THE BOY HE COULDN’T IGNORE
1113 Words
Aria’s POV
I didn’t mean to think about him this much.
I really didn’t.
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But after everything that had happened—
The woman.
The file.
The truth about his past—
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My mind wouldn’t rest.
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And somehow…
Ethan kept finding his way into it too.
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“Aria.”
I looked up.
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He was already there.
Standing in front of me like he had always been part of my space.
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“You promised,” he said.
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I frowned. “Promised what?”
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“To not shut me out,” he replied.
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Oh.
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That.
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I sighed softly.
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“I’m trying,” I said.
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“Then try harder,” he said, but his tone wasn’t harsh.
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It was… gentle.
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That made it worse.
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Because I didn’t deserve that kind of patience.
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“Walk with me,” he added.
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I hesitated.
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But only for a second.
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“Okay.”
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We didn’t go far.
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Just behind the school.
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Somewhere quiet.
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Away from everyone.
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And for once—
I felt like I could breathe.
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“You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world,” he said.
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I let out a small laugh. “It feels like it.”
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“Want to share it?” he asked.
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I shook my head.
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“Not yet.”
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He nodded.
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“Fair.”
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Silence fell between us.
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But it wasn’t awkward.
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It was… comfortable.
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And that scared me.
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“Can I ask you something?” I said.
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“Always.”
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“Do you ever feel like… your life doesn’t fully belong to you?” I asked.
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He paused.
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Then looked at me.
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“More than you think,” he said.
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Something about the way he said it—
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It felt real.
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Like he meant it.
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“Why?” I asked.
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A small smile appeared on his lips.
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“Because there are things about my past I don’t understand,” he said.
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My heart skipped.
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“What do you mean?”
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“I grew up without knowing everything about where I came from,” he added.
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My breath caught.
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Without knowing…
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Everything?
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“Like what?” I asked.
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He shrugged slightly.
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“My mom never talks about it,” he said. “She avoids certain questions.”
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My chest tightened.
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Avoids.
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Secrets.
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It sounded familiar.
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Too familiar.
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“What about your dad?” I asked carefully.
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He looked away.
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“I don’t know him,” he said.
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My heart dropped.
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“You’ve never met him?” I asked.
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“No.”
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A pause.
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“She says it’s better that way,” he added.
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Something twisted in my chest.
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Because suddenly—
The woman’s voice echoed in my head again.
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“He deserves to know.”
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My breath hitched.
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No.
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That couldn’t be—
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“Aria?”
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I blinked.
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Ethan was watching me again.
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“You disappeared,” he said.
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“I’m fine,” I replied quickly.
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A lie.
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Because something inside me—
Was starting to connect dots I wasn’t ready to see.
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That night—
Everything got worse.
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Because for the first time—
The two of them were in the same room.
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Ethan.
And Damien.
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I didn’t plan it.
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It just… happened.
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Ethan came over.
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My mother invited him.
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And I didn’t know why—
But something about that felt wrong.
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Very wrong.
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“Come in,” my mother said warmly.
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Ethan smiled politely. “Thank you, ma.”
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Then—
He stepped inside.
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And stopped.
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Because he saw him.
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Damien.
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Standing in the living room.
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Watching.
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Silence.
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Thick.
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Heavy.
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Uncomfortable.
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For a moment—
No one spoke.
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Then—
“This is Ethan,” my mother said, trying to break the tension.
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Damien didn’t move.
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Didn’t smile.
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Didn’t react.
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He just…
Looked at him.
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Like he was seeing something impossible.
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Or something he couldn’t believe.
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“Sir,” Ethan said respectfully.
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Damien’s jaw tightened slightly.
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But he nodded once.
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Cold.
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Controlled.
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Something about that reaction—
It wasn’t normal.
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Not at all.
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And Ethan felt it too.
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I could see it in the way he shifted slightly.
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Uncomfortable.
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“Sit down,” my mother said quickly.
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Trying to make things normal.
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But nothing about this felt normal.
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Not the silence.
Not the tension.
Not the way Damien kept looking at Ethan—
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Like he was trying to figure something out.
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Or remember something.
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“Where are you from?” my mother asked Ethan.
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“Here,” he replied. “I’ve lived here most of my life.”
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“And your family?” she asked.
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“My mom and I,” he said.
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Silence.
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I felt it again.
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That shift.
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That tension.
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Stronger this time.
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“And your father?” she added.
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I froze.
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Bad question.
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Very bad question.
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Ethan hesitated.
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Then—
“I don’t know him,” he said.
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The room went still.
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Completely still.
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Because this time—
Damien reacted.
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Just slightly.
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But enough.
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His hand tightened.
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His eyes darkened.
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And for a second—
Something flashed across his face.
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Shock.
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Then it was gone.
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Hidden.
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Buried.
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Like it never existed.
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But I saw it.
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And I knew—
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Something was wrong.
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Very wrong.
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Later that night—
I couldn’t sleep.
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Because everything—
Everything was starting to connect.
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The woman.
The secret.
The past.
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Ethan.
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And Damien’s reaction.
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It wasn’t coincidence.
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It couldn’t be.
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And for the first time—
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A terrifying thought crossed my mind.
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What if—
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This wasn’t just a secret?
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What if—
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It was a connection?
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A connection no one was ready to face.
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And if that was true—
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Then whatever was coming next—
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Was going to destroy everything.
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