Broken Promise

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: Lines We Shouldn’t Cross

The days after that café encounter felt different.

Jayden was still Jayden—flirty, playful, and always finding an excuse to be near me. But something had shifted between us. His

words that night stuck with me: “Do you ever wonder, Hannah? If things would be different?”

Did I wonder?

I wasn’t sure.

And then there was Aiden.

He hadn’t confronted me or Jayden about what happened, but I could feel it in the way he acted—the way his normally calm

presence now carried a quiet tension, the way he looked at me but never spoke as much, the way he seemed to be putting distance

between us when he never had before.

It was unsettling.

And I hated that it bothered me.

I was standing by my locker, absentmindedly flipping through my notes when I felt someone approach.

“Hey, beautiful.”

I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Jayden leaned casually against the locker beside mine, arms crossed, wearing that signature smirk that could either melt hearts or get

him into trouble—usually both.

“You’re late,” I said, closing my notebook and raising an eyebrow at him.

He grinned. “Miss me?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re impossible.”

Jayden chuckled, but then he reached out, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. The casual intimacy of the gesture made

my breath hitch slightly.

“Why so serious, sweetheart?” he murmured.

I hesitated before sighing. “I don’t know.” I glanced at him. “Things just feel… different lately.”

Jayden tilted his head, studying me. “Different how?”

I hesitated again. Different because Aiden is pulling away. Different because I don’t know what this is between you and me. Different because I feel caught between two people I care about in ways I don’t fully understand yet.

But I didn’t say any of that.

“Just different,” I said instead.

Jayden didn’t push. Instead, he reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers in a way that was far too natural.

“You think too much,” he said lightly, squeezing my hand.

I swallowed. Maybe I do.

But before I could respond, someone called my name.

“Hannah.”

I froze.

I knew that voice.

Turning, I saw Aiden standing a few feet away, expression unreadable. He wasn’t looking at Jayden—his gaze was solely on me.

Jayden didn’t let go of my hand.

Aiden’s eyes flickered to our interlocked fingers before they returned to my face.

“I need to talk to you,” he said.

I swallowed. “Now?”

Aiden’s expression didn’t change. “Yes.”

Jayden let out a low chuckle, finally releasing my hand but not before rubbing his thumb against my palm—a silent message.

“Guess that’s my cue,” he muttered. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

He winked at me before walking off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he disappeared down the hall.

I turned back to Aiden, my stomach twisting slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Aiden’s jaw tightened. “Come with me.”

Aiden led me up the stairs and onto the rooftop, a place we used to go to a lot when we were younger. It was a quiet spot, away from

the noise of the university, with a clear view of the campus grounds below.

For a few moments, he didn’t speak. He simply stood there, staring out at the horizon.

I shifted on my feet. “Aiden—”

“Are you and Jayden together?”

His question caught me off guard.

“What?”

Aiden turned to face me, his dark eyes holding something intense—something that made my breath catch.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with him,” he said, his voice controlled but laced with something deeper.

I frowned. “So?”

“So,” he echoed, stepping closer, “I want to know if there’s something going on between you two.”

My heartbeat quickened. “Why does it matter?”

Aiden’s expression darkened slightly. “Because it does.”

I stared at him, my mind racing.

Aiden had always been the composed one—the one who didn’t let emotions rule him, the one who thought before he spoke. But right now, there was something raw in the way he was looking at me, something unspoken in the air between us.

I inhaled sharply. “Aiden, I—”

Before I could finish my sentence, he exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

“Forget it,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

I felt my chest tighten. “Aiden, don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”

He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for a second, I thought he was going to say something. But then he shook his head, stepping back.

“I’ll see you later, Hannah.”

And just like that, he walked away.

Leaving me standing there, confused and torn between two brothers who both meant more to me than I ever realized.

After my encounter with Aiden on the rooftop, I felt restless. My thoughts were a tangled mess, and no matter how much I tried to

focus on my assignments, my mind kept drifting back to the way he looked at me—the sharpness in his voice, the way his expression had flickered with something deeper before he walked away.

I sighed and leaned back against my chair, rubbing my temples.

“Thinking too hard?”

I startled slightly and looked up to see Jayden sliding into the seat across from me, his usual smirk in place. He rested his chin on one hand, watching me intently.

I rolled my eyes. “Shouldn’t you be studying?”

He chuckled. “I’d rather be here.”

I gave him a pointed look. “To annoy me?”

“To keep you company,” he corrected smoothly, his lips twitching. Then he tilted his head slightly. “You looked stressed. Is this about Aiden?”

I stiffened.

Jayden sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It is, isn’t it?”

I hesitated before nodding. “I don’t know what’s wrong. He’s been… distant.”

Jayden let out a dry laugh. “He’s always been that way.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “This is different. He’s different.”

Jayden’s gaze darkened slightly, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, he leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“You know why, don’t you?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

Jayden studied me for a long time, then scoffed softly. “You really don’t see it, do you?”

I frowned. “See what?”

Jayden let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. “Forget it.”

I opened my mouth to push him further, but he suddenly stood up and ruffled my hair. “Stop overthinking, sweetheart. It’s not worth the headache.”

I swatted his hand away, narrowing my eyes. “You’re infuriating.”

He winked. “And you love it.”

I sighed as I watched him walk away, leaving me more confused than ever.

Since my mom worked as a housekeeper for the Guevarras, I practically grew up in their estate. I knew every hallway, every room,

every secret spot in the gardens. It had always felt like a second home to me, but tonight, the mansion felt suffocating.

I was heading to the kitchen when I spotted Aiden standing by the glass doors leading to the balcony. He was staring out at the night sky, a contemplative look on his face.

I hesitated before walking over.

“Aiden?”

He didn’t turn around. “Hmm?”

I stepped closer. “Are you okay?”

A beat of silence passed before he sighed. “I’m fine.”

I frowned. “You don’t seem fine.”

Finally, Aiden turned to face me, his eyes unreadable. “Why are you here, Hannah?”

I blinked at his question. “What do you mean? I live here—”

“You know what I mean.”

I swallowed, my pulse quickening.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Jayden.”

I tensed. “Why does everyone keep bringing that up?”

Aiden’s jaw clenched. “Because it’s obvious.”

“What is?”

His expression darkened, his eyes locking onto mine. “That he likes you.”

My breath hitched. “Jayden… he’s always been flirty. It doesn’t mean—”

“I’m not talking about that,” Aiden cut in, his voice lower now, his gaze intense. “I mean he actually likes you, Hannah.”

I stared at him, my chest tightening. “I—”

“And you like him too.”

Something in his voice made my stomach twist.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Did I like Jayden? I wasn’t sure. I knew I cared about him, but…

Aiden exhaled and looked away. “Never mind.”

“No,” I said quickly, stepping forward. “Aiden, I—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” His voice was quiet but firm. “Not if you’re just going to lie to yourself.”

I felt my throat close up. “Aiden, please don’t do this.”

He finally looked at me again, and for the first time, I saw it.

The emotion he had been hiding.

The reason he had been acting so differently.

Aiden wasn’t just being distant.

He was jealous.

He cared.

Maybe more than I ever realized.

But before I could say anything, he turned and walked away—leaving me standing there, heart pounding, mind reeling.

And for the first time, I wondered if I had been blind to something that had always been right in front of me.