He sighed, rolling his eyes but smirking, anyway.
As we started walking toward the gate, I glanced at him. “You know… It’s kinda weird.”
He groaned. “Don’t start with your sentimental shit, Lockhart.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “If we hadn’t shown up here at the same time when we were kids, we never would’ve met. You’d still be some uptight little heir who thinks he’s better than everyone.”
“And you’d still be a loner who kicks footballs at innocent girls,” he shot back.
“Touché.”
He laughed under his breath, shaking his head. “Ten years,” he said quietly. “Ten fucking years since we met. At a graveyard. That’s depressing as hell.”
“Yeah,” I said. “But it suits us.”
He chuckled, unlocking his car. “Let’s meet at the usual place. I’ll book a table.”
“Alright,” I said, heading toward my bike.
“Try not to crash,” he called.
I flipped him off. “Wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”
He smirked, sliding into his car. “See you there, freak.”
I started the engine, shaking my head but smiling. “See you, bastard.”
—
Alex and I sat across from each other at our usual table, the one by the window. He’d already loosened his tie and was scrolling through his phone, while I was just quietly eating.
“Alright,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. “What’d you talk to your mum about?”
I blinked up at him. “What?”
He smirked. “Don’t look at me like that. I know your crazy ass talks to the fucking grave.”
I scoffed, stabbing a piece of chicken. “You’re one to talk.”
“Yeah, but I don’t whisper life updates to mine like I’m on a fucking podcast.”
I gave him a glare. “Aurora,” I muttered finally.
He looked up. “Aurora?”
“Yeah.”
“As inAuroraAurora?” he said, leaning back in his chair. “The girl I told you to leave the fuck alone after you hurt her?”
I rolled my eyes. “You make it sound like I ran her over.”
“You might as well have.”
I set my fork down, sighing. “You know it was an accident, Alex. You know that. I didn’t mean to do any of it. I just—” I rubbed the back of my neck, staring down at my plate. “I didn’t know how to love her properly.”
He froze.
Then, slow, smug disbelief spread across his face.
