WHEN HE TRIES
338 Words
HER POV :
Aria noticed it immediately.
The way Damon looked at her that morning wasn’t the same. It wasn’t distant. It wasn’t guarded in the usual way. There was hesitation there like he was standing at the edge of something and deciding whether to step forward.
It made her nervous.
And a little hopeful.
She tried not to read too much into it. People changed moods all the time. Damon especially. But when he sat closer than usual in class—still not beside her, but nearer it felt intentional.
Progress.
When the bell rang, she gathered her things slowly, half-expecting him to disappear like he had the past few days.
He didn’t.
“Aria,” he called, voice low.
She turned, heart picking up speed. “Yeah?”
They walked side by side down the hallway, not touching, but close enough that she could feel his presence. He seemed tense, hands in his pockets, jaw tight.
“I’ve been… distant,” he said finally.
She waited. Didn’t rush him.
“I didn’t want things to get complicated for you,” he continued. “With the rumors. With me.”
Aria stopped walking. He stopped too.
“You don’t get to decide that for me,” she said gently. “I don’t mind choosing my own complications.”
That earned a small, surprised smile from him. Rare. Real.
“I’m not good at this,” Damon admitted. “Talking. Letting people in.”
“I know,” she said. “But you’re trying. He smiled "
They stood there for a moment, the noise of school fading around them. No pressure. No crowd. Just honesty.
“I like talking to you,” he said quietly. “I didn’t expect that.”
She smiled. “Neither did I.”
Something settled between them then—not certainty, not promises—but understanding. A mutual agreement to keep going, even if slowly.
As they walked apart, Aria felt lighter.
He wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t easy.
But he was real.
- Writer
