From the Sidelines to Center Stage

Unspoken Past

The house was quiet, with only the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the floorboards to break the silence. It was late, and after the exhausting day at the beach, Nadia had spent most of the evening in her room, reflecting on everything that had happened. Isla had gone to bed early, and now, it seemed like the house was settling into the stillness of night.

Nadia couldn't sleep. Her mind was too restless, still thinking about the near-accident, the way Aiden had shown up out of nowhere to help, and the fleeting moments of conversation they'd shared earlier. She decided to head downstairs for some water, hoping it might calm her nerves.

As she stepped into the dimly lit living room, she was surprised to find Aiden sitting by the window, the moonlight casting soft shadows across his face. He was quiet, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, his tall frame relaxed against the chair. For a moment, Nadia hesitated, wondering if she should just slip back upstairs. But then Aiden glanced up and noticed her, giving a slight nod.

"You're still awake?" he asked, his voice quiet, almost as if he didn't want to disturb the calm of the night.

"Yeah," Nadia replied, walking over to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. "Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

Aiden shrugged. "Same."

She lingered for a moment, unsure if she should sit down or just go back upstairs. But there was something about the atmosphere, the stillness of the night, that made her feel like this was a moment where they could talk more freely than they had before. So, she sat on the couch nearby, placing her glass on the table.

"Long day, huh?" Nadia said, trying to ease into the conversation.

Aiden smirked slightly, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "You could say that."

There was a beat of silence before Nadia decided to bring up what had been on her mind since earlier. "I didn't know you played cricket," she said, keeping her tone light but curious. "Isla mentioned something about you being into sports, but she didn't say much more."

Aiden's posture shifted slightly, as if he had expected the topic to come up. He leaned back, his gaze distant as he looked out the window. "Yeah, I used to."

The way he said it, short and clipped, told Nadia there was more to the story. She wasn't sure if she should press, but something in her made her want to understand more about him. "Do you miss it?" she asked softly.

Aiden paused, his eyes dark and thoughtful as he considered the question. "Sometimes," he admitted, his voice quieter than before. "It was a big part of my life for a while. My dad was... really into it. He used to take me to matches when I was younger. It was kind of our thing."

Nadia could sense the weight behind his words, the way his past seemed to press down on him even as he tried to sound casual. "Do you ever think about playing again?"

Aiden let out a small breath, almost like a laugh but without the humor. "It's not that simple," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Life just... moved in a different direction."

There was a moment of quiet between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Nadia could feel the depth of Aiden's unspoken thoughts, the way his eyes, usually so reserved, seemed to speak louder than his words. It was clear to her now that cricket wasn't just a sport for him—it was tied to memories, to family, to something he hadn't yet fully shared.

She didn't push further, knowing instinctively that Aiden wasn't ready to dive deeper into that part of his life. But she did offer a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, if you ever feel like watching a match, I'm always game. Cricket's kind of a big deal for me too."

Aiden glanced at her then, his eyes meeting hers with a flicker of surprise, followed by something softer. "I'll keep that in mind."

It wasn't much, but it felt like a small step—a bridge between their guarded conversations and something more. As the night continued its quiet passage, Nadia found herself thinking about Aiden's reserved nature, the stories he carried but didn't share. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling she would be seeing more of him in the days to come, and maybe, just maybe, he'd start letting her in.

For now, though, the night was enough.

With a soft goodnight, Nadia headed back upstairs, her mind a little clearer and her heart a little lighter.