My Enigma

Chapter Thirty-Four

Aurora's POV

The sun was way too bright for a Monday morning. It stabbed straight through the classroom window like it had a personal vendetta. I squinted at the board, tapping my pen against my notebook, pretending I was paying attention. I wasn't. Not even close.

My mind was still tangled up in yesterday.

That moment on Gabe's porch with Luke... The silence. The smoke curling between us. The look in his eyes like he was trying to figure out how to fix what he broke without actually saying it. And me? I let him try. I let him talk. But I didn't let him back in. Not yet.

And now here I was, sitting two rows in front of him. I hadn't turned around once.

Hanna nudged me from the side, her whisper barely audible. "You good?"

I gave her a quick nod. The kind that meant no, but I was too tired to unpack it.

Connor, from behind, passed me a folded note during the lesson because of course he did. He was always finding ways to distract me just when I was almost focused.

"Are you surviving or silently plotting his murder?"

I smirked. Scribbled back.

"Not murder. Just mild emotional suffering."

The note went back and forth a few times. It helped, a little. Being surrounded by people who knew without asking. But still, none of them were him.

After the bell rang, I packed my bag slowly, hoping Luke would leave first. He didn't.

He stood by the door, leaning back like he had all the time in the world. His eyes found mine the second I looked up. I pretended not to see.

I didn't know what he wanted from me anymore. Forgiveness? A reset? Or maybe just someone to pass a blunt with on heavy weekends?

Either way, I wasn't ready to give him answers. Not that he had asked any questions.

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Luke's POV

She didn't look at me once in class. Not when the teacher mispronounced her name, not when I dropped my pen and it rolled near her foot, not when I watched her laugh at something Connor had said in those notes that they kept passing to each other back and forth.

I stayed after everyone left. Gave her space. She didn't take it.

I guess I deserved it : the cold shoulder, the silence, the wall she'd built between us. But it still sucked.

Gabe caught up with me by the lockers. "Are you gonna talk to her or just stare at the back of her head all day?"

I glared at him, but it was half-hearted. "She doesn't want to talk."

"Did you ask?"

"Not in so many words."

"Then try again."

I considered it for a beat, then nodded. "Later. After school."

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Aurora's POV

Lunch was outside today. Hanna pulled me into our usual spot under the trees, but I wasn't really present. My sandwich went untouched.

Connor threw a piece of lettuce at me.

"Snap out of it, Rory."

"I'm fine."

"You're sulking."

"I'm thinking."

"About Luke."

I sighed. "Can you not say his name like it's cursed?"

"I'll stop when he stops being an idiot."

That made me smile, a little. Just a flicker. Hanna leaned over, brushing my hair out of my face.

"You don't have to forgive him right now," she said. "Or ever. But don't let him take up space in your chest like rent's free."

"Too late."

They didn't push after that. They just sat with me, and that felt... enough.

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Luke's POV

I caught her just as she was walking out the gate after school. She was alone, for once . Hanna and Connor had gone ahead to Gabe's car and I sent Gabe a quick text to let him know I would be walking Rory home. Hopefully she would be down with it and we could finally have an honest conversation.

Fingers crossed.

"Aurora."

She stopped. Didn't turn. Just stood there.

I jogged to catch up. "Can we talk?"

She looked over her shoulder, eyes unreadable. "I thought we were done talking."

"I don't want us to be done."

She said nothing.

"I messed up. I know I did. I was scared and confused and I shut you out—"

"You made me feel like I didn't matter." Her voice cracked, just a little. "After everything. You made me feel like I imagined it all."

"I didn't mean to."

"But you did it."

I took a shaky breath. "Let me make it right."

"How?"

I didn't have a perfect answer. So I said the only honest thing I could.

"By not giving up this time."