Chapter 18: A Heart Caught in Between
1126 Words
Emma tried to go back to normal.
She told herself that nothing had changed, that her conversation with Aiden at the bookstore didn’t matter. She had made her choice—to keep her distance—and she just had to stick to it.
So she went through her routine. She worked her shifts at the bookstore, ignored Lily’s knowing smirks, and avoided looking at her phone just in case Aiden decided to text her.
Not that he would.
He had walked away without a fight, and wasn’t that exactly what she wanted?
Then why did it feel like she had lost something?
Emma groaned in frustration as she placed a book on the wrong shelf for the third time that morning. She needed to get a grip.
“You okay?” Lily asked, watching her from behind the counter.
Emma sighed. “I’m fine.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “Are you, though? Because you’ve been aggressively shelving books for the past twenty minutes like they personally offended you.”
Emma groaned. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
Lily smirked. “Would this ‘lot on your mind’ have anything to do with a certain movie star who has been moping around town like a lovesick puppy?”
Emma froze. “He’s… moping?”
Lily grinned. “So you do care.”
Emma scowled. “That’s not what I—”
Before she could finish, the bookstore doorbell chimed.
She turned, expecting a customer.
Instead, Olivia Wright strolled in like she owned the place.
Emma’s stomach dropped.
Lily muttered, “Oh, great.”
Olivia’s heels clicked against the wooden floor as she approached the counter. She was dressed flawlessly, her makeup perfect despite the early hour.
She smiled, but there was something sharp about it. “Emma, right?”
Emma straightened. “Can I help you with something?”
Olivia tilted her head. “Actually, I was hoping we could talk.”
Emma hesitated. “About?”
Olivia’s smile widened. “Aiden.”
Lily scoffed. “Oh, this should be good.”
Emma shot her a look before turning back to Olivia. “I don’t see how Aiden is any of my business.”
Olivia chuckled. “See, that’s the thing. Aiden and I go way back, and I know how he operates. He likes the chase. The moment something becomes real, he gets bored.”
Emma clenched her jaw. “And you came all this way to tell me that?”
Olivia shrugged. “I just thought you should know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Emma folded her arms. “Funny, I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”
Olivia’s smile didn’t waver. “Aiden and I are going to be spending a lot of time together once he leaves this town. It’s inevitable. We have history, chemistry, and, most importantly, we understand each other.”
Emma’s chest tightened. “Then why are you here?”
Olivia’s eyes gleamed. “Because for some reason, Aiden seems to think you matter. And that’s a problem.”
Emma exhaled slowly, refusing to let Olivia see how much her words affected her. “If Aiden still wants you, then you shouldn’t have to come here to convince me of it.”
Olivia’s expression faltered just for a second before she recovered.
“I just wanted to give you a friendly warning,” she said, her voice sweet but her eyes cold. “Don’t fall for him, Emma. It won’t end the way you want it to.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the store, leaving Emma standing there, her heart pounding.
Lily let out a low whistle. “Well, she’s subtle.”
Emma clenched her fists. “She thinks she can just walk in here and warn me off like I’m some naïve idiot.”
Lily smirked. “So, does this mean you are falling for him?”
Emma exhaled sharply. “That’s not the point.”
Lily gave her a knowing look but didn’t push. “So… what are you going to do?”
Emma shook her head. “Nothing. I already told Aiden we’re a bad idea.”
But as she turned back to her work, Olivia’s words echoed in her head.
Don’t fall for him, Emma. It won’t end the way you want it to.
—
That night, Emma found herself walking through town, hoping the crisp air would clear her thoughts.
She didn’t realize where she was going until she saw him.
Aiden was sitting on a bench by the river, staring out at the water.
Emma hesitated. She could turn around, pretend she never saw him.
But something in his posture—something off—kept her feet rooted in place.
Before she could second-guess herself, she walked over. “Mind if I sit?”
Aiden looked up, surprised. Then he smiled softly and gestured to the space beside him.
Emma sat down, pulling her jacket tighter around her.
They sat in silence for a while, the river reflecting the glow of the streetlights.
Finally, Aiden spoke. “Did Olivia find you?”
Emma stiffened. “So you knew she was coming?”
He sighed. “No. But I figured she would.”
Emma frowned. “And you just let her?”
Aiden met her gaze. “Would it have changed anything if I stopped her?”
Emma exhaled. “She said you’d get bored of me.”
Aiden’s expression darkened. “And you believe her?”
Emma hesitated. “I don’t know what to believe.”
Aiden leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Emma… I know my reputation. I know what people think of me. And yeah, maybe before, they were right.”
He turned to look at her. “But you’re not just some passing thing to me.”
Emma’s breath caught. “Aiden—”
“I like you,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “And I get that you don’t trust that. I get that I haven’t given you a reason to. But I don’t want to be just another mistake for you.”
Emma swallowed hard. “You’re leaving.”
Aiden nodded. “Yeah. But that doesn’t mean this has to end.”
Emma looked away, her heart hammering. “I don’t want to be someone you leave behind.”
Aiden reached over, gently taking her hand in his. “Then don’t be.”
Emma inhaled sharply. “Aiden—”
Before she could finish, he leaned in.
His lips hovered inches from hers, waiting, giving her a choice.
And for the first time since meeting him, Emma wasn’t sure what she was more afraid of—letting him in, or letting him go.
- Writer
