough of the little rascal, who had ruined my shirt by throwing porridge at me. He was only a year old, but that wasn’t an excuse!

Once they were gone, I felt the loneliness again. I had always loved these little family gatherings. I locked myself in my room with a cup of tea and an intriguing book, The Embodiment of a Dream by Jerrad Easton. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

I woke up to my mother’s screams. Reflexively, I glanced at my phone — it was 2:40 a.m.

“What’s happening?” I saw my mom in tears and my father hurriedly packing things.

“Emmy!”

“What? Mom, what happened?”

My mother couldn’t hold back her tears. Seeing her, I realized something had gone terribly wrong. Tears streamed down my face as well.

“Emmy… there’s a fire… We’re going to the scene.”

“What?! Emmy and Jerrad? Was there a fire? Are they okay?”

“They’re in the ambulance,” my mom sobbed, rushing to my side and collapsing onto my shoulder. “I just got the call… I don’t know anything else.”

On reflex, I quickly threw on my jacket.

“I’m coming with you!” I added, already dressed from the evening — I hadn’t changed after falling asleep in my clothes, and now I’d just thrown the jacket over them.

“No, you’re staying here,” my mom said monotonously.

“That’s not fair! Then I’ll take my car.”

I ran out onto the terrace, slamming the door behind me. I grabbed the keys from my jacket, got into the car, and started the engine. Rain poured down outside, and my heart was racing. I slammed the accelerator to the floor and drove at full speed. Dangerous? I knew — but that didn’t matter now.

When I arrived at my sister’s house, firefighters were still extinguishing the remnants of the blaze. The house was unrecognizable — completely blackened, the air thick with the smell of smoke, and dark, heavy clouds billowing into the sky. Red tape cordoned off the area to keep people out.

But I had to get inside. I ducked under the tape, only to be grabbed by a police officer by the shoulder.

“You can’t go in there,” he said, holding me back as I struggled to break free.

“I need to get in! My sister is in there!” I saw my mom and dad slip under the tape at the corner of the house. When had they even arrived?

“I’m sorry, but minors aren’t allowed in. Your parents are already inside — if they give permission, I can let you through,” the officer said.

I noticed my mom bend over, then rise, tears streaming onto my dad’s shoulder. I needed to get in! But he just shook his head from side to side — no matter how badly I wanted to, I couldn’t go in.

He was momentarily distracted by another officer, and I realized these were my seconds. I slipped past the first officer, who lunged after me.

When I reached my parents, my mom screamed — my mom screamed:

“You’ll see everything from here!” Three bodies lay before me, covered head to toe in sheets. My heart sank, and my stomach began to churn. A buzzing in my head and a confusion of what was happening.

Were they dead? No — no! That can’t be true! NO! I screamed in pain and collapsed to my knees, sobbing. A police officer behind me grabbed me, trying to hold me back, but I tore free and rushed even closer.

They were unrecognizable — their bodies were in such terrible condition that I couldn’t even tell who was who. I only recognized my little nephew, smaller in stature than the two bodies lying before him. No. Just last night we had all been having dinner together, talking, laughing —and now they were gone.

I was staring at three blackened corpses, hardly bodies at all, so little was left of them. Everyone around us was watching, but I didn’t notice. I looked at my parents: my mother was sobbing uncontrollably, and my father had covered his face with his hands, unable to do anything.

I screamed with all the pain tearing through me from the inside.

His words echoed in my head: “You’ll regret this.”

None of this was an accident. It was him. My thoughts focused on only one person— the only one who could have been responsible.

Firefighters tried to pull me away, but I broke free and fell to my knees, slamming my hands into the wet ground a few times, screaming in pain again. Everything inside me was collapsing.

They finally sat me down on a wet bench beyond the tape, where a young woman in a white coat was saying something to me — but I wasn’t listening. I was lost in myself. “You’ll regret this,” his words echoed again.

I quickly wiped my tears and jumped up, heading for my car. Fumbling, I pulled the keys from my soaked jeans, now a gray-brown instead of their usual blue.

From behind, someone shouted:

“Grab her!”

That only made me run faster. I flung open the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. But before I could close it, some stranger grabbed the door.

“Don’t do this,” he said.

“What? Let go of the door, I’m fine!”

“I doubt it.”

“Get off! I’m leaving whether you like it or not.”

“Alright, then I’ll go with you,” he said, hopping into the passenger seat in an instant.

I was stunned. I glanced back at the house, still burning, wiped my tears once more — and saw a man shouting: “Blaine, I said stop her, not go with her!”

“Blaine, so,” I said, feeling my indignation rise. “What the hell are you even doing?”

“Where are we headed?” he replied, ignoring my question as if we were following some predetermined plan.

I started the car and jerked forward. One thought consumed me — Colin. He was to blame for everything. I didn’t know what I was about to do, but I let instinct take over. My hands gripped the wheel tighter as I shot past three cars and, barely avoiding a truck, crossed the intersection on yellow. Speed had been my passion since childhood, ever since my father first put me behind the wheel. It was fun — but maybe those were the last warm memories I had with him.

Blaine stayed silent, not uttering a word about driving more cautiously. I knew he was enjoying my maneuvers just as much as I was. But unlike him, I was filled with a rage that just wanted to burst out.

I ran out of the car, slamming the door hard, and went to the front door, pounding my fists and kicking. I tensed when I heard him coming down the stairs. The door opened, and Colin stood before me with a smug grin. I immediately pounced on him, punching him in the face, leaving a cut that immediately began to bleed, and punched him in the chest a couple of times, making him make a sound like pain. He pushed me back onto the couch and stepped aside.

“Are you completely crazy?” he yelled.

“You freak, did you do all this? Admit it!” I advanced on him, waving my arms. I picked up a glass from the table and threw it at him, but Colin dodged, and the glass shattered across the room.

“Calm down! I told you you’d regret it! You should feel what I feel.” “You bastard! How could you?! You’re an insensitive degenerate!” I picked up the plate and threw it at him again. This time the shards shattered, and Colin stepped on one, screaming in pain. He looked at me with a sinister gaze and advanced on me. I remembered that look; it was the same as the night he raped and beat me.

At that moment, Blaine stepped in, positioning himself in front of me.

“Man, get out of the way!” Colin barked irritably, trying to move forward. He had already raised his hand, as if to grab me, but Blaine surged toward him with incredible speed, clutching him by the collar. A heartbeat later, with one sharp motion, he shoved Colin back, sending him staggering — clearly unprepared for that kind of resistance.

Before Colin could fully recover, he swung at Blaine, but Blaine slipped aside effortlessly and struck him across the ribs with an open palm, a whipping motion rather than a punch. The blow wasn’t about brute force, but it was so precise that the air was knocked out of Colin’s lungs. He froze for a second, folding over in pain.

“Don’t come near her,” Blaine said quietly and firmly. His gaze was icy, a clear warning that one more wrong move would have consequences.

Completely losing control, Colin made one final lunge at Blaine. But before he could reach him, Blaine landed a perfectly coordinated punch to his jaw. The strike was sharp and powerful, and before Colin could even register what had happened, he crashed to the floor, breathing heavily and clutching his face.

“Found yourself a protector, huh? You filthy bitch! I’ll make you pay! Get out of my house!” Colin tried to swing at Blaine again, but Blaine caught his arm and drove his fist into Colin’s jaw a second time, sending him down onto the shards of the glass I had shattered at the very beginning.

“Now let’s get out of here,” Blaine said, grabbing my hand and leading me out of the house, leaving Colin sprawled on the floor.

I jumped into the car and broke down, crying openly in front of Blaine, whom I was seeing for the first time — and probably would never see again. He didn’t say a word, just slid into the driver’s seat of my car and pressed the gas. After a while, he finally broke the silence:

“Over time, it gets easier. Believe me.”

My tears only flowed harder. He took my hand so gently, as if he instinctively knew what to do. I could never have imagined that someone who had known me for less than forty minutes, knowing nothing about me, could stand up for me, support me, and just be there in silence.

“It’s going to be okay,” he repeated.

I didn’t know him, but I wanted to trust him. He was giving me the kind of support I so desperately needed. For a long time, no best friend could comfort me the way this stranger was.

“Stop. I’ll drive. We need to switch seats.”

“You’re not in any condition to drive. I’ll drive. Tell me where you live — your exact address.”

I looked into his eyes, and something inside me told me I could trust him. I gave him my address.

“Thank you,” I whispered. He nodded reflexively and returned his focus to the road. Unlike me, he drove calmly and confidently, without taking unnecessary risks.

“Now… can I know your name?”

“Ariel. Ariel Moore,” I said, and slowly began to drift off to sleep.

I turned over in bed, trying to shield myself from the bright sunlight flooding the bedroom. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced at the clock. It was still early. I love vacations, I thought. I should tell Emmy about this dream — she’ll be surprised by how wild my imagination is.

When I walked into the kitchen, I noticed my parents were in the middle of an intense discussion, but the moment I appeared, they fell abruptly silent. My father looked at me as if I had committed a crime. My mother silently poured me a cup of strong coffee.

“Aria, in two weeks we’re moving.”

“What? Why?”

“The funeral is in two days. We can’t stay in this city after what happened,” my mother said quietly. Turning away from us, she went back to making coffee. I heard her begin to cry softly.

It wasn’t a dream, I thought, staring at my parents with wide eyes, unable to gather my thoughts.

“Your behavior yesterday threw everyone off balance,” my father interjected without lifting his eyes from the newspaper. “I’m sorry, Aria, but we’re moving to Washington. Your mother and I were up all night discussing the future. The decision is final. It’s hard for all of us, but what we have now is something we can’t change,” he said coldly and bluntly.

I couldn’t understand how anyone could speak about death so calmly — especially my father.

“But what about school? My friends? What about me?” I asked through tears.

“Vacation ends in two weeks, and you can make friends anywhere,” my father replied tersely, finishing his cold coffee.

My mother looked at me.

“Aria, we’re exhausted. Go to your room, get something to eat, but please… just go to your room,” she repeated.

“You do realize it was arson! I know who did it! Why won’t you listen to me? Why do you always push me away and never discuss anything with me? How can you be so selfish and yet so calm?” I cried out in despair.

My father slammed his fist on the table.

“Aria, not another word about this! Go to your room and start packing!”

Tears filled my eyes. Grabbing my mug, I ran to my room and slammed the door loudly. Some coffee spilled onto the floor. Damn.

I noticed a photograph under the bed. Kneeling on the floor, I placed the mug on the nightstand and picked up the photo. It was a picture of me and Emmy, looking so happy when we found out she was pregnant. Tears poured down, and I pressed the photo against my face.

I miss you so much, Emmy, I cried bitterly. Forgive me!

I spent the entire day lying in bed, clutching the photograph. My mother came by a couple of times, asking if I would eat, but I didn’t want anything. I skipped both lunch and dinner. The next day, my parents left to make arrangements for the funeral. I was alone at home. I couldn’t believe it — we had just shared dinner together, and now… I would never see them again, never talk, never laugh…

When I went outside to get the morning paper, I saw Sam approaching the house. After tossing out the trash, I went back inside. The doorbell rang.

“Go away! I don’t want to see you! Tell your jerk of a brother to go to hell!” I hissed through gritted teeth, wanting to break something.

“Explain what’s going on!” Sam shouted through the door.

Tears filled my eyes. I opened the door and, unable to contain myself, blurted it all out in one breath:

“Your brother beat me, then raped me. I wanted to file a police report, but your uncle stopped me. Your vile brother set my sister’s house on fire, and her entire family died of carbon monoxide poisoning. I don’t want to see you; you’re just as guilty as he is. Get out of here! I hate you and your damn family. You’re dead to me, just like he was. Our friendship was a huge mistake.” I slammed my fist on the door, the rage overwhelming me.

“But, Aria, I… I didn’t know…”

“Get out!” I slammed the door and started throwing everything I could get my hands on. “I’m moving. I need to start a new life.”

I started packing. I threw everything that reminded me of Sam and Colin into the trash, one by one. I took out the trash bags several times throughout the day. By evening, I’d finished with half the items.

Later, I heard my parents return, but I didn’t go to greet them. My father came into my room:

“Wow, Aria, you’re great. You’re not wasting your time.”

“Thank you,” I replied dryly.

“Be ready by nine tomorrow.”

I looked away, saying nothing, and continued packing my things. My father left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. I could hear my mother packing her own things into boxes while my father carried them to the garage. Every couple of hours, he would come in to take another packed box.

When he came for the last one, he waited while I finished, sitting on my unmade bed.

“Aria, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to”

Before he could finish, I cut him off.

“I’ll come. Now take the box.”

There were only a couple of small boxes left to pack in my room, but I was completely drained for the day. I went to help my mom, just to somehow break the monotony of what this day had become. She was washing dishes, and the clatter echoed even outside the house. There was so much trash. Still, moving isn’t all bad — you end up getting rid of a lot of useless things.

It was three in the morning, and we were still cleaning the kitchen willingly, but Mom was already exhausted. She told me to go to bed, reminding me that tomorrow would be hard and I’d need my strength.

Six a.m. Seventh cup of coffee. I desperately want to sleep, but I can’t. There are three hours left until it begins. I won’t manage. I have to give a speech, and not a single word comes to mind — except kill Colin and die.

I can’t believe this is happening to me. I’m supposed to fight this pain, but it’s stronger than I am. Losing someone close — there’s nothing worse than that, especially losing someone you love so deeply. You can end it all, or you can start over — choose life. That’s what Mikhail Sholokhov wrote in The Fate of a Man.

I decided to leave behind that reckless life everyone talks about. I’ve changed.

Yesterday’s newspaper was lying on the floor. That treacherous night was splashed across every page. I have nothing left to lose. I’ll be someone entirely different — someone others don’t even know — and I will give that damn speech. We’re moving tomorrow morning. Not sleeping for a second night in a row sounds dangerous, but I’m used to this kind of life. Coffee is my best friend.

I pulled on my dark blue leggings, slipped into a pink T-shirt that clung to my attractive body, tied my hair into a high ponytail, and pulled my white sneakers out from under the bed. I need to gather my thoughts — and running is exactly what I need.

It was fairly chilly outside. I ran along the neighbors’ houses toward the forest I’d been running through since I was twelve. Melodic music played in my headphones. I’d always loved observing the world early in the morning: everyone still asleep in their warm beds, grandmothers walking their tiny dogs, which seemed to lead them across the street rather than the other way around.

Lonely and self-absorbed people read the latest newspaper on their porches, wondering why anyone would live such a wild life. My favorite sight was lovers showing off their blissful expressions, trying to sneak away before the husbands of the people they were cheating with noticed.

I had always stood out for noticing the smallest details, ones people didn’t even suspect. But I never liked this trait — it made normal life impossible. The forest, as always, was breathtaking: abundant greenery, even more flowers. The scent was exquisite. This place had always shared with me my pain, suffering, happiness, and loneliness.

When I got home, I ran straight into the shower. Afterward, I applied a light dark makeup, put on my dark pants, and a black shirt my cousin adored. Mom had draped a black dress over a chair for me, but I chose the pants.

When Mom got up, she brewed herself a cup of strong coffee and came to check on me. By then, I was sitting on the couch, staring at the sealed boxes. She realized I was completely ready. Quietly, she slipped away, and I heard Dad get up.

They were arguing heatedly about something, and I pretended not to hear, only letting out heavy sighs. We drove toward that incomprehensible, monstrous place I so desperately didn’t want to see. Dad was driving and constantly talking to someone. Mom sat silently, arms crossed, staring out the window; it was painful to watch the family falling apart.

I looked out the window, and the road reminded me of that nightmarish day — the path, the speed, that boy…

“Aria!”

“What?” I finally answered after a moment, as Mom had already opened the door for me.

“Aria! Don’t sleep! How many times do I have to call you?! We’re here — get out of the car.”

I noticed the small number of people, the priest talking to my father, and Sam.

“What’s she doing here?”

Mom turned to see whom I was asking about, but I had already stepped out and headed straight toward Sam. I heard my father shout my name.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I said, completely blunt and rude.

Sam looked at me, then shifted her gaze to my mother standing behind me, who clearly had no idea what was going on.

“I thought we needed to talk. You’re like a sister to me, Aria. We’ve been best friends since childhood, and now everything has been turned upside down. I don’t understand anything — most of all, I don’t understand what I did to deserve you talking to me like this, being angry with me, or even more than that… hating me.”

“Get out of here. You’re no sister of mine, and we have nothing to talk about. I already told you everything when you came to my house. I don’t want to see you.”

Several people turned to look at us — I must have said it quite loudly. My mother put an arm around my shoulders and said gently,

“Sam, I’m sorry. She’s not herself — you understand what we’re going through. Aria, may I have a word with you for a moment?”

Mom led me away from the crowd, turned me to face her, and spoke without giving me a chance to breathe:

“Aria, behave yourself. What’s going on with you? Don’t lose it in front of everyone — they’re trying to support you. Don’t make a scene! Your sister had a gas leak. We were informed about it today — no one here is to blame. Enough! You’re looking for someone to blame, but there is no one. Please, I’m begging you, for their sake… calm down, behave properly, and give a kind, beautiful speech for the first and last time. Now come on, it’s already starting.”

I didn’t have a chance to respond.

I was completely lost in my thoughts. I remember my father speaking from the small stage, then the priest, and then my mother, who wiped away tears from her face constantly, minute after minute. I realized it was my turn next. My eyes were already wet.

Mom waved at me, and I began walking toward the small, delicate stage, my palms sweating. When I reached where my mother had stood, I turned to face the crowd and looked at everyone. All eyes were on me, waiting for me to speak.

It felt as if someone had sewn my mouth shut — I couldn’t say a word. My hands went stiff, but I managed to get a few words out.

“Thank you all for taking the time to be here. Honestly, I didn’t really prepare a speech, because not a single word comes to mind.

Emmy, Jerrad, and their son Nate were wonderful — they always showed me what an exemplary family looks like, something I so desperately lack right now. It’s really hard for me to talk about everything that happened, and I still can’t fully process it. It feels as if it’s not even happening to me. Sometimes fate throws unexpected and very painful things our way, but I believe it’s not without reason. There’s some meaning in all of this, one I have yet to understand. I’m sure they can hear me, and I just want to say one thing: forgive me. I promise I will do everything so that you, Emmy, could be proud of me, and I ask for your forgiveness for everything I did and didn’t do for you and your family. I know you are always with me, and you will always be with me. We are one, and that will never be broken. I’m sure that one day we will meet again, and I hope that by then, you will have forgiven me. Everything should have been different… but alas, if I could only go back, I would try to change everything and not let you go home after our wonderful last dinner.

I love you, Emmy, Jerrad, and Nate. Be happy. Thank you for everything.

I looked around and saw ladies dabbing their tears with handkerchiefs. Mom buried her face in Dad’s shoulder and cried, and I stood there, watching them, trying to control myself and not break down. I noticed Sam in the distance, standing under a tree, wiping her eyes with her hands.

Heading downstairs, I walked up to the counter where a young man was working. He was pouring water for some, champagne for others, and vodka for a few.

“Champagne, please.”

The guy turned and stared at me.

“I don’t think you need that right now.”

I looked up and saw the same guy from the ambulance, the one who had climbed into my car that day.

“Then water,” I said.

He glanced at me, then quickly shifted his gaze to my wrist.

“It’s a gift from your cousin for your birthday, a silver bracelet engraved with ‘Forever,’” I explained before he could say a word.

I immediately asked him,

“How did you manage to get me into bed?”

Blaine looked at me and smiled.

“I wanted to sleep with you, so I dragged you into bed,” he said teasingly. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”

“This is not the place for your vulnerable, lewd jokes,” I snapped.

Blaine’s expression softened, growing slightly more serious.

“I just brought you here.”

I drank the glass of water in one go and said,

“Thank you. For that day, and for the water now.”

I went over to my mother. She was devastated. It hurt to see her wet eyes, the tears continuously streaming down her cheeks. In four minutes, the funeral service was supposed to start. Mentally, I wasn’t ready. I felt so broken it was as if my body had been beaten all night. My mind was foggy — I could barely grasp what was happening.

I realized I needed to take my place next to my parents and try to breathe evenly. But it was difficult. Everything passed rather quickly. There’s no point in recounting the boundless grief or its terrifying consequences. It’s said briefly. I want to forget everything. Once and for all.

“Aria, we’re leaving tonight.”

“Okay.”

I headed to my car and drove home. Later, I went to our local café. Ordering myself a juice, I opened the book I hadn’t finished reading and immersed myself in it. I managed to eat a Greek salad and drink the chilled juice.

After paying the bill, I stayed seated at table number seven. Emmy and I had always sat here.

“Don’t be sad. You’ll sour forever like that,” a male voice muttered.

I looked up and snapped my book shut.

“What are you doing here?”

“Your mom asked me to give you this photo,” he said, handing me a picture of Emmy and me as children.

I tried to hold back my tears.

“Thank you, Blaine. But I don’t think you should sit at this table, or even talk to me.”

“Are you always this nervous, or are you doing it on purpose? I want to assist you,” he said, genuinely enough.

“I have to go. Enjoy your time.”

“And that’s it?”

“Yes, that’s it,” I replied bluntly.

“Are you always this rude?”

“Consider it straightforwardness.”

“Then tell me, how do you feel about strangers… but fairly attractive guys?”

“I just adore them.”

“Seriously?” Blaine frowned.

“Uh-huh,” I nodded. “Especially when those guys remain strangers,” I added, and with that, I left the café, walking briskly toward home, not lingering for a single moment.

After packing the remaining things, I brewed a strong green tea and stepped out onto the veranda. The sun was setting sadly behind the horizon, and dark clouds were spreading across the sky. I noticed that it was already dark. Dad’s black car pulled up, and Mom stepped out, grief-stricken and tear-streaked, showing no signs of relief. I felt sorry for her.

“Aria, that was completely selfish! Why did you leave? Blaine, by the way, was looking for you! I asked him to give you the photo — they were handing them out to everyone! That was irresponsible of you! You don’t understand anything. I don’t even know how to talk to you! You can’t control yourself. Your behavior is just awful! We’ll talk later, but for now, go help your dad move the stuff!”

Mom gave me a chilling, almost menacing look. She was on the verge of tears, and guilt hit me immediately. With Dad, we moved everything in just over an hour. When I sat in the back seat of the car, I realized I couldn’t feel my arms. Mom whispered something to Dad while I listened to music through my headphones and soon fell asleep. After a long drive, the ground under my feet seemed to shift. A new house. A clean slate. A new life. I followed Mom’s lead and walked along a row of rose bushes, dotted with fragrant buds. My room was on the second floor. The staircase still needed to be finished. The room was spacious but dim — the white walls clearly needed color. But I didn’t feel like dealing with that now; I decided to leave it as it was. We unpacked a mountain of boxes in just over three hours. Mom started preparing dinner, and I went out for a walk. She barely spoke, which I understood perfectly, but there was nothing I could do — because I felt exactly the same way.

I need to find a job; the holidays are almost over, but there’s still a little time left. I could also work during the school week, and then — summer. It was already six in the evening, yet the streets were still bright. I was beginning to like this town. As I walked past some bushes, I noticed a large lake with cute ducks and hurried closer to get a better look. I love ducks! When I was a child, Emmy and I used to go feed them in the park. Too bad I didn’t bring any bread with me.

“What are you doing here?” a male voice called out.

I flinched and turned around. In front of me stood a guy with an excellent physique, a brunette wearing a gray tank top and dark jeans.

“I…” I began, taking a step back.

“Stop!” he shouted.

I lost my balance and fell into the water, full of reeds and stones. After a while, ducks swam by. He reached out his hand, and I looked into his dark brown eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Let’s go to the store,” he smirked.

“What? Why?”

It turned out he owned a small convenience store near the lake. The guy handed me a blue polka-dot blanket and continued our conversation.

“Strange situation, isn’t it? The lake has been deserted for a long time — people don’t come here because the ducks start coming out and attacking. Apparently, they liked you. By the way, my name’s Ian Walker. Did you just arrive?”

“Yes, I moved here today. My name’s Ariel Moore. This is… a bit awkward.”

“No worries, nice to meet you. Haven’t seen anyone fall into this lake in a long time,” he smirked. “If you need anything, just ask. People around here are friendly. By the way, are you looking for a job?”

“Yes, do you know anywhere I could work part-time?”

“My friend Larry owns a café. He happens to be looking for waitresses. I can tell him about you — but only tomorrow; he’s out of town today.”

“Thank you, I was just thinking about that today. That would be wonderful!”

“No problem. See you,” he winked at me, and I smiled back.

When I got home, I immediately ran into my worried mom, but by now, that had become almost a habit for me.

“Arya! Where have you been? You’re soaking wet!”

“It’s nothing, Mom. I just fell into the water, and Ian helped me get out and gave me this blanket. Everything’s fine.”

“Ian?” my mom asked, concerned.

“Yes, a guy. He lives not far from us.”

“All right, go change quickly. We won’t tell your father. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

I changed into denim shorts and a white tank top, grabbed my laptop, and paused for a second. I’ve been wanting to write my first book for a long time, but I can’t seem to choose a topic. I really need to focus on this. So much fails to inspire me, and I just can’t find the right idea for a novel. I dismissed all the strange ideas that came to me in that same moment and started drying my hair. By the time it got completely dark, I finished my omelet and went to bed. For a while now, I haven’t really paid attention to what time I go to sleep or wake up. I’m actually a very disciplined person when it comes to things like that, but I guess it’s time to recover after everything that happened. The morning started with a run. Running is my passion — I can’t live without it. I ran all the way to a park I didn’t know, looked around, and saw that the streets were completely empty. I decided it was time to head back; today it would be more of a short run since the atmosphere outside felt a bit tense. I can’t say I dislike running alone, but after everything that has happened in my life, the vibe in this place made me uneasy. The house was filled with silence. My father had gone on errands, and my mother was still asleep. I began unpacking my things — after all, it was about time. My thoughts were already revolving around how to organize my room. When my mother woke up, she mentioned that there was a library nearby and suggested I go there; maybe I could meet some friends. Honestly, I really wanted to spend more time with my family and bring back what we once had, but right now I realize I want to spend most of my time alone. It’s probably easier for me to process my loss this way, to avoid breaking down, and not having to comfort anyone. I no longer want the pain I’ve felt over the past month. Wasting no time, I quickly changed into clothes that felt comfortable and headed to the library. The new building, with a sign that read “Library for Book Lovers,” turned out to be amazing. It didn’t stand out much compared to the others, but you could see a lot of students wandering nearby. Inside, it was a little cool, and the scent of old books filled the air. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved libraries — they make me feel like I can hide from everyone and stay here safely all day. I went up to the second floor and saw a stand of books. Most of them were novels, my favorite kind, even though my life felt more like a comedy than a romance. I picked the first one I saw — The Girl on the Train. Reading immediately drew me in. I spent an hour with the book, turning page after page. I was about to go for brunch when my peace was broken by a young man’s voice:

“I’m impressed.”

I lifted my gaze from the book to the black leather boots, and then my eyes traveled higher and higher until I saw Ian.

“Hi,” he said.

It was Ian. We hugged as if we had known each other for a hundred years.

“What are you impressed by?” I asked.

“My brother picked up this book too when we were here. You have good taste, because as far as I know, this book is very popular right now, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.” Ian sat down at the table across from me and folded his hands on it.

I smiled and looked back at the book, then at Ian.

“You have a brother?”

“Yes, a younger one. Do you have anyone? Like a brother or a sister?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

I quickly wanted to change the subject and muttered, “I’ll give you back the blanket today.”

“This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other, so you can give it back later. By the way, I’ve got some good news — I spoke to Larry, and he’ll take you on starting tomorrow or next week. If you don’t mind, we could go see him today; I can introduce you. It’s not far from here. You’re going to the party, right? I was actually planning to tell you about the job there, but I guess fate decided you’d find out sooner,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, you really helped me. Wait… what party?” I asked, alarmed.

“You don’t know?” He looked at me questioningly, and I immediately answered,

“No.”

“Yesterday, my uncle came by your place. He invited you to a party for ‘Comet Night.’ Everyone will gather to watch the comet. My uncle invites all the neighbors to see this beauty. It so happens that we often host parties, just events, and there are two reasons for it. First, my parents really love social gatherings; second, my father likes to present himself well, so to maintain good relations with everyone, he invites people over.”

“When is all this happening?”

“This evening.”

My jaw dropped — my mom hadn’t told me a thing.

“Okay.”

“So, shall we go to the café? I can also take you to our place afterward. You’ll meet your parents there, because they’ll come too, for sure. I remember my father talking about the new neighbors.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I quickly put the book back on the shelf, not finishing it, and just noted the page I had stopped at in my phone’s notes.

The café was nearby, just as Ian had said. We stepped into the cozy place, which was bustling with people. Ian took my hand and led me to the counter.

“Mrs. Smith, could you call Larry, please?”

“Sure, dear.”

Larry was a slightly overweight man in his fifties, very cheerful and smiling.

“Ian, who’s this charming girl with you?”

“Larry, this is Ariel.”

“Hello, nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hand — but Larry rushed to hug me. He looked me over from head to toe, then said,

“Arya, come by at one tomorrow. It was nice to see you, but now excuse me — I have a pile of paperwork to deal with.”

We said goodbye and left the café almost immediately; it really was crowded in there. Ian asked if I was heading home or going to their event, and I realized I needed to change and at least talk to my parents first. So he walked me home, kissed me on the cheek, and said,

“See you tonight.”

I was a little flustered by that, but I said nothing. After everything that had happened recently, I clearly didn’t want to fall for anyone.

At home, I saw my parents already putting up wallpaper and preparing the house to be cozy.

“Aria, how did you like the library? It’s really great — I’ve read a lot about it.”

“Yes, Mom. Mom, why didn’t you tell me about today’s party?”

“I was just about to tell you. We’re going to the Walkers’ — they say many families will be there, and we can get to know them too. By the way, what do you think of the pale green wallpaper? Does it suit the room?” She ran her hand over the glue-damp wallpaper, clearly examining it.

“Yes, it’s wonderful.”

I put on some casual clothes and started helping my parents. My support was just as necessary for them as theirs was for me. They had covered three walls already; only one remained. With six hands, we finished quickly, then spent another seven minutes just staring at the room, which had transformed from gloomy to surprisingly charming. Dad was organizing his things, while Mom began getting ready for the event. She wanted to present herself and our family in the best possible light. I could understand that, but it was completely different from what I would have done. I put on my dark blue jeans, a light pink T-shirt, and a plaid shirt, rolled up the sleeves, did my eye makeup a bit more brightly, brushed my hair, and I was ready — unlike my dad, who had turned the whole house upside down trying to find his favorite jeans. I bet Mom had thrown them out during the move, because there was no other way to part with a pair of worn-out fifteen-year-old jeans. But unlike him, Mom looked, as always, impeccable. Dad, like me, wore jeans too — though not the ones he had been looking for. From the expression on Mom’s face, I realized she really had thrown them out — and paired a blue shirt with Mom’s dress. The walk to the Walkers’ house wasn’t long. We didn’t even take the car, to avoid awkwardness with the neighbors and the hassle of finding a parking spot. Their house was medium-sized and clearly stood out from all the others I had seen. Many people looked at us with questioning eyes, obviously wondering who the new faces were — or, on the contrary, they had probably already looked us up online and knew about our tragedy. Everyone was dressed up: women in evening gowns, men in jackets. At one point, I even felt a little uncomfortable, but I really didn’t want to dress up — my mood simply wasn’t in it, and impressing anyone wasn’t part of my plan. Ian greeted us, wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. I handed him back the blanket I had used when I fell into the water. Mom had already washed it three times before returning it — she was obsessively determined to make everything perfect. Ian offered me a drink, and I agreed. I moved away from my parents, who had clearly started introducing themselves to everyone. While Ian went to grab some cups of soda, I looked out over the lawn. “Do they really even mow the lawn with a ruler?” I wondered.

“At this party, everyone is supposed to have a white candle,” I froze, and he was looking me straight in the eyes.

I reacted immediately:

“Blaine, what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he replied.

I looked Blaine over from head to toe. He was wearing brown pants and a light blue shirt with a bow tie. Our little idyll was interrupted by Ian, who handed me a cup of soda.

“Aria, have you met my younger brother yet?”

“Blaine — is he your brother?”

Before I could finish my question, Blaine interrupted and asked his brother:

“Aria — is she your girlfriend?”

Ian looked at both of us and asked one question:

“Did you know each other?”

Blaine glanced at me, then at his brother, and answered,

“No.”

I took the candle from him and thanked him with a nod.

I looked at Blaine, then shifted my gaze to Ian.

“Ian, please tell me about tonight,” I said, clearly wanting to step out of this trio.

“Alright,” Ian offered me his elbow like a gentleman.

“What do you want me to tell you about tonight? Okay, look — almost all the neighbors from this street are here. On the right side live people of average means, and on the left side, those who are above average. Many of them are two-faced, but I think you can see that yourself. There are also good neighbors, though, people it’s really nice to spend time with and invite over for dinner. Be careful when you talk to anyone, because any word can be used against you. What else do you want to know?”

“Tell me about yourself,” I said, trying to spot Blaine, because I had a ton of questions for him after that previous encounter. But whenever I was near him, my ears went numb and my hands started scratching my neck uncontrollably — and I definitely didn’t like that.

“I’m at Georgetown University, second year. I love history. What about you — what do you plan to do in the future? Arya, you there?”

My attention had wandered, and I got caught.

“Huh? What? Yeah, I’m listening.”

“You keep looking around. Are you looking for someone?”

“No, I’m just noticing how many people are here.”

“What just happened with my brother?” Ian took my hand, putting me in an awkward position.

“With Blaine? Nothing, he gave me a candle, we met, and then you showed up. Why?”

“It’s just… I have a feeling he said something to you.” He squeezed my hand firmly.

“No, why would you even think that?” Looking into his eyes, I could see his worry and disapproval.

“My brother is a womanizer. He knows how to hit on a girl, get her into bed, and then kick her out in the morning as if nothing happened. It’s happened more than once. You’re attractive, smart — he could easily approach you and start a conversation. I’m not sure about the sex part, but clearly, you two aren’t telling each other everything. I like you, so I want to know if anything happened between you.” He released my hand, turned me to face him, and took me by the shoulders.

“Aria, listen. I liked you from the first day, and I know I’m saying this very early — I realize that — but it really felt like something sparked inside me. I didn’t sleep tonight; I kept thinking about you. I want you to know this. I know about your situation, and I’m not asking you to take any steps or respond in any way. I just want you to hear these words from me personally. And if I regret saying this so soon later, it’s just because I’m speaking my feelings.”

“Ian… I… I’m interested, but I don’t want to rush into anything, and especially not into a relationship right now. I really don’t feel safe at the moment.”

“I’m not insisting, in any case.” He looked at me and stepped closer to hug me. I nodded understandingly, but then realized I urgently needed to go somewhere.

“Ian, where’s the bathroom here?”

“Go straight, then left, straight again, and then right.”

“Thanks.”

On the way, my eyes were searching for Blaine, but my mind was thinking about Ian. It was so unexpected that he had spoken about his feelings so early that I was left speechless. Straight… okay, and here probably left, yes, let’s go, straight, left — or was it further and then right? Damn, I’m confused!

“Further and then right,” I heard a familiar voice.

“Thanks. Blaine! What was that about?”

“Come on, I’ll walk you to the bathroom, otherwise you’ll get lost again.”

We both entered the women’s restroom, and no — it didn’t seem strange to him. He quickly checked two stalls to make sure they were free and that no one could overhear us. Then he started his story without any questions:

“Your brother has probably already told you how bad I am,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “I can see it on your face — answer: yes. Here’s the thing: if I had told him that we had already met, he would have started interrogating me and getting suspicious. Just know that wouldn’t lead to anything good. Trust me. Last night, he kept talking about some girl and was driving everyone crazy — well, he was telling my dad, and I just happened to overhear. Today I realized it was you. It wasn’t hard to figure out. He likes you. And to answer your question right away — I said we didn’t know each other because it’s simpler. You’ll understand everything in time. He’s a good guy, so if you really want to start something with him, you don’t need to interact with me. Oh, and by the way — you need to light the candle.” He pulled out a lighter and lit it. I barely had time to react before the candle was already burning.

“Alright, I heard you, Blaine. I don’t have any questions for you. Now, maybe you can get out of the women’s restroom?!”

“Yeah, maybe… or maybe not.” He caught my stern look and continued,

“When he was confessing his feelings to you and you were looking for me, I was just on the second floor — you could have just looked up. In the future, I’m basically always above; I like it that way more.” With that, he left the women’s restroom.

I stood there for another minute, exhaled deeply, looked in the mirror, and then stepped out.

“Oh, Aria! Are you okay?” Ian asked.

“Yes,” I replied, took Ian by the elbow, and we walked outside to join the others.

At that moment, a comet streaked across the sky.

“This is amazing!” everyone shouted, clinking their glasses in the air. I looked up, and Blaine raised his cup in a gesture of acknowledgment.

“Aria, come on, I’ll introduce you to my uncle.”

We approached a man who seemed very familiar to me.

“Uncle, meet Ariel Moore. You’ve already met her parents. Aria, meet Ren Maddox.”

No way, I thought, that’s the doctor from the hospital, but I tried to keep all my emotions in check. Ren seemed to understand and didn’t say anything, just continued:

“Nice to meet you, Aria. How are you feeling?”

“It’s very nice to meet you too, thank you. I’m feeling better.”

“All right, we’ll be going. By the way, where’s Blaine?” Ian asked, puzzled.

“He’s somewhere walking with his girlfriend.”

Ian started telling me about his house as we walked through the floors — how he grew up here, his first achievements, funny family facts, and their traditions. When we entered his room, I noticed it was decorated in black and white tones.

“Isn’t it boring to live in a room like this?” I asked out of curiosity.

“No, I like it.”

“It’s actually quite cozy… Wait, is this you as a child?” I pointed to a framed photo by his bed.

“Yes, with my mom.”

“What happened?” I asked cautiously, putting the frame back and turning to Ian, looking him straight in the eyes.

“They died in an accident… A simple, ridiculous coincidence.”

I sighed, trying to find the right words.

“Ian, I’m sorry. You’re strong for holding it together. Losing those you love is so hard… I completely understand what you’re going through,” I whispered, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

Ian looked into my eyes and quietly said,

“Thank you.”

He reached out to my face and brushed away a stray eyelash on my cheek. Then he gently traced his hand along my cheek and leaned toward me. I leaned in toward him too, but…

“Ian, your uncle is calling you!” Blaine burst into the room, speaking loudly.

Ian exhaled irritably.

“Thanks, Blaine. You can go.”

I took Ian’s hand and smiled.

“It’s okay.”

After kissing him on the cheek, I pulled Ian’s hand down. Blaine’s gaze was strange… It scared me a little, as if he was clearly against what we were about to do.

“Ren, were you looking for me?” Ian asked his uncle calmly.

“No… Ah, yes. Aria, your parents were looking for you — they’re getting ready to go home.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Ren.”

I let go of Ian’s hand and went to look for my parents. They were glowing with happiness; I hadn’t seen them so cheerful since my sister passed away. It warmed my heart. When I approached them, my mom said that if I wanted, I could stay here until late evening — but on one condition: that someone would accompany me.

“Come on, Mom, let’s go home.”

I said goodbye to Ian and, before leaving, kissed him on the cheek. Looking up, I saw Blaine standing there, hugging a girl, and he just nodded at me in response.

I feel like this story isn’t over yet. What was that?! How small the world is… It scares me, but it seems I’ve completely gotten tangled up in my own life. What am I even doing? I hope that soon I’ll find answers to my questions — and maybe to millions of others.

“This place is wonderful!” my mom shared with us. She absolutely loved Mr. Ren’s company.

Dad wasn’t able to say anything because he fell asleep the moment he crossed the threshold of our home.

“Mom, I got a job,” I said while she was warming up dinner.

“What kind of job?”

“A waitress, at a café near our home.”

“Alright. Just be careful, okay, sweetie?” She kissed me on the forehead and went to change.

I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Questions kept running through my head, but I decided: let everything flow as it may. Closing my eyes, I drifted into a deep sleep.

Running, as always, filled the emptiness inside me with inspiration. The morning was clear and cloudless. The midday heat was softened by a cool breeze.

Mom reminded me that school would start in four days.

“Thanks, Mom. You always know how to ruin a morning,” I grumbled.

Mom gave a mischievous grin and ran off to work, leaving me a few bills so I could enjoy myself. I spent a couple of hours in the library and then ran full speed to work.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Lari.”

“Oh, hi, Aria! Come over here for a minute.”

I nodded and walked up to him.

Mr. Lari explained all the little details to me — how and with whom to talk, showed me the dishes, and briefly went over the ingredients of each.

“And yes, Aria, just call me Lari.”

I smiled and nodded.

And here was my first customer. I took a deep breath and headed straight to the table. Not alone, even. Hooray! Wait. I knew it — right at this table, at this exact time, an unexpected —but less pleasant — meeting awaited me. Blaine. And some unknown girl. Damn. Another one of Blaine’s girls? How does he even manage to charm them? What makes them fall for him?

I gathered my thoughts, composed myself, and walked over to them more quickly.

“Hello, are you ready to order?”

Blaine looked up.

“Aria? Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Hello to you too, Blaine.”

I looked at the girl.

“What will your lady be having?”

“Two fresh juices, a muffin, rustic fries, a vegetable salad, a Coca-Cola, and orange juice,” the girl said, placing the order.

I repeated it back, and when they nodded, I asked,

“May I take the menu?”

Blaine handed it to me, and, either by accident — or more likely on purpose — brushed my wrist. We both knew it wasn’t an accident.

When all the dishes were finished, they just kept sitting there, and it started to irritate me. I pretended not to notice them, but inside I was getting angry. I had been working for three hours already, and unfortunately, they had been sitting there for two and a half. The other tables had already been served again.

Luckily, I didn’t have to be bored — Ian walked into the café.

He came up to me and gently kissed my neck. I turned and hugged him. Immediately, I felt Blaine’s gaze on me.

“Are you almost done?” Ian asked, wrapping his strong arm around my waist.

“Yes, in a moment. I just need to serve your brother. Why? Do you have plans?”

“Yeah, I want to take you to a very fun place.”

Blaine raised his hand, signaling that he wanted to pay. He immediately got up and left with his girlfriend, who had been furiously talking to him all evening, while he pretended to be very interested. What I was sure of, though, was that he had been watching me the entire evening — at least, that’s what my instincts were telling me. Opening the receipt, I started entering the total into the computer and was pleasantly surprised to see that he had left a two-hundred-dollar tip. Did he do it to try and buy me off, or as a way of thanking me for noticing him all evening?!

Ian took my hand and led me to his car. Opening the door for me, he helped me into the passenger seat. Very gentlemanly.

“Where are we going?”

“Home,” he replied concisely.

“Okay. Is this your fun place?”

I didn’t take my eyes off him.

“You’ll understand. What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, glancing first at my lips, then into my eyes, and then back at the road.

“Nothing… It’s just that you’re so cute when you drive.”

He squeezed my hand tightly but kept his eyes on the road. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his satisfied smirk.

The lights were on at home — Blaine must have already been there.

“Close your eyes,” Ian whispered.

I obeyed.

He carefully guided me inside, his hands resting gently on my waist, giving me a sense of warmth and protection. We walked up to the second floor and continued straight for what felt like forever.

“Open,” his voice sounded very close, and his lips brushed against my neck.

I opened my eyes. In front of me was a table set with a pristine white tablecloth, candles, a vase of soft pink bush roses, plenty of food beautifully arranged on plates, and two bottles of wine and champagne. The atmosphere felt magical, and pleasant, melodic music played softly in the background.

“No one has ever done anything like this for me… It’s amazing, Ian,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled and helped me sit down.

“Champagne or wine?”

“Wine.”

Ian poured the wine into my glass, then looked at me with a gentle smile.

“Aria, I’d like to know more about you. Tell me about yourself.”

“What exactly do you want to know? I don’t even know where to start… Let’s do this: question for a question. You ask me, I ask you. You first.”

“What do you want to become?” he asked, pouring wine into his own glass.

I paused, wondering if there was a hidden meaning in that question. But I decided to be honest.

“I’d like to become a writer or a journalist. Now it’s my turn. Are you proud of your work?”

“Hm… If you mean medicine, then yes. I like my job. It allows me to learn a lot about different fields.”

He looked me in the eyes.

“Have you ever had a boyfriend? Why did you break up?”

“That’s two questions,” I teased, smiling. “Yes, I did. We… weren’t compatible. Now I have the same question for you.”

Ian paused for a second, then, narrowing his eyes slightly, answered:

“I had a girlfriend. She cheated on me with Blaine.”

“Ian, how could that happen?” I took his hand and sipped my wine. Deep down, I wasn’t entirely surprised.

---

“I already told you, my brother is a womanizer,” he replied with a faint smirk. “But let’s not dwell on that — it’s unpleasant enough to talk about. What was your boyfriend’s name?”

If he only knew that it was unpleasant for me too.

“Colin. And your girlfriend?”

“Darina,” Ian answered curtly.

I rolled my eyes.

“Ian, maybe this isn’t the best time to talk about exes. How about we switch to other questions and change the music?”

The U.S. national anthem started playing, and I realized this was hardly the kind of music for a date.

“Of course.”

He pulled out his phone and selected a melodic, slightly lingering tune.

“Or… forget the questions. Will you dance with me?”

I smiled and held out my hand.

We moved to the rhythm of the music, slowly, almost melting into each other. I felt his gentle touches, strong arms, warm breath. When I looked into his eyes, something inside me stirred — there was a spark in his gaze, something inexplicable, amazing, magnetic. He leaned closer to me, and I leaned closer to him.

Silence. Peace. No Blaine. Just the two of us.

Ian leaned over, and I closed my eyes, feeling our lips melt into a deep kiss. His lips were hot, soft, too sexy. His fingers slid down my back, and then he pressed me against the wall.

I felt him remove his gray T-shirt, his strong hands sliding down my hips. Passion overwhelmed us. He picked me up and carried me to the couch.

I reflexively removed my T-shirt, though I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to sleep with him now, especially after everything that had happened to me. Thoughts of sex always seemed to vanish. But inside, I was drawn to him like a magnet.

Our naked bodies touched, Ian covered me with his chest and continued kissing, touching my face, my body, and…

“Who wants tea?” – someone’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Blaine came home. Again. And once more, he ruined everything. Why does he always do this?”

“Blaine!” Ian and I shouted at the same time.

“I’m not looking,” he said, covering his eyes with his hand. “Yes, I put the kettle on.” He stepped into the room, still shielding his eyes. “I don’t know what you two were up to, but it smells like mischief in here.” He smirked and headed toward his own room.

A click echoed as the door closed, and Ian’s voice followed:

“Sorry about my brother. He’s a reckless idiot.”

“It’s fine,” I replied, starting to put my T-shirt back on.

We hadn’t touched the food, but our glasses were already empty. Alcohol clearly affected me more than I thought. Probably should have expected that.

“Already dressed?” Blaine appeared again, this time striding in like he owned the place. “Bro, Darina’s looking for you. She says she wants to talk.”

“Blaine!” Ian shouted, clearly annoyed.

“What?” Blaine raised his eyebrows, spreading his arms in mock innocence. “Aria, you’ll be studying with me. Looks like we’re going to be stuck together everywhere now,” he added with a playful grin, hugging me and offering a cookie.

“Where did you get that idea?” I accepted the cookie and noticed Ian slipping away with his phone.

“Everyone says we’ve got a new girl, and when we went into the principal’s office, we saw your name on a pile of papers.”

“Are you serious?!” I asked anxiously.

“Want some tea?” Blaine asked calmly, taking chocolate and strawberries from our table, pretending nothing embarrassed him.

“Yeah,” I nodded, not knowing whether to be thrilled or annoyed — this person was going to irritate me for at least a few semesters, maybe longer.

“Go ahead.”

Ian came in, out of breath, worried, clearly not himself. He sat beside me and took my hand.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes,” I smiled, and he kissed my temple. “What did I miss?”

“I’m going to be studying with your brother.”

Ian immediately turned his gaze to Blaine. They stared at each other in silence for about two minutes, and I decided to break it.

“Am I missing something?”

Both of their eyes shifted to me. Blaine spoke first:

“Tell her.”

I stared at Ian.

“Tell her what?”

Ian scratched the back of his head, then said:

“Uh… how do you feel about coming to our place for the weekend? We’re going to a country house. My uncle doesn’t mind. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a good idea, I’d love to,” I said happily.

Ian smiled and took a sip of his tea.

The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Blaine said, setting his tea on the table and heading to the door. I heard the click of high heels. A girl. Probably another one of Blaine’s flings.

“Ian, it’s for you,” Blaine said with a playful smirk, taking back his mug of tea.

What?! For Ian?! Leaving me alone with Blaine, Ian went into the living room.

“Blaine, be honest. What did you mean by ‘tell her’? ” I asked.

“Ian did tell you after all,” Blaine said, finishing his strong tea while trying not to look me in the eyes.

“Blaine, you didn’t mean that. You really think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”

He looked shocked by my enthusiasm.

“You should go to Ian,” I said, leaving the kitchen.

Why does Blaine always show up at the most intimate moments and speak in riddles?!

I walked into the living room and saw a gorgeous girl with long, thick hair, wearing black leather leggings and a bare midriff. Her black hair was perfectly styled. Her appearance was flawless.

Ian spoke and greeted me, taking my hand.

“Aria, this is Darina. And this is my girlfriend, Aria.”

We shook hands. So that’s what Blaine meant. They were chatting animatedly about something, and Ian didn’t even notice me. There was nothing for me to do here, so I went back to the kitchen to grab my purse and saw Blaine coming down.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“But I hear the voice of his ex, so Ian isn’t going anywhere.”

“Bye, Blaine,” I said curtly. I stepped out of his house and immediately noticed the lake. I stopped, remembering that day. It looked so vast. The darkness outside was almost frightening.

“I don’t think it’s safe for a girl to walk here alone in this dark,” Blaine said, catching up to me and offering his jacket. I stared at him for a long moment.

“Maybe you should take the jacket,” Blaine extended his hand with it.

“Thanks.”

“How was your first day at work?”

“Thanks, it was good,” I exhaled, then added, “Why are you always with a new girl? What’s wrong with just one?”

“No one’s ever asked me that before,” Blaine smiled. “Today you called that girl my lady, but we’re just classmates. Kate and I get along well, but nothing more.”

“I don’t think she just had dinner with you as a friend tonight. She likes you,” I said, lightly nudging his shoulder with my fist. He stepped back to the side.

“Maybe.”

“Hey — are you hitting me?” Blaine smirked. “I’ll tell my brother you’re flirting with me.”

“What?! Me? Pfft, no way. Don’t even dream of it. Only in your fantasies.”

“Oh, come on. Even if I were the last man on Earth, you’d still sleep with me for the sake of future generations.”

“What?! Blaine! Go to hell!”

We both laughed.

At home it was strangely quiet — no one was there.

“Thanks for walking me home.”

He smiled back at me and left immediately.

Mom had left a note saying she’d be back in the morning — they’d gone away with Ian’s and Blaine’s uncle. I was alone all night. It was… unsettling. Almost scary.

The doorbell rang.

My heart started pounding; I grabbed the meat knife. The bell rang a second time. I crept toward the door and saw the handle begin to twitch. I yanked the door open and thrust the knife out in front of me.

“Aria, hey… what are you doing?”

Blaine raised both hands, as if surrendering.

“Aria, give me the knife,” he said, gently taking it from me and pulling me into a one-armed hug. He whispered in my ear, “It’s okay.”

Those crazy words I’d already heard twice.

I wrapped my arms around him and whispered,

“Blaine, please… stay with me.”

I pressed my face into his warm chest and felt his breath.

“Okay.”

I made us some cocoa while Blaine was in my room.

“Why haven’t you picked the wallpaper yet?” he asked, taking the mug of hot cocoa from me.

“I don’t know… I want something unusual. White walls just don’t work for me, but my imagination isn’t coming up with anything.”

“Try painting over this dull room with colors. Imagine how you’d like your life to be — any bright shade will do. It’ll be unusual.” He nudged me and made a satisfied little grin.

“You’re right! I just got an amazing idea in my head! Thank you for that!”

“If you need help, I’m always ready,” he said, looking pleased — but teasing me a little at the same time.

“There you go!” I grabbed a pillow and whacked him on the head with it.

“Hey! Wait!” he shouted, and I paused. Expecting him to protest, he grabbed a pillow himself and started hitting me with it. Laughter, shouting, and a pillow fight — something new.

“Okay, stop, I’m tired,” I panted through my laughter, a satisfied smile on my face. Blaine sat down on the floor and took a sip of his now-cool cocoa.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

“It’s way more comfortable here.”

I followed his lead, sitting down and leaning my back against the bed.

“What happened with your ex?”

I hadn’t expected Blaine to ask that question.

“I’m not ready to talk about that.”

He looked at me, studying my face closely.

The doorbell rang. I took a deep breath.

“I’ll get it,” Blaine’s voice said.

A familiar voice entered my head, and then Ian ran into the room. He dropped to his knees, cupped my face in his hands, and said,

“Aria, are you okay? Blaine said…”

“Yes,” I replied.

He hugged me. I noticed Blaine grabbing his jacket, getting ready to leave. He smiled and walked out of the room. I stood up and said,

“Thanks, Blaine.”

He smiled back at me. I closed the door and returned to the room. Ian took my hands.

“Aria, I’m sorry. We talked about that trip we both have to attend. Don’t ever leave like that again, okay? I was worried.”

“It’s okay,” I said with a smile, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

We sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, and Ian held me close.

“How was your first day at work?”

“Pretty good. And yours?”

“Wonderful.” He kissed my forehead, and we fell back onto the bed.

“I want to paint the walls with colors, Ian. Will you come with me and help pick them out?”

“Sure.”

“Ian, what did Blaine mean today when he said ‘tell her’?”

Ian studied my expression carefully.

“Darina decided again that we could be together. I explained to her over the phone that nothing can happen between us, because my heart belongs only to you. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? We haven’t known each other long, but it feels like I’ve known you forever.”

I leaned toward him and kissed him. Giggling, we fell asleep in the same position.

Sunlight streamed insistently into my room, and I woke up squinting from the brightness. Ian wasn’t beside me, but the smell in the air was incredible. Apparently, Mom had decided to surprise me with a delicious breakfast early in the morning.

I went to the kitchen and saw Ian at the stove, wearing Mom’s apron. That apron suited him way better than her. I laughed when I realized what he was up to. On the pan was a heart-shaped fried egg.

“Aria, go back to bed. You weren’t supposed to wake up this early,” he giggled.

I started laughing, and Ian took my hand, pulling me into his arms. I went willingly — this was my favorite place in the whole world.

I sent Mom a text:

“Mom, I’m at Ian’s. Where are you? Why are you taking so long to come back?”

The reply came instantly:

“We’re still held up. Ren said they’ll take you out of town for the weekend. Pack some warm clothes. Kisses.”

I quickly ran to the shower, and then we had breakfast. I put on light makeup and slipped into my go-to jeans and a pale scarlet blouse. When we got home, I immediately smelled something divine. Blaine was cooking — apparently, it ran in the family. I noticed a girl.

“Kate, right? Hi, I’m Aria.”

“Hi, you’re new here.”

We shook hands.

“Brother, what are you up to here?” Ian asked.

“Making a pie, but sorry, none for you,” Blaine greeted him with a sly smile.

“Then I’ll take yours,” Ian whispered, quietly approaching from behind and wrapping his arms around Blaine’s waist.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Blaine shouted, laughing.

“Can’t remember the last time you cooked,” Ian added.

“Shut up,” Blaine said with a smile, grabbing plates and serving each of us a slice of pie.

“Aria, why did you move here?” Kate asked, and I immediately caught Blaine’s gaze.

I just shrugged.

“Felt like a change of scenery… to think about the future.”

From Blaine’s expression, I could tell he didn’t believe me.

“How’s the pie?” Blaine broke the silence.

“Edible… but could be better,” Ian teased him.

“Alright, you know what?” Blaine grabbed a huge half of the strawberry pie and flung it at his brother’s head. Blaine doesn’t miss. Squeals, shouts, and a chase ensued.

“Come here!” Ian ran after Blaine. I started laughing. Kate almost fell off her chair. We watched Ian emerge from the pie while Blaine was covered in cream. We all laughed, and then Kate and I realized they were coming toward us.

“Oh, no!” Kate yelled, and we ran from the boys. Ian grabbed my hand. I struggled at first, but soon gave in, and he kissed me. I was covered in pie. The laughter only brought back good memories.

“Let’s go to a café instead,” Ian laughed. Everyone eagerly agreed.

“Guys, it’s my shift now — I can serve you,” I admitted.

Blaine was driving, Ian sat beside him, and Kate and I chatted about everything under the sun. She told me a bit about how Blaine had to blush twice and Ian had laughed until he couldn’t breathe.

The guys ordered their meals, and I even had about twenty minutes to sit with them. For the full three hours I worked, they stayed in the café — though Ian nearly collided with a guy who was staring at me. Later, we all went to the mall to stock up on food for the trip out of town.

“Hey, who wants to ride in the cart?” Blaine asked with a mischievous grin, rolling a cart over to me.

“What? Me? Blaine!” I exclaimed in surprise.

“Blaine, she’s not going,” Ian said.

“Why not?” I protested, waving my arms, and climbed into the cart.

“Blaine, be careful,” Ian warned.

Blaine pushed the cart full speed, carrying me from the canned goods aisle all the way to the liquor section in another wing of the store. The wind tossed my hair in every direction, and I even managed to scream a little — but soon we were told off. Blaine would stop the cart by the tastiest shelves, handing me everything he could grab. The cart quickly filled up, and I had to hold some things in my hands because there was no more space.

When we reached the checkout, Blaine began unloading all the groceries.

“Scanning your girlfriend too?” the cashier joked.

“She’s priceless,” Blaine added, then shifted his gaze to his brother, who had just approached. Ian and Kate placed their groceries on the counter.

“You feeling okay?” Ian asked, lifting me out of the cart.

“Absolutely,” I said.

Blaine drove carefully, and I even liked how he kept his speed down — just the way I prefer it.

“Aria, where would you like to live?” Kate asked succinctly.

I looked at Kate, then through the rearview mirror, Blaine’s eyes met mine.

“I’d like to live by the sea. It’s the best place, in my opinion: to hear its roar day and night, breathe in its scent, walk along the shore and gaze into the distance. And to realize that far beneath the surface, so much is happening that we’ll never see or know. It’s like some great secret begins just beyond your doorstep… and you watch it all from a house that’s warm, dry, and cozy. Simply put, I want to live somewhere where no one can ever hurt me.”

Kate stared at my face with wide eyes, and Blaine watched me warily as well.

“What do you mean by ‘where no one can ever hurt you’? ” Ian asked, his voice tense, never taking his eyes off me.

“All this fuss isn’t for me. Anyone — even someone you care about — can hurt you. I don’t want that pain.”

“Know this: we’re always with you! And we’ll never let you go!” Kate exclaimed, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. Ian held me even tighter.

“What about the rest of you?!” Kate lightly shoved Ian in mock indignation.

“To build my own cozy home, where my family will live, and friends can come for the weekend. I’d like it to be abroad… even outdoors is fine,” Ian confessed.

“Kate, what about you?”

“I don’t have any specific wishes. I just want everyone to live with enough, in love, caring for each other and their family. I’ll agree with Ian — we should spend time together at least once a month. Blaine, your turn; you’re the only one who hasn’t opened up yet.”

“We’re here,” Blaine said, looking at all of us, and got out of the car.

“Has he always been such a jerk?” Kate muttered.

“Yeah,” Ian chuckled.

The guys carried six bags of groceries we’d picked up at the store into the house. We made it just in time, as heavy rain started pouring. Slush, dampness, everything felt miserable. Kate and I got to work unpacking and preparing food. Kate was heating popcorn in the microwave while I chopped ingredients for a Greek salad. The guys unloaded the rest of the groceries and parked the car.

“Blaine is staring at you in a really striking way,” Kate smirked.

“In what way?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“In the simplest way. Had you two met before?”

My eyes nearly popped out of my head in shock. I finished the salad and started preparing the pork chops with Gruyère and vegetable papillotes.

“No, we hadn’t met before,” I said.

“He’s acting strange!”

“Who?” Ian called, coming into the kitchen.

“Who?! Blaine!” my friend confessed, almost shouting.

“Kate…” Ian tried to stop her.

“I’m just acting normally,” Blaine said, taking the cucumber from me before I could slice it. He definitely caught the look I gave him that said, “Don’t eat it — I don’t like it when people do that.”

Blaine looked at Kate’s guilty expression.

Kate took the tray with the finished dish from me and put it in the oven for twenty-five minutes.

I set the table for dinner, Kate went to take a shower, Ian was organizing the things, and Blaine finished preparing our dish.

“Blaine, what are you hiding?” I asked, arranging the napkins on the table.

“Why do you think I’m hiding something?” His eyes betrayed that the question had thrown him off.

“Do you always answer a question with a question when a girl asks you something?” I walked up to the counter where Blaine was standing and asked the question that had been on my mind.

Blaine turned toward me, and we were standing very close. I could feel his breath, and it started to make me uneasy.

“Only if it’s asked by beautiful girls who are missing one guy,” he said, looking at me in a way that made me feel as if he could bake me alive.

“You okay?” Ian suddenly appeared.

“Yeah, Aria asked for the forks I’m holding in my left hand,” he handed them to me.

“Thanks, Blaine.” I went over to Ian and started setting the forks on the table.

We had dinner in a cheerful atmosphere; everyone was laughing and having a good time. I learned a lot of new things about each of them. I definitely liked this company. I went to take a shower while the others started clearing the table. Everyone slept in their own rooms: the guys in theirs, and Kate and I in the guest rooms.

I missed Ian terribly and decided I should check on him, especially since everyone else was already asleep. By the way, Ian was sleeping peacefully — it was a shame it was too dark to see how adorably he was snoring.

“Ian, I missed you,” I whispered, hugging him from behind and snuggling under his blanket. He smelled pleasantly of post-shower freshness. I hugged him tightly, pressing my whole body against his.

“Aria, that’s really sweet, but…”

“Damn it, Blaine!” I shouted, having unfortunately mixed up the two rooms that were only a meter apart. I jumped up.

“I liked it all, Aria,” Blaine said, laughing.

Ian walked into the room. While Blaine continued laughing even louder, Ian turned on the light, and Kate came running over.

“What’s going on?” Ian asked, clearly puzzled.

“Ian, I’ll explain everything,” I said. Blaine chuckled.

“Can I explain?!” he offered.

“Go to hell, Blaine!”

“I accidentally walked into your rooms and was just about to leave,” I admitted.

“You weren’t doing anything here, were you?”

“Ian! Are you crazy? No!” I muttered, putting my hands on my hips in indignation.

“Ian, calm down. You’re not the only one who’s confused here,” Kate said.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘confused’? ” Blaine asked, laughing.

“Blaine!” his brother shouted.

“Ian! What does that mean?” I demanded sternly.

“I’ll explain everything,” Ian said, raising his hands in surrender. “I just accidentally walked into the shower while Kate was in there, but I didn’t see anything.”

Our silence was broken by Blaine’s laughter. He laughed as hard as he could, clutching his stomach with both hands.

“Ian!”

“Hey, all of you, let’s sort this out somewhere outside my room. I want to sleep, and unfortunately, I’m the only one here who hasn’t seen anyone naked or been hugging anyone, so at least let me have a decent night’s sleep,” Blaine went on, still not calming down.

We all left his room and headed to our own, but I still stopped by Ian’s. I hugged him from behind.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“No. Are you?”

Ian turned toward me and wrapped his arms around me. His next words left me stunned.

“For a few minutes, I even thought that you and Blaine… that you might have feelings for each other.”

These words made me turn to Ian and, taking his face in my slender hands, whispered,

“Ian, your brother is something unreal, but I’m not dating him, I’m dating you. And that means I’m only looking for a long-term, serious relationship with you, not your brother. If I loved Blaine, I wouldn’t be with you.”

“Aria, I love you.”

I passionately captured his lips, craving every touch of his hands on my waist. I jumped on him and still wanted him.

“This is very sweet,” I whispered through the fullness of passion and risk, tuning into the rhythmic breathing of our bodies.

He threw me off and hovered over me, kissing every inch of my body. Ian tore off his shirt and then took mine off, leaving me in just my purple bra. Our naked bodies felt an attractive current.

Ian’s phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at the screen and let out a tense sigh.

“Ian, what? What happened?” He handed me his phone so I could read the message Blaine had just sent: “Please keep it down, your wild sex is making my imagination run wilder and wilder.”

“Sorry,” Ian kissed my lips, wrapping his arm around my bare body. We quickly fell asleep.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains. Ian was still dozing soundly, and I decided to get up. On tiptoe, I went to the kitchen to avoid waking anyone — but that didn’t quite work out.

“How was last night?” Blaine handed me another little cup of yogurt.

“Blaine! How can you ask me that while staring straight into my eyes?”

“I just have an eccentric view on many things, asking such questions is easy for me.”

“You bastard!” I snatched the yogurt cup from him and went to get a spoon.

“Mmm, and I like your pajamas, especially last night when you pressed close to me.”

“You’re such a cheeky guy!”

He held the spoon the whole time while I was looking for mine.

“Thanks.”

“Admit it, you think about me often,” Blaine said, making a bold grin.

“Not more than you think about me,” I teased, digging into my fruit yogurt.

“Don’t lie. After last night in my warm little bed, we could have… What do you say?”

I almost choked on my yogurt.

“Get that out of your head.”

“You’re so snobby,” he sighed and went to pour himself some coffee. “Latte or cappuccino?”

“Latte. Blaine, yesterday you still didn’t answer — where would you want to live, and why? Why are you deliberately hiding it?”

“The sea.”

“What? The sea?”

“You said it yourself, and I’ve dreamed of living by the sea since I was a kid. Ian knows that, but he probably thinks it was just a childish whim. If I had told Kate, she would’ve understood exactly what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, raising my hands in exasperation at his secrecy.

Ian sat down next to me and kissed me on the cheek.

How did Ian know his brother had come into the room? I hadn’t heard any footsteps.

“What are you two talking about?” Ian asked.

“About coffee. Which one do you want?” Blaine asked, placing a hot latte in front of me. The foam was decorated with waves. I smiled. “Cappuccino.”

I sent a text to Mom saying everything was fine and asking how she was, but got no reply. I decided to dress warmer since it was only +12°C outside, not +26. Then my phone buzzed — a text, probably from Mom. But no.

“Decided to run away? Mm, but I’ll still find you. (P.S. Your favorite)” — from an unknown number.

It was Colin! Nightmare — now he’s texting me too. But I’d changed my number. In a single second, my world turned completely upside down.

“Aria, are you ready?” Kate came into my room.

“Almost.”

“You look kind of pale.”

“Kate, I’m fine.”

I quickly did my makeup, put on jeans and a gray hoodie. The guys were already ready — Ian went to start the car, and Kate was packing her things. I was left alone with Blaine.

“Aria, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Apparently, I was so unsettled by that message that my mind immediately jumped back to that night. Pfft… I shook my head.

“Blaine, everything’s fine!”

“Aria, I’m not your dumb boyfriend who didn’t notice your scared face. If Ian didn’t notice, then he’s a complete idiot. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“No! Let’s go already.”

“Are you always this secretive?” — Blaine said indignantly.

“I’m learning from you.”

“Very funny.”

This time Ian was driving, and I was sitting in the front passenger seat.

“Where are we going?”

“To the beach.”

“What beach? It’s cold, have you guys lost your minds?”

“No, Aria,” — Kate said, “the beach, a bonfire, barbecue, that kind of thing.”

After which Blaine, as always, joked:

“No, Aria, if you want, we can go skinny dipping.”

“Blaine, you’ll get thrown out of the car and walk home, and I’m not joking,” — Ian grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it.

“That’s more like it!” — Kate agreed.

Nine years ago…

Sam and I decided to go for a swim in the cold water. It was only +14°C outside, but we went for it anyway. The moment we splashed into the water, we froze our asses off, and our underwear was soaked through. Colin brought us towels — the party was insane, and my phone already showed six missed calls from Mom.

“How much longer is this going to go on?” I sighed.

Colin grabbed my phone and hurled it onto the floor.

“Colin, I’m going to be in so much trouble! I need to call her right now!” I protested.

“Oh, come on. You’re not a teenager — you don’t have to report to your parents,” Colin said, starting to kiss my neck.

From the alcohol and the buzz, my whole face was burning.

“Colin, get off me!” I shoved him away and adjusted the towel.

“You’re such a pain,” he snapped irritably and left the room.

I quickly texted Mom that everything was fine and went to look for Sam. She had already managed to drink herself into complete oblivion. Meanwhile, the guys decided to organize a race on the water — to swim to the other shore. Colin was among the participants.

“You’re drunk! The current is strong — don’t swim!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying to drown out the roar of the crowd and the surf, but Colin seemed not to hear me at all. He just waved me off as if I were ruining his fun and, smirking, began flailing his arms, egging the crowd on. His movements were unsteady, his eyes gleamed with alcohol, and there was a sense of sheer recklessness in everything he did.

Two others were standing beside him. One could barely stay on his feet. The other — Greg Hesley — didn’t just seem drunk. His pupils were dilated, his face gaunt and oddly detached. He giggled to himself and swayed from side to side, as if the ground beneath him were unstable. It looked as though he didn’t even understand where he was. It was terrifying.

I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and began whispering silently to myself:

“Please let everything be okay. Please. Let everything be okay…”

The crowd around them buzzed with excitement — some people were placing bets, others were already filming on their phones. A shot rang out — someone fired a starter pistol — and the race began. The guys charged into the water, diving headfirst into the icy waves. Their bodies flashed between sprays of water and sunlit reflections on the surface. The people on the shore went wild — shouting, whistling, clapping.

The minutes stretched on like an eternity. I stood there, unable to tear my eyes away from the water, my heart pounding in my chest as if it were about to burst. After a few minutes, the first swimmer reached the opposite shore and, stumbling, threw his arms up in celebration. Colin came in second — he was breathing hard but smiling, pleased with himself. I let out a breath of relief. He made it. Everything was fine.

But where was the third one?

Panic surged through me as I started looking around, searching for Greg. Nowhere. Water, waves, noise, people — but Greg was gone.

Then, from the crowd, a desperate scream rang out:

“Over there! Over there! It’s Greg! Look!”

I whipped my gaze in that direction and froze. In the distance, slightly off to the side of the main swim route, I saw something — his body. The current was dragging him away, fast and merciless. He was lying on his back, arms spread wide. His head lolled weakly on the waves, and, most terrifying of all — he wasn’t moving.

“He’s not moving!” someone screamed, hysteria in their voice.

Everyone froze. It was as if the entire crowd stopped breathing. The loud cheers and laughter instantly shifted into panic, confusion, and terror. People rushed to the shore — some were already dialing emergency services, others started stripping off their clothes, getting ready to swim out to him. I watched as his body drifted farther away, and something icy clenched inside me.

What had started as a silly evening of fun and bravado had suddenly turned into an absolute nightmare.

“He’s dead!” I screamed. “Someone help him, hurry!”

The guys immediately rushed into the water — two of them heading straight for the waves, and one jumping into a small boat, speeding toward the spot where the current was pulling Greg. Everything around us fell eerily silent. Only the sound of the waves and their heavy breathing filled the air. The laughter and shouting of the crowd seemed to evaporate, replaced by a thick, suffocating silence filled with anxiety. Everyone stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening. Fear spread across faces like a wave — one to another, in a chilling, silent exchange.

“Call an ambulance! Immediately!” a piercing voice rang out from the depths of the crowd.

When they pulled him ashore, everything turned black and white. His body was lifeless, his skin pale, almost bluish. His head was bruised — a thin stream of blood trickled down his temple, leaving ominous red stains on the sand.

“He probably… choked,” I whispered, not recognizing my own voice.

I dropped to my knees beside him and, despite my legs buckling with fear, began chest compressions. One, two, three. More. More. But he didn’t respond. His chest remained motionless, as if it had all been over for a long time.

“I’ll check his pulse,” I said almost automatically, pressing my fingers to his cold, damp neck. Silence. Not a beat, not a faint throb. I rushed to the wrist — nothing.

“Anyone who can’t stand it — leave! Now is not the time to panic!” I shouted, turning to the others. Some turned away, some burst into tears, one girl fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands.

And then, in the distance, a siren howled. Hope — a fleeting, fragile thing — flickered in the eyes of those around us.

“Hang in there, man, the ambulance is almost here,” said a young man standing next to me, his voice trembling.

“It’s too late…” I whispered, feeling everything inside me constrict.

His face remained motionless. No breath, not the slightest movement. Just a lifeless body on the cold sand.

Around us, chaos slowly began to unfold — some were running back and forth, some were on their phones, others just stood there, wrapping their arms around themselves. A few minutes later, the ambulance and police arrived. The flashing lights of the sirens illuminated the beach, as if sobering everyone with their cold, harsh glow. It was like the final chord of this wild scene.

And suddenly, it became painfully clear — summer, fun, carefreeness… it was all over.

Ten years ago…

“Aria, you coming out?” Ian peeked out from behind the car door, squinting at me.

I jumped, snapping out of my thoughts as though someone had snapped their fingers right in front of my face.

“What? Oh, Ian… yeah…” I muttered, losing touch with reality for a moment.

“Alright, spill it,” he narrowed his eyes, and I felt like his gaze was literally burning through me. “What’s going on?”

I lowered my gaze, hiding my thoughts deep inside.

“I was just thinking… about the future.”

“About what, exactly?” Ian’s voice softened, but it only made the question sound even more probing, as if he were looking straight into my soul.

I sighed and shook my head.

“Just… everything, I guess… Honestly, it’s nothing. Everything’s fine,” I forced out weakly, and to steer him away from digging deeper, I kissed the corner of his mouth — lightly, almost like an apology.

He stared at me a little longer than necessary, as if reading something in my gaze.

“Alright,” he finally said, “but we’re coming back to this. You know I won’t just let it go.”

“Fine,” I smiled, trying to make it look sincere, but inside I felt uneasy.

Meanwhile, the guys had started building the fire — the flames slowly came to life, scattering golden reflections across their faces. The air smelled of smoke, wood, and sea breeze. Kate and I focused on making everything cozy: laying out blankets, setting up thermoses, arranging snacks, and hanging lanterns on the branches of the small trees lining the beach.

“This… it’s Darina,” Blaine suddenly said, nodding toward the path leading from the parking lot.

---

I squinted, trying to make out the approaching figures. A tall girl in a tight black dress — yep, that was definitely her. No doubt about it. And beside her…

“Shit,” Ian cursed under his breath. “Wait… is that Toby with her?”

“It looks like it,” Kate added, her voice measured, but there was a spark of irritation in it.

For a moment, the entire atmosphere seemed to shrink, as though the fire had suddenly stopped giving warmth. We all silently watched the approaching pair, and tension hung in the air — like someone had just pulled the pin from a grenade.

They reached us. Darina kissed Ian on the cheek, and Toby walked up to Blaine.

“Aria, meet my best friend Toby,” Blaine cheerfully introduced him. We shook hands. Ian came up to me, hugged me, and kissed me on the forehead. Darina’s smile immediately disappeared.

“If you want, stay with us,” Kate offered.

Our sharp gazes turned to her. She instantly realized she’d said too much.

“We’ll stay,” Darina said, sitting down on a blanket.

“Aria, you’re going to be in our class, right?” Toby suddenly changed the subject, looking at me a little too long, with that same half-smiling expression that always made me uneasy.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Blaine cut me off:

“Yeah,” he said confidently, maybe too confidently, as if putting an end to the conversation before it even started.

“Wait, Blaine, this is…” Toby began, looking at him in confusion. He didn’t finish his sentence, but the tone of his voice clearly asked, “Are you, like, taking responsibility for her now?”

Blaine shot me a quick look, one that carried a silent warning — don’t say anything — then immediately turned his gaze back to Toby, as if some invisible current had passed between them.

“Who wants some skewers?” Blaine suddenly perked up, standing up and clapping his hands. “Let’s go make some! Fresh air, fire, meat — that’s what we need right now.”

He didn’t give Toby the slightest chance to steer the conversation back. And as everyone reluctantly started getting up and exchanging glances, I felt Blaine’s hand linger for just a moment on my back — almost weightless, but enough for me to know: he could feel something was off. Or maybe he just didn’t want that conversation to happen.

They went off to cook the skewers. Ian was talking to Darina about something, and I decided to sit down on the sand by the sea, lost in thought about that strange incident with Greg. It all felt so… strange…

Two text messages came through. One from my mom, letting me know she was doing fine and wishing us a good time. The next message — again from an unknown number.

“I know you read my message, baby. I miss you… and I’ll find you.”

The world froze for a second. Everything around me — the sound of the waves, the chatter by the fire, the smell of smoke — vanished. There was only the screen, pulsing with that line, and the chilling cold that ran down my spine.

Oh God. He’s writing again.

My hand instinctively tightened, my fingers turning white with tension. I wanted to throw the phone into the water, delete everything, run, hide. I read the message again — and my heart skipped a beat, then pounded violently in my chest, as if it wanted to leap out.

“I’ll find you.”

Where is he? How did he get my new number? Who told him where I was?

Panic surged up my throat like a salty wave. I stood up and, without looking back, started walking along the shore. The wet sand bounced beneath my feet, mist drifting above the water. But inside, everything was burning. I could feel the fear slowly, but steadily, creeping in — its cold fingers tightening around my thoughts.

I need to get rid of this. I need to do it now.

Him.

The fear.

The past, which apparently has no intention of letting me go.

“Hey, Aria!” Blaine’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I jolted. He jogged up to me, out of breath, with a concerned look in his eyes. Apparently, I had wandered too far from the fire and the group, not even noticing how I’d gotten lost in my own head.

“What?” I exhaled, glancing back. A sudden, uneasy feeling hit me, like I’d been caught off guard.

“What’s going on with you?” He stepped closer. “You just disappeared. Everyone started freaking out. Ian thought you went to get water, Kate was running around the beach. Aria, you scared us.”

“I… I can’t…” I turned my gaze away, hiding my trembling hands in my pockets. “Not now, Blaine. Please.”

He was silent for a moment, looking at me intently, then gently placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned in slightly.

“Is it because of Darina…?” he asked quietly. “If you want, I can tell her to leave right now. I’ll do it, don’t doubt me for a second.”

I shook my head, looking up at the darkening sky where stars were beginning to twinkle.

“No, it’s not her,” I whispered. My voice trembled, even though I tried to steady it. “It’s much more complicated than you think.”

Blaine was quiet for a while, then sat next to me, and we both lowered ourselves onto a bench hidden in the shade of the coastal trees. He didn’t ask questions right away, just stayed close — and that was enough for me to feel that I had someone to lean on.

“Blaine, it’s… it’s too personal,” I said, looking at my hands. “Thank you, really. But I’m not ready to talk about it. Not now.”

He gave a small smile, warm and just a little teasing:

“Alright. I won’t push. But know this, I’m always here. When you’re ready, tell me your ‘lead role’ in any drama. I love a good story, especially when you’re the main character.”

I couldn’t help it — I snorted through my tears, wiped my eyes, and gave a crooked smile.

“Asshole,” I muttered, but there was warmth in my voice.

He hugged me tighter, and for a second, it felt like the world around us had quieted just a little. Just a little bit safer.

We walked along the shore. The waves gently whispered against the sand, and in the distance, the campfire lights flickered. With every step, it became clearer: the others really had been looking for us. Blaine hadn’t exaggerated — they all wore it on their faces in big, bold letters: anxiety, confusion, relief.

Ian was the first to run up to me, almost not believing his own eyes.

“Aria, where were you?” His voice trembled with a mix of anger and concern. “You were crying? And… why were you with my brother?”

I hesitated for a moment, but I tried to speak calmly, not letting my racing heart give me away.

“I just… went too far. Got lost in thought. Got caught up in my head,” I cast a quick glance at Blaine. “He helped me get back. It’s fine, really.”

I walked up to Ian and kissed him gently on the cheek — as if that could somehow erase all the worry.

“I was worried about you,” he said softly, pulling me into a tight hug, almost desperately. “I love you, Aria.”

And in that moment, there wasn’t the slightest hint of doubt in his voice.

The skewers turned out perfectly: the smoky aroma, the warmth of the fire, and the endless jokes created the feeling of a perfect evening. Everyone ate their fill, and some even settled down on the soft blankets, squinting sleepily at the setting sun. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed how Darina was desperately trying to flirt with Ian — her exaggerated laughter and bold glances were almost cartoonish. But the funniest part was that Ian didn’t even bat an eye. Watching it was fun for exactly five seconds — then I got bored.

I decided to take matters into my own hands:

“Ian, let’s go, I need to talk to you about something,” I said, confidently taking his hand and pulling him away from the ridiculous scene.

He followed me without question.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, looking me in the eyes.

“Nothing. I just wanted to steal you for a minute,” I admitted, feeling my voice tremble.

He smirked, but then immediately grew serious.

“I wanted to be with you too…” he said, his voice softening. “But Darina… We were just discussing the trip payment. I’m sorry, Aria. I don’t want to call her on purpose, it’s quick. Give me thirty minutes — and the rest of the evening will be ours. I promise. I love you.”

His words should’ve calmed me. But inside, everything boiled over.

“Never call me baby again! Got it? Go to your Darina! Damn all of you!” I blurted out, struggling to hold back the tears.

“Aria, you misunderstood…”

“Don’t come near me!” I cut him off, my voice low but firm.

Ian froze for a second… then simply turned and walked away, not looking back.

I stood there for a few moments, unable to move. Inside, the hurt was a storm, but I forced myself to look like I had everything under control. I walked over to Kate, and calmly said,

“I need to go home.”

She hugged me with concern.

“Call me when you get there, okay?”

“Of course,” I answered, trying to smile.

I walked toward the road, clutching my phone in my hands like it was my lifeline. I raised my arm, trying to flag down passing cars, not really expecting any success.

And then — that familiar voice behind me:

“Everything okay?” It was so gentle that for a moment, I lost the ability to speak.

“Everything’s fine. Blaine, go away.”

“Why didn’t you ask me for a ride?”

“Blaine, stop following me. You always show up at the right moment, and it pisses me off. Just leave me alone.”

A black car slowly pulled up to me, emerging from the night’s shadow like a predator. The window rolled down, and a slimy voice came from the dark cabin:

“Need a lift, pretty lady?” he drawled, stretching the words in a way that made my skin crawl.

I opened my mouth to shut him down with a sharp reply, but I was beat to it by another voice — confident, calm, and dangerously cool:

“Leave. Or I’ll break your arm.”

Blaine appeared next to me so quickly it was as if he’d materialized out of thin air.

The driver slammed the window shut instantly, and without a word, sped off with a screech of tires, leaving behind the smell of burning rubber and cheap fear.

“Blaine!” I shouted, trying to outshout the noise of the road.

He lazily leaned against the roof of his car, grinning, and asked:

“So, are you taking a ride, or are you planning to stand here like a monument?”

“Why do you always save me?” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“Maybe because I like you. Or maybe because you’re always getting into trouble. Pick which version you like better,” he winked.

I froze for a second —his answer threw me off.

“What about the others? Who’s going to pick them up?”

“Toby can handle it. He actually loves being Driver of the Year,” Blaine scoffed.

Realizing I had no other choice, and with only a miserable 4% left on my phone, I silently climbed into the car.

“You drive me crazy,” I grumbled, buckling my seatbelt.

“Anything for you,” he grinned widely.

Halfway there, Blaine handed me his phone:

“Read the last message. Loudly.”

I started reading, but halfway through, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.

“What’s going on there?” he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

I took Blaine’s phone, opened the message, and as soon as I started reading, I couldn’t help but smile: “Dear Blaine, go fuck yourself with three great big stars. You’re a moral monster, don’t ever call me again, not even when you’re drunk. Asshole!!! (P.S. Stella).”

Blaine laughed, not even trying to hide his amusement.

“You broke her heart,” I shook my head, smirking.

“She put it there herself,” he snorted, glancing at me for a split second. His eyes lingered on my face just a little longer than necessary.

A strange silence fell over the car. Something shifted in the air — something subtle, a bit dangerous. For a moment, I thought if I leaned in, I could give him a quick peck on the cheek. A light, nonchalant gesture. Just a “thank you” for saving me.

I even leaned forward slightly…

But at the last moment, I stopped. I remembered the one waiting for me at home. The fact that I wasn’t exactly free. The fact that with Blaine — it was forbidden territory.

He understood without words. A small, almost imperceptible smirk curved his lips, but he didn’t say anything. He just parked the car in front of my house.

“Thanks for everything,” I said softly, hurriedly unbuckling my seatbelt.

I still leaned in quickly and kissed his cheek — too fast for anything to be taken seriously, but just enough for my heart to give a heavy thud in my chest.

“Good night,” I whispered and jumped out of the car, as though the air inside it had suddenly become too thick to breathe.

At home, everything felt cozy. But that warmth didn’t bring the usual comfort.

“Hey, Mom, Dad!” I called, shutting the door behind me.

“Hey! How was your trip?” I heard Mom’s voice from the kitchen.

“Good! How about you guys?”

“Yeah… not bad.”

“Aria,” Dad interrupted, “school tomorrow, first day. Are you ready?”

“Almost,” I nodded, slipping off my sneakers as I headed to my room.

I changed into my favorite loungewear — loose pants and an old gray T-shirt — and collapsed onto the bed. My parents had gone to the store, leaving me to enjoy the silence.

Then, suddenly, the doorbell rang.

I reluctantly got up. Who could it be now? If it’s Ian, I swear I’ll hit him.

Sighing, I walked over to the door, opened it — and there he was.

“Blaine?” I asked, not hiding my surprise.

“Glad you still remember my name,” he smirked, handing me a suitcase. “Here.”

Right! I’d completely forgotten about my things.

“Thanks… Are the others back yet?” I asked, taking the suitcase from him.

Blaine looked away, his gaze shifting off to the side. He was leaving something unsaid.

“Blaine?” I asked, my suspicion rising.

“Everyone’s home except…” He hesitated.

“Except who?” I tensed.

“Darina and Ian,” he finally said.

I exhaled deeply, clenching my fingers into a fist.

“See you tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at 7:30,” Blaine said shortly, stepping back and waving his hand.

“Wait, what for?” I asked, suddenly wary.

“The first day of school promises to be full of surprises,” he called over his shoulder with a grin and walked away.

I watched him with a suspicious gaze as he walked away.

What did he mean by that? The Walkers were definitely up to no good. Morning runs had become my escape. In those few minutes, I could process everything happening around me and get my thoughts in order. Afterward, I came home, greeted my parents who were chatting animatedly at the kitchen table, and quickly headed to the shower.