End Game

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Aurora

I glance at Callie, sprawled out on my bed with her laptop, scrolling aimlessly through notes for our business class. My laptop sits in front of me on my desk, but I'm not focused. The fairy lights above my bed bathes the room in a soft, warm light, and the air feels heavy with the scent of my lavender candle. I fiddle with a pen between my fingers, staring at my notebook, half-listening to the soft indie playlist we'd put on earlier.

"So," Callie starts, breaking the silence, "you never told me how things went with William after... you know, you didn't show up for Thanksgiving."

I bite my lip, glancing up at her. "Yeah, we eventually talked it out. I mean, it wasn't easy, but we're good now. He's making it up to me by visiting this weekend."

Callie raises an eyebrow, closes her laptop, and sits up. "Ooooh. Does that mean I get to meet him?"

"Yes, of course."

Callie grins. "So what's the plan when he visits? Movie nights, fancy dinners, or just a weekend of being disgustingly cute?"

"Maybe all of the above," I say with a laugh. "But really, I just want to hang out with him. Low key type stuff. And, of course, a double date with you guys one night. I look forward to spending the weekend with him without worrying about anything else."

"Honestly, after that Thanksgiving mess with you two, I wasn't sure if you'd fix things so quickly."

I sigh, leaning back in my chair and running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, it was a whole thing. But... I don't know; he wanted me to open up more and be honest about my feelings. And I realized I'd been shutting him out lately because I was scared of how he'd react to this new version of me."

Callie leans forward, intrigued. "So, he wasn't, like, mad mad?"

"Oh, he was mad," I say, laughing a little. "He just... he felt hurt, I guess. He thought I didn't trust him enough to tell him what was happening in my head. I can't believe I questioned my relationship with William for a second. Especially after that whole thing with Nate," I roll my eyes at the mention of Nate's name, still feeling a twist of frustration in my chest. "It made me realize how lucky I am to have someone like William I can always trust."

Callie groans, sitting up straighter. "I still can't believe what he pulled."

"I'm still mad at myself for even trusting him. I should've seen it coming—he's always messing with me."

"Samuel thinks Nate messes with you because he likes you but can't have you."

"I beg to differ. Have you seen Isla? She's gorgeous."

"So are you."

"I should've known Nate was the kind of guy who plays girls," I say. "It annoys me how he put me in that awkward situation. And bam, Isla showed up out of nowhere and was rude to me. Did you know he messaged her the day before to tell her about his foster brother but then ghosted her?"

Callie's face twists in disgust. "You're not the one who should be mad at yourself, Aurora. He manipulated the situation—and, oh my god, Isla. Don't even get me started. That girl is like a storm—Samuel's told me countless stories about how toxic she and Nate are together and how something blows up every time she shows up in Nate's life."

I nod, sinking deeper into my chair as the memory of that night replays in my mind. I spent hours helping Nate prep dinner, thinking it was an excellent way to connect with him and bond as friends. And then, Isla barged in, insinuating I was trying to steal him from her and acting like a royal bitch. I didn't even know Nate's romantic situation, nor did I care.