A FACE FROM THE PAST
1173 Words
Aria’s POV
I couldn’t unsee it.
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The way Damien looked at Ethan.
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It wasn’t normal.
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It wasn’t casual.
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It wasn’t even polite.
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It was something else.
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Something deeper.
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Something… familiar.
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And that scared me.
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Because I didn’t understand it.
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But I could feel it.
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Something was wrong.
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Very wrong.
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“Aria.”
I blinked.
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My mother was standing in front of me.
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“You’ve been quiet again,” she said.
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I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
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“You always say that,” she replied.
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Because it was easier than telling the truth.
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“Did you like Ethan?” she asked suddenly.
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My heart skipped.
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“What?”
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“He seems like a good boy,” she continued. “Polite. Respectful.”
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I swallowed.
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“Yeah… he’s nice,” I said.
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She smiled softly.
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“You deserve someone like that.”
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My chest tightened.
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Because she had no idea.
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No idea how complicated everything had become.
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No idea how wrong everything felt.
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No idea how—
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“Where is he?” she asked.
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My thoughts stopped.
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“Who?” I asked.
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“Damien,” she replied.
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I hesitated.
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“I don’t know,” I said.
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But something told me—
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That wasn’t true.
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Because at that very moment—
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He was watching.
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Damien’s POV
There was something about him.
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I knew it the moment I saw him.
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The way he stood.
The way he spoke.
The way he looked at the world.
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It wasn’t just familiarity.
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It was recognition.
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Something buried.
Something I thought I had lost.
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Something I wasn’t supposed to see again.
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Ethan.
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The name echoed in my mind.
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I didn’t believe in coincidences.
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Not after everything.
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Not after what I had been through.
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So if this wasn’t coincidence—
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Then it meant one thing.
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The past wasn’t done with me.
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And I needed answers.
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Now.
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I picked up my phone.
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“Find someone for me,” I said.
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A pause.
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“I’ll send the details.”
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I ended the call.
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My jaw tightened.
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If I was right—
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Then everything was about to change.
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Again.
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Aria’s POV
I felt it.
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That shift in the air.
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Like something had already started—
And I was the only one who didn’t know what it was.
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Later that evening—
I saw him again.
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Damien.
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Standing by the window.
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Looking outside.
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Lost in thought.
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“You’ve been acting strange,” I said.
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He didn’t turn.
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“That makes two of us,” he replied.
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I frowned.
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“What does that mean?”
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“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said.
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“There you go again,” I snapped. “Acting like I’m not involved.”
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He turned this time.
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His eyes met mine.
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“You’re not,” he said.
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A lie.
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We both knew it.
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“Then why does it feel like I am?” I asked.
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Silence.
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Then—
“Because you’re closer to this than you think.”
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My heart pounded.
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“What does that mean?” I pressed.
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A pause.
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Then—
“Tell me about him.”
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I blinked.
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“Who?”
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“Ethan.”
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My breath caught.
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Why did that feel dangerous?
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“He’s just my friend,” I said carefully.
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“Just?” he repeated.
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I didn’t like his tone.
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“What do you want to know?” I asked.
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“Everything,” he said.
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My chest tightened.
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“Why?” I asked.
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His gaze darkened slightly.
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“Because I don’t trust him.”
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That made my heart jump.
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“He hasn’t done anything,” I said.
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“Not yet,” he replied.
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Something about that—
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It didn’t feel like a warning.
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It felt like a decision.
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“You’re overreacting,” I said.
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“Am I?” he asked quietly.
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A pause.
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Then—
“Where does he live?”
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I hesitated.
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Why did that question feel so wrong?
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“I don’t know,” I said.
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Another lie.
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He stepped closer.
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“You’re a bad liar,” he said.
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My heart raced.
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“Why does it matter?” I asked.
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Because now—
I needed answers too.
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He didn’t respond immediately.
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Instead—
He watched me.
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Carefully.
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Like he was trying to decide something.
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Then—
“Because if I’m right,” he said slowly,
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“he’s not just some boy you met at school.”
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My breath caught.
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“What do you mean?” I whispered.
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A pause.
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Then—
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he repeated.
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Frustration burned inside me.
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“You keep saying that!” I snapped.
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“And you keep asking questions you’re not ready for,” he replied.
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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Then—
“Stay away from him,” he said.
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The words hit hard.
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“What?” I asked.
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“I mean it,” he added. “Keep your distance.”
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My chest tightened.
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“No,” I said.
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A mistake.
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Because his expression changed.
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Slightly.
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But enough.
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“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he said.
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“You don’t get to control who I talk to,” I shot back.
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A dangerous line.
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Because now—
The tension shifted.
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Completely.
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“Be careful, Aria,” he said quietly.
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My heart pounded.
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“Of what?” I challenged.
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His eyes held mine.
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And for a moment—
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Something real slipped through.
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Something dark.
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Something personal.
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“The past has a way of repeating itself,” he said.
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A chill ran down my spine.
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“What past?” I asked.
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But he didn’t answer.
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He just stepped back.
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Again.
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Always creating distance when things got too close.
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Too real.
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Too dangerous.
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And just like that—
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He walked away.
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Leaving me with a feeling I couldn’t shake.
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That this wasn’t just about suspicion anymore.
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It was about something much bigger.
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Something already set in motion.
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And whatever it was—
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It was heading straight for us.
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