Bound by the Waves

Chapter 13: Agreement

We’d only been in Aramora for three days, and already I was feeling the weight of my parents’ expectations. Just last night, I’d crossed paths with Xaviel in the ER, each of us doing our best to appear strictly professional, keeping up our silent pact to stay out of each other’s way as much as possible. But it was harder than I’d thought it would be, especially knowing he was around every corner.

As I finally managed to sit down and catch my breath, my phone buzzed. My mother. She rarely sent casual messages, so I knew immediately it couldn’t be anything good. With a sigh, I unlocked the screen and read:

> Your father and I have spoken with Xaviel’s parents. We will start planning the wedding here and finalize everything once you both return. You two will be married right away when you come back from Aramora. Just think of how beautiful it will be. Can’t wait!

The words hit like a cold splash of water. I closed my eyes, the deep dread settling in my chest. The idea of being around Xaviel for months on end had already been difficult enough to process. And now, our parents were determined to finalize everything for the wedding the moment we returned. No matter what we’d both said about stalling, they were dead set on pushing us down the aisle as soon as possible.

Before I could even process what I was feeling, another message came through—this time from my father. I hadn’t expected to hear from him directly, so when his text appeared, I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen.

> Heard from Xaviel’s family he’ll be there in Aramora with you. Take care, Sydney, and make the family proud.

I couldn’t help but shake my head, a humorless laugh escaping. Clearly, they had no idea I’d already run into Xaviel multiple times since the start of the mission. It wasn’t like I needed the reminder that he was here—his presence was impossible to ignore.

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Days turned to weeks and here we are two months in Aramora, I found myself lingering just outside the staff quarters, mentally preparing for the day ahead. The mornings had become my favorite part of the day—quiet, still, with a rare sense of calm before the inevitable rush. I was about to head to the break room when I heard footsteps approaching. Turning, I saw Xaviel.

He was dressed in his light blue polo shirt, tucked neatly into white trousers, with his lab coat on and white rubber shoes that somehow managed to look both practical and stylish. He looked sharp and effortlessly put-together, even this early in the morning. Catching my eye, he gave a slight nod—a familiar, unspoken signal between us.

“Walk with me?” he murmured, his voice low enough to avoid drawing attention. I nodded, falling into step beside him as we moved to a quiet corner outside the hospital building.

We walked in silence for a moment, watching as the first hints of sunrise colored the sky. Finally, he spoke, his voice softer than usual. “We should go over this again, just to be sure,” he said. “No one here should know... about us. About what we’re supposed to be.”

I nodded, though I could feel a strange mix of reluctance and relief. “Agreed,” I replied. “It’s better if they think we’re just colleagues. I don’t want them to look at us differently—or treat us any differently because of this... engagement.”

He smiled, but it was that half-smile of his, the one that was part amusement and part something I couldn’t quite place. “It’s strange,” he murmured, glancing at me with a softness in his gaze that I didn’t expect. “Being in this place, with you, but pretending we’re just... strangers.”

The weight of his words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, the hospital, the mission, all the chaos of our lives seemed to fade away. It was just the two of us, a fleeting moment where the lines between us felt blurred, almost forgotten.