CHERYL’S POV
FLASHBACK - LUNCH DATE WITH OLIVER
The clinking of cutlery had never sounded louder.
We were seated at Celeste, the kind of upscale restaurant people posted on i********: but rarely actually enjoyed, that same afternoon I returned Aiden's gift, I remember being all flustered about meeting Aiden again.
I tried to push it down,
Tried to smile, make conversation, laugh at Oliver's half-hearted jokes. He noticed. Of course he did. Oliver wasn’t stupid. He stirred his iced tea, eyes flicking to me with a mix of concern and something else—disappointment, maybe?
"You're quiet today," he finally said.
I looked up, feigning surprise. "I'm okay."
He nodded slowly, though I could tell he didn’t believe me. The silence between us dragged. I hated it. I hated feeling like a traito
