Falling Into Oblivion

Chapter 38

Aiden's expression changes instantly. His brow furrows, and the concern in his eyes deepens. "You broke up with Soren?"

I nod, staring at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. "Earlier today. We didn't say anything to anyone, though."

There's a long pause, the air between us heavy with the weight of my confession. I feel the silence pressing in, suffocating me, but I can't bring myself to say anything more. My throat is tight, and my thoughts are swirling in too many directions to make sense of any of them.

Aiden's voice is quiet when he finally speaks. "Why?"

It's such a simple question, but it cuts through me like a knife. Why did I break up with Soren? Because I couldn't keep pretending that we were okay? Because I felt like a stranger in my own skin every time I was with him? Because the only thing I've been thinking about for weeks is how I wish it were Aiden I was with, not him?

But I can't say any of that. Not to Aiden. Not now.

"Things just weren't working," I say instead, my voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't keep lying to him. Or to myself."

He's watching me closely, his eyes searching mine like he's trying to find the truth I'm hiding. For a moment, I wonder if he already knows. If he can see it, written in every careful word I say, every glance I've stolen when I thought he wasn't looking.

"Are you okay?" Aiden asks after a long pause, his voice soft.

That question—that's the one that undoes me. I'm not okay. I haven't been okay in a long time. But admitting that to him feels impossible. I've spent so much time pretending that I'm fine, that everything is under control, that I can't even imagine what it would feel like to be honest about it.

"I will be," I say finally, and even I can hear how unconvincing it sounds.

Aiden steps closer, and for a split second, I think he might reach out to touch me, to pull me into one of those warm, comforting hugs that make everything feel bearable. But he stops himself, his hand hovering for a moment before falling back to his side. The restraint in that gesture feels almost painful.

"I'm sorry," he says softly, and I can hear the sincerity in his voice. "I didn't know things were that bad."

"It's okay," I reply quickly, shaking my head. "It's... it's just life, I guess. Sometimes things fall apart."

He frowns slightly, like he wants to argue, but he doesn't. Instead, he just looks at me, really looks at me, and the intensity of his gaze is almost too much to bear.

Aiden opens his mouth like he's about to say something else, but before he can, the door to the apartment swings open, and Amina walks out, her laughter filling the room. She pauses when she sees us standing so close, her eyes flicking between Aiden and me with a hint of curiosity.

"Hey, what's going on out here?" she asks lightly, a smile playing at her lips as she crosses the balcony to Aiden, slipping her arm through his. Aiden tenses slightly but doesn't pull away.

"Just talking," Aiden says, his tone casual, though there's a flicker of something else in his expression—something he quickly hides.

Amina glances at me, her smile still in place, but I can see the question in her eyes. I force myself to smile back, even though my heart feels like it's shattering into pieces.

"We were just catching up," I say, my voice sounding far too bright, too forced. "I needed some air."

Amina's gaze lingers on me for a moment longer before she turns her attention back to Aiden, her fingers gently tracing patterns on his arm. "Well, come inside before you freeze, babe," she says, laughing softly. "Kai and Belle are trying to figure out what to do next, and I think they're about five minutes away from starting a karaoke battle."