REMINISCENT

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: He returns (FINAL EDIT)

Aiden's POV

Therapy was done. I'd learnt so much—different illnesses, what causes them, and how people cope in their own ways. Frankly, I thought there should be more programs out there to spread mental health awareness.

"That was interesting," I said to Cole as we walked out together.

"Yeah," he nodded, his voice lower than before. "It gets... interesting. Sometimes difficult. So difficult you don't want to come back. But you know what? You show up. You manage. You fight."

His energy was dimmed now, a shadow of the cheerfulness he showed when we first met. It hit me—depression isn't always visible.

"Oh..." I murmured, unsure what to add. "Well, I need answers, so I just have to come back."

"You definitely should." He didn't even bother to fake a smile. "That's my ride home. Need one?" He pointed to his car.

"Nah, my brother's picking me up. Thanks anyway." I gave a quick wave.

Cole left, and a few minutes later Jake's car pulled up. When I got in, he looked lost in thought, his fingers drumming faintly against the steering wheel.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey. How was it?" He glanced at me with a grin that felt almost forced.

I shrugged. "Only just started, but it was good. What's up with you?"

"Nothing. Why?" His eyes stayed fixed on the road, but I knew him too well to believe that.

"You seem distracted. And you still haven't told me why you ghosted me, only to suddenly show back up—offering to drive me from therapy, no less." I raised a brow.

He chuckled. "Bro, you're reading way too deep into things."

"Yeah, right." My eyes dropped to his hand—wrapped in a fresh bandage. "How'd you get that, anyway?"

"I—"

"Don't lie." I cut him off before he could spin something. "Let me remind you—I know you better than you think."

He sighed, the weight of it heavy. "I did something I'll regret for a long time. But it was for a good cause."

My stomach twisted. "Which is...?"

"I can't tell you."

I scoffed. "What? Since when do you hide things from me? Is this about Ashley again?" Irritation rose in my chest. It was always Ashley.

His jaw clenched. "No."

"Then why are you getting angry?" I snapped, my patience thinning. "You're the one who got yourself into this mess. Why should I have to suffer the consequences? Oh, wait—that's what you always do. But now it's about a girl? You've got to be kidding me." I laughed bitterly, more hurt than I wanted to admit.

He pulled the car to a hard stop at the curb, his voice sharp. "First of all, nothing I'm doing is for my benefit. I've got a lot going on while trying to figure out shit. So don't give me a fucking lecture on things you know nothing about."

"Then why not just tell me, huh?"

"Because I'll tell you when it's time." His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "You know I never do or say things without a proper reason. So please—get off my fucking back." His tone was sharp, but his eyes flicked to me, almost pleading from the corner of his gaze.

I folded my arms, shaking my head. "You blurt things out without thinking all the time, so what the hell are you on about?"

The silence that followed was thick, vibrating between us like a storm waiting to break