A Promise kept

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Aurora's pov

6:00 PM. THE GRANDVIEW COUNTRY CLUB

Chandeliers. White tablecloths. A DJ playing something slow.

Blush dress. Heels that hurt. Cap shoved in my bag.

"Valedictorian!"

"That speech, Aurora, I'm not crying you're crying"

"Davis is so lucky"

I smiled until my cheeks hurt.

Hugged moms. Shook dads' hands. Took 50 photos.

Across the ballroom, Ethan stood by the bar.

Suit jacket. White shirt. No tie. Drink in his hand

Our eyes met.

He hadn't spoken to me since backstage.

Just that look. Jaw ticking. Like he was deciding something.

Luca was next to him. Drinking. Watching both of us.

My phone buzzed in my clutch.

ETHAN

'East Terrace. 5 minutes.'

My stomach dropped.

6:15 PM. EAST TERRACE

The music was muffled here. Just city lights and the fountain. I didn't see him at first.

Then: "Milla."

Ethan stood in the doorway to the garden, backlit by the ballroom. He looked furious. And tired.

"Ethan, what-"

"What did you mean?" he cut me off. "Brave. Second chances."

I hugged myself. "It was a graduation speech."

"Bullshit." He took a step closer. "You looked right at me."

"So?"

"So was that for me?" His voice dropped. "Because if it was-"

"If it was what?" I snapped. "You've been avoiding me all week!"

"I was giving you space!"

"Well it worked," I said. "Congratulations."

We were breathing hard.

Two feet between us. Might as well have been miles.

Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "You said 'maybe I don't know yet'."

"I know what I said."

"Do you?" He stepped closer. One more step and we'd be touching. "Because I've been going insane, Aurora."

"Don't-"

"I haven't had proper sleep since Saturday. Since you came home smelling like him."

My face burned. "I rejected him."

"I know," Ethan said. "Marcus told me."

My eyes widened. "You had someone follow me?"

"For safety," he said quickly. Then: "And because I'm an idiot."

We stared at each other.

The back door opened.

Luca. "Uh. Mom wants photos. Both of you. Now."

He looked between us. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," Ethan said at the same time I said, "Yeah."

Luca didn't buy it. "Mmhmm. 5 minutes."

He left. Door closed.

Ethan exhaled. "I'm sorry I cornered you."

"I'm sorry I said 'maybe'," I whispered.

Ethan's eyes flicked to my mouth. Then back up.

"Don't be," he said quietly. "Just... don't say maybe next time."

"What should I say?"

He didn't answer.

Just reached out. Brushed his thumb under my eye.

"You have mascara here," he said. Voice rough. "From crying after the speech."

I nodded. Couldn't talk. Footsteps. More people.

Ethan dropped his hand. Stepped back.

"Come on," he said. "Photos."

6:30 PM. FRONT LAWN

Family photos. Forced smiles.

Ethan stood on one side. Me on the other. Luca in the middle.

"Say cheese!" Mom said.

I did. After, Ethan touched my elbow. Barely.

"I'm going back to Reno," he said. "Leaving in 10."

"Right."

He looked at me. Really looked.

"Be safe tonight, Milla."

Then he was gone.

Luca sighed next to me. "That went... better than expected."

"What?"

"You didn't kill each other," Luca said. "Progress." The DJ switched songs. Something upbeat.

People were dancing now.

I stood there in my blush dress.

Graduated.

And more confused than ever.