Chapter 22: Unraveling Threads
Emilia had been doing everything she could to keep the walls up. She didn't let herself get too close to Mark, though there were moments when his smile, his quiet presence, made her want to lean into the comfort he offered. But she knew better than to allow herself to get too attached, especially when her heart was still tangled up in the wreckage of what she had shared with Aiden.
The tension at work was palpable. Every time Aiden's name was mentioned in passing, she could feel her pulse quicken, her heart betraying her despite her best efforts. She had promised herself that she wouldn't fall for him again, that she wouldn't let him take up space in her heart when he had already abandoned her once.
Yet, here she was, fighting against the pull that seemed to draw her in every time their paths crossed.
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The First Encounter of the Day
It was another crisp morning at the university, and Emilia was running a bit late for her lecture. She stepped into the hallway just as Aiden appeared from the opposite direction, his presence immediately cutting through the quiet like a lightning strike. He looked the same as always—tall, confident, his deep blue eyes carrying that unsettling intensity that always made her feel both seen and unseen at the same time.
She barely had time to avoid him, her body instinctively turning to the side as he approached. But as she moved, she felt the brush of his arm against hers—just enough to send a shock through her, a ripple of awareness that left her breathless.
"Emilia," he said her name softly, but it carried with it the weight of something unsaid, something heavy.
She didn't stop walking. "Aiden," she muttered, trying her best to keep her voice neutral. It wasn't that she wasn't tempted to stop and talk to him—it was that she knew exactly where that would lead. She wasn't ready for the conversation, not today, maybe not ever.
But Aiden wasn't one to let her get away that easily. She could hear his footsteps matching her pace, not chasing, but keeping in step with hers.
"Can we talk later?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Emilia didn't respond immediately. The offer lingered between them, hanging in the air like a promise she wasn't sure she wanted to keep.
"I have a class," she said stiffly, wishing the words didn't sound as weak as they did. She could feel the silence between them stretching, thick with unspoken emotions.
Aiden sighed. "I didn't mean to leave things the way they were. I just… I need you to understand."
Emilia's heart skipped a beat, but she kept walking, her feet moving as though they were detached from her mind. "You should've thought about that when you left," she said, her voice colder than she felt. "You don't get to just walk back into my life after everything."
Aiden's gaze shifted, darkened slightly, but he didn't argue. He merely watched her retreating figure, his eyes following her like a shadow. His silence spoke volumes, but Emilia couldn't bring herself to face it.
She had made a choice—one that she would stick to, no matter how much it hurt.
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The Faculty Lounge
Later that morning, Emilia found herself in the faculty lounge, trying to distract herself from the whirlwind of emotions that Aiden's sudden reappearance had stirred within her. She didn't want to think about him, didn't want to feel the pull of his gaze from across the room. But the more she tried to bury it, the more it consumed her.
Mark walked in just as she was nursing her cup of coffee, his usual warm smile greeting her.
"Hey," he said, taking the seat next to hers.
"Hey," she replied, trying to keep the fatigue out of her voice.
Mark was easy to be around, and his presence grounded her in a way she wasn't quite sure how to explain. But even as he chatted with her about an upcoming conference, Emilia couldn't shake the feeling that she was being pulled in two different directions. Her mind kept drifting back to Aiden, the way his voice had softened when he'd said her name, the lingering tension that seemed to cling to the air whenever he was near.
Mark was a good man, someone who didn't come with the emotional baggage that Aiden did. But as much as she appreciated Mark's kindness, his understanding, and the way he made her feel safe, she couldn't help but compare him to Aiden. And in every comparison, Aiden always seemed to win.
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The Passing Days
The next few days were a blur. Emilia found herself in a constant state of tension, her emotions fluctuating between longing and resentment. Aiden's attempts to regain her attention were subtle but persistent. He would linger at the edges of her classroom, catch her eye during faculty meetings, and even send her the occasional message asking how she was doing. Every gesture was loaded, and it was all Emilia could do to keep her walls up, to remind herself that she didn't need him anymore.
But even as she tried to protect herself, she couldn't deny the way her body responded to him—how her heart would race at the mere sound of his voice, how her stomach would flutter when he was close. It was maddening. The conflict inside her was suffocating.
One afternoon, she was walking across campus when she saw him standing by the university gates, talking to a group of students. He was laughing, his eyes bright, and for a moment, she allowed herself to watch him without interruption. He was just as charming as he had always been, the magnetic pull of his presence undeniable.
And then their eyes met. It was like the world shifted, the noise around them fading into nothing as they locked gazes. For a second, everything was still—too still.
Aiden didn't look away. He just stood there, watching her as though he were waiting for something. His gaze was steady, but there was something behind it now—something deeper than the usual arrogance. A hint of vulnerability, perhaps, or maybe just the same longing that she had felt in the past.
It was enough to make her take a step back. She turned quickly, trying to gather herself before she lost control.
The ache in her chest was undeniable.
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The Dinner Invitation
That evening, Mark invited her out for dinner. It had become a sort of routine—dinner after a long week, a chance to relax and unwind. She knew that he liked her, but he had never pressured her for anything more than the simple connection they shared. He didn't ask her about her past with Aiden, didn't push her to confront emotions she wasn't ready to face.
But tonight was different. As they sat at their usual table at the bistro, Emilia felt a strange unease in her chest. Mark was being his usual thoughtful self, asking about her day, keeping the conversation light. But all she could think about was the way Aiden's gaze had lingered on her, the way she had responded to him, despite everything.
The idea of being with Mark seemed so right in so many ways. He was a kind, caring person, someone who understood her. And yet, as she smiled at him, a small part of her still felt empty, like she was pretending to be someone she wasn't.
"I'm glad we're doing this," Mark said, his voice warm, drawing her back to the present.
"Me too," Emilia replied, forcing the smile to reach her eyes. But it didn't feel right.
She wasn't being fair to either of them.
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The Strain of Resisting
As the days passed, the strain of resisting her feelings for Aiden grew unbearable. She wanted so badly to move on, to embrace the future with Mark, to let herself be happy. But Aiden had marked her in a way that no one else could. No matter how hard she tried to let go, his ghost hovered over every part of her life.
It was late one night when she received a text from Aiden. Her fingers hovered over the screen, hesitation running through her. She had tried so hard to push him out of her mind, but there it was—his name on the screen, a message she couldn't ignore.
"I need to talk to you. Please. It's important."
The words were simple, but they hit her like a wave. She could feel the tension between them, the pull that had never fully gone away.
The question was, could she resist it this time?
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