Unexpected Ties

The silence between Aiden and me is stifling as we walk back to campus. Every step feels heavy, weighed down by the awkwardness of last night’s encounter and the fact that I still don’t know how I feel about his sudden involvement in my life. I should say something—thank him again for stepping in—but the words sit on the tip of my tongue, unspoken.

“You okay?” Aiden asks, breaking the silence, his voice casual but probing.

“Yeah,” I say, though my tone betrays the lie. “It’s just… a lot.”

He nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. “That party wasn’t your scene, huh?”

I let out a small laugh. “Not really. I’ve never been a fan of crowds.”

“Noted.” He glances over at me, and I catch the faintest hint of a smile. “Next time, maybe we can avoid places with too many people.”

Next time? I don’t even know how to respond to that, so I say nothing. But my heart stirs, and that unsettles me.

As we near campus, I see Maya heading our way, walking with a group of her friends. She waves at me, a grin spreading across her face as she notices Aiden next to me.

“Raven! Aiden?” Her eyes flicker between us, confusion and curiosity playing on her features. “What’s going on here?”

I glance at Aiden, feeling even more awkward now. “Oh, we just… ran into each other.”

Maya raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Ran into each other?”

Aiden shrugs, trying to look casual. “Yeah, just walking her back. No big deal.”

Before I can react, Maya turns her focus to Aiden.

“Oh, bro, can I have the link Mom sent to you yesterday?”

I froze. Bro?

Maya’s eyes twinkle with mischief as she turns to me. “You didn’t know? Aiden’s my brother.”

Her words hit me like a brick, and I blink in surprise. “Wait, what? He’s your brother?”

Maya laughs, folding her arms. “Yep. Shocking, I know. We’re nothing alike, right?”

I freeze. The words don’t register at first.

Aiden… is Maya’s brother?

My gaze flickers between them, searching for some resemblance I hadn’t noticed before. Maya, all bright eyes and mischief, always carrying this effortless energy with her. Aiden, quiet and intense, carrying a weight I don’t understand. They don’t look alike, don’t act alike, don’t feel alike. And yet—

Oh. Oh no.

A strange, sinking embarrassment floods my chest. Aiden is Maya’s brother. Maya’s brother. My roommate’s brother. The same roommate I barely know, the one I’ve been awkwardly existing next to for the past two weeks, avoiding any kind of conversation, ignoring invitations to hang out. And now here I am, standing next to her brother, who—what?—practically carried me out of that awful party last night. Still, somehow, I’d never even considered that she might have siblings—let alone that one of them would be him.

“Oh, wow… you’re siblings?” I manage to say, trying to mask my surprise with a casual tone that doesn’t quite land.

Maya raises her eyebrows, smirking. “Yeah, didn’t see that coming, did you?”

I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around the idea. “No, I… I just didn’t realize.”

Maya laughs, giving Aiden a teasing nudge. “We’re not exactly alike, are we?”

Aiden rolls his eyes. “That’s an understatement,” he mutters, but there’s a softness in his voice that suggests he’s used to this kind of banter with her. It’s almost… nice.

“Yeah, you’re definitely different from each other,” I say, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other, feeling like I’m intruding on a moment I don’t quite understand.

“So… what were you two doing together again exactly?” Maya asks, still looking amused.

Aiden clears his throat, a faint blush creeping up his neck. “Like I said, escorted her back here. Thought I’d make sure she was okay.”

Maya’s smirk widens, and she looks like she’s about to say something teasing, but then she shrugs. “Well, thanks for looking out for her.”

Aiden, clearly eager to leave, pulls out his phone and hands it to me. “Here, let me get your number in case you need anything… like another rescue mission.”

I hesitate but eventually take his phone, typing in my number quickly before handing it back. His casual tone doesn’t match the intensity of his gaze as he takes the phone from my hand, and I look away, unsure of what is going on.

Maya watches this exchange, amusement still dancing in her eyes. Aiden waves goodbye and heads out, leaving me with Maya, who wastes no time.

“So…” She turns to me, a playful smirk on her face. “My brother, huh?”

I frown, shaking my head. “So what about him? It’s not like that.”

“Uh-huh,” Maya says, her grin widening. “I’m just saying, he doesn’t usually go out of his way like that for anyone. Maybe he’s interested?”

I scoff, heat rising to my cheeks. “No, that’s… not possible. No one would ever—” I cut myself off, the familiar self-doubt creeping in. “It’s just not like that.”

Maya’s smile fades slightly, her expression softening. “Raven, you’re really pretty, anybody would fall for you, you know that?”

I shake my head, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling rising in my chest. “I’m not. I’m just… me.”

She doesn’t argue, but I can tell she wants to. Instead, we walk in silence back to our dorm. The air between us is awkward, tinged with last night’s tension and the discovery of Aiden’s identity.

The next morning, I woke up to a series of texts. The first is from Sophie:

**Sophie:** *So... what happened last night? Saw some dude dragged you out of the party. You okay?*

I stare at the message, irritation curling in my chest. Sophie was right there last night, pretending not to notice as Emily shoved drinks into my hand. Now, she suddenly cares?

I don’t even know how to respond to her. My fingers hover over the keyboard, but I stop myself. It’s not worth the effort right now.

Then there’s the other text—the one I dreaded seeing.

**Mom:** *Come home this weekend. We need to talk.*

I feel my stomach twist, the weight of her words pressing down on me. “We need to talk” never means anything good. My pulse quickens as I imagine the conversation she’ll want to have, the inevitable reminders of my duty to the family, of how I’m not doing enough.

I sigh, sinking back into my bed, the overwhelming sense of dread settling in.

I stare at my phone, rereading the message from my mother over and over: *“Come home this weekend.”* No explanation, no hint at why. Anxiety coils in my stomach. The last time she summoned me like this, it was to lecture me about “being there for the family,” which meant being there for everyone except myself.

Suddenly, a voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “Raven? You okay?” Maya’s voice is soft, but there’s concern there.

I blink, slipping my phone into my pocket, and force a small smile. “Yeah, I just… forgot about an assignment. No big deal.”

Maya raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but doesn’t press further. “Well, I’m going out to see some friends, so I’ll see you later, okay?”

I nod, feeling a slight pang of envy at her casual mention of friends. “Sure, have fun.”

When she’s gone, I glance at my schedule and realize my classes don’t start until the afternoon. Maybe I could sleep in… but a sharp pang in my stomach reminds me that I haven’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch. I decide to head out and find something to eat.

After a quick shower, I throw on a casual outfit: an oversized hoodie in muted gray and a pair of black leggings. I check the sleeves, tugging them down just enough to cover the faint, fading bruises on my wrists.

They look a bit better today, but I still can’t help feeling self-conscious about them. I tug the sleeves down even further as if hiding them from myself, and head out.

Once outside, I scan the nearby spots, debating where to eat. Just as I decide on something simple, I accidentally bump into someone.

“Oh, sorry,” I mumble, not even looking up right away.

“Raven?” A familiar voice makes me glance up. It’s Aiden, looking just as surprised as I feel.

“Oh, hey… Aiden,” I stammer, feeling the warmth rise in my cheeks. Great. Of all people to literally run into.

“You all right?” he asks, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, suddenly feeling very much out of my depth. “Um, I was just, you know, heading to the library…”

Before I can finish, my stomach rumbles loudly, echoing in the quiet street like a foghorn. My cheeks flush with heat, and I want to sink into the ground. “Why does the universe hate me so bad” I murmur to myself.

Aiden raises an eyebrow, his expression shifting to a mix of surprise and amusement. “Wow, your stomach really has a way of making itself known, huh?”

I can’t help but wince mortified. “Yeah, it does that sometimes…” I laugh awkwardly, trying to recover.

“It’s just that, uh, you know, library books can be very… demanding.”

He chuckles, but I can see the mirth in his eyes. “Right. Books can work up an appetite.”

The silence stretches, and I feel the weight of my embarrassment like a physical thing. Why is this so hard?

He chuckles, his blue eyes glinting. “Well, that’s a coincidence. I know this great ramen spot nearby if you’re interested?”

“Ramen?” My stomach growls again as if giving its approval. I nod, trying to seem casual. “Yeah, sure. I like ramen.”

As we walk, Aiden points out some sights around campus, but I barely register them, too focused on trying not to trip over my words or myself. Finally, we reached the small, cozy ramen shop, and I let him handle the ordering, unfamiliar with the different types.