Miss. Valentine

~12~

Blakes POV

It's been a few weeks since everything fell apart between Aurora and me. I can't shake the ache in my chest, the constant reminder of what we could have had if things weren't so complicated. Every memory of her sends a pang of longing through me, each moment we shared replaying in my mind like a cruel taunt.

I never meant for things to get so tangled between us. One minute, she was just my teacher, someone I admired from afar. But then, something shifted, and suddenly she was so much more. She became the reason I looked forward to going to class, the one person who could brighten even the darkest of days with just a smile.

But now, all of that feels like a distant dream, shattered by the harsh reality of our situation. Aurora made it clear that we couldn't be anything more than teacher and student, that our connection was too risky, too forbidden. And try as I might, I can't seem to accept it.

Every time I see her, it's like a knife to the heart, a reminder of everything I've lost. I want to reach out to her, to tell her how much she means to me, but I know it's futile. She made her choice, and I have to respect it, no matter how much it hurts.

Amari has noticed that something's wrong, I can tell. She keeps asking if I'm okay and if there's anything she can do to help. But I can't bring myself to tell her the truth, to admit that it's because of Aurora. I'm afraid of what she'll think, of how she'll react if she knew the truth.

So instead, I've been avoiding her, shutting myself off from the one person who still cares about me. It's not fair to her, I know, but I can't bear to burden her with my pain. I have to figure this out on my own, find a way to move on from Aurora and all the tangled emotions she's stirred up within me.

But as the days drag on, it feels like I'm sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss, the weight of my heartache dragging me down. I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending that everything's okay, that I'm fine when in reality, I'm anything but.

The days stretch on, each one feeling heavier than the last as I grapple with the weight of my emotions. I try to distract myself with schoolwork and other activities, but no matter how hard I try, thoughts of Aurora always find a way to creep back into my mind.

I find myself replaying our last conversation over and over again, dissecting every word she said, searching for some hidden meaning, some sign that maybe she still cares about me as much as I care about her. But deep down, I know it's hopeless. She made it clear that we can't be together, that we have to keep our distance for both our sakes.

Just as I had been able to get comfortable in my bed, my phone dinged. I picked up to reveal a message from Aurora. "Can you meet me at the tree? We need to talk."

I wanted to ignore her, and just go to sleep. But my subconscious wouldn't let me. So I quietly got out of bed careful to not wake Amari put on my slides and headed out to the tree. I walked over slowly, to see Aurora already sitting her, clearly anxious and picking at her nails.

I sat down next to her, farther than I usually would, "you said we need to talk?"

Aurora took a deep breath, steeling herself for the difficult conversation that lay ahead.

"Blake, I'm so sorry," she began, her voice soft with sincerity. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I was scared, but that's no excuse for the way I treated you. You didn't deserve that, and I hope you can forgive me."

Her words hung in the air between us, heavy with regret and longing. I wanted to believe her, to forgive her, but the wounds she had inflicted ran deep, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to let go of the hurt just yet.