Inevitably Me

Chapter 9: Shifting Tides

Aiden was back.

Allora spotted him the moment she walked into school. He stood by the lockers, his tall frame leaning against the wall, his gaze distant as if he wasn't really there at all. She hadn't seen him in over a week, and the last text she'd sent him was still unanswered. Now that he was back, her first instinct was to run up and ask if he was okay, to find out what had been going on. But something stopped her.

He looked... different. Not physically—he was still the same Aiden she knew, with his dark hair falling over his eyes and that quiet, brooding look that had drawn her in from the start—but there was something about the way he held himself that felt off. A certain standoffishness, like he was keeping everyone at arm's length.

Before she could make up her mind on what to do, Sierra appeared beside her, nudging her with her elbow. "He's back," she whispered, glancing over at Aiden.

"Yeah," Allora said, her voice softer than she intended. "But something's off."

Sierra nodded, her face clouded with concern. "I noticed. He's not talking to anyone. Not even Alistair."

That was odd. Aiden and Alistair were close—closer than Allora had ever been with Aiden. If Aiden wasn't even talking to him, then something must have happened while he was gone.

Sierra gave her a sidelong glance. "Are you going to talk to him?"

Allora hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe later."

"Later might be too late," Sierra said, her tone unusually serious. "He looks like he's pulling away."

Allora felt the knot in her stomach tighten. She hated the thought of Aiden slipping further into whatever dark place he was in. But before she could respond, the bell rang, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"See you at lunch," Sierra said, giving her a quick wave before heading toward her own class.

As Allora made her way to literature class, she couldn't help but glance back at Aiden. He hadn't moved, still leaning against the lockers, his eyes unfocused as students milled around him. She wanted to say something, to reach out, but the distance between them felt bigger than it had before.

Later in literature class, Allora found herself sitting next to Xander, as usual. Over the past week, they had spent more time together than she had expected. What started out as casual study sessions for their project had turned into something more. They joked around, talked about their favorite books, and had even grabbed coffee after school a couple of times. Xander was surprisingly easy to be around, and though she hadn't planned on it, she had grown comfortable in his presence.

"So," Xander said, his voice breaking through her thoughts. "You finally get your boy back, huh?"

Allora blinked, confused. "What?"

"Aiden," Xander clarified, a teasing grin on his face. "He's back. Thought you'd be all over him by now."

Allora frowned, glancing at Xander. "He's not... he's just a friend."

"Uh-huh," Xander said, not sounding convinced. "Sure he is."

Allora rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the weird flutter in her chest. "It's not like that."