“I never sent you a hug, Fallon. That was all him.” He laughed then, running his fingers through his hair. “I think my brother has liked you from day one, but he backed off because I claimed you the second I saw you that first day of school.”
I was surprised to hear that confession. For multiple reasons. The hug was from Ariyon? Ayden must have been confused about him liking me from day one, Ariyon hated me the first day.
“You claimed me?” I gave him a mock glare.
He nodded, his gaze smoldering. “You’re the most beautiful girl in school. You’re not pretentious, you do your own thing, and your laugh makes my stomach flip over. Itotallycalled dibs.”
I saw you first.It made sense now. No, no way, this couldn’t be. My mind spun as I tried to keep the focus on Ayden and myself.
“Calling me the most beautiful girl in school is not making this easy!” I scolded him and he smiled.
Leaning into me, careful not to touch any exposed flesh, he stared at me seriously. “We have to stay friends, Fallon. I would be devastated if you didn’t want to hang anymore.”
“Of course we will!” I agreed, relief spreading through me that he wanted to remain close friends. Ayden was one of my best friends and maybe that’s all we were ever supposed to be, otherwise the Light would have made him able to touch me and not his brother. “And you’re wrong about Ariyon liking me from day one. He hated me. That’s a fact.”
Ayden sighed. “My brother is complex. I think he hated that he liked you. There’s a difference.”
It was a little weird to be talking about Ariyon possibly liking me in front of his brother after we’d just broken up.
He turned to me then. “If anything happens with you and Ariyon after today, I’m okay with it. I just want you to be happy.”
That caused my eyebrows to rise. “Okay…well if anything happens with you and Eden after today, I’m okay with it too.”
He looked shocked at that and gave me a knowing grin. “Okay.”
“Whatever happens. We are friends for life,” I declared.
“Promise?” he asked.
I stuck out my gloved pinky, bringing the childhood gesture back to life, and he smiled, hooking his in mine.
“Promise,” I agreed.
He sighed then, looking at my lips. “In another life I could have loved you so hard, Fallon.”
Tears welled in my eyes at that, but I blinked them back. My heart was so full in this moment. “Same.”
Because could you really love someone long-term withoutanyphysical relationship? Maybe for a while. But eventually, a hug, a kiss, a brush of the cheek, it deepened the love, or so my father told me.
“Will you be able to meet us at the dance?” he asked wistfully.
“I’ll try. I just need a bit,” I said, giving him a genuine smile.
My heart hurt, but I also felt relieved. It was an odd cluster of emotions to have together.
“Want me to sit with you and wait?”
I shook my head. “I think I’d like to be alone and mope about my life for a bit.”
He gave me a sad smile at that before getting up to leave and tossing me one more longing look.
I offered a half smile and a wave and then he took off, heading for the extravagant entrance to the dance across the street.
In another life I could have loved you so hard.It was a sweet thing to say, but I wanted to be loved in this life.
Standing up, I slipped into the open gates of The Academy, not wanting to be seen by any other students right now as they all filed into the mansion across the street. The beautiful music could be heard faintly in the courtyard at school. My skin still hurt, and since I was alone, I pulled off my hooded jacket that had gotten torn and let my arms breathe but kept my gloves on.
“You’re in the wrong place.” Master Clarke’s voice came from behind me, and I turned to face him.
