Everything Has Changed

You Need Some Therapy! And YOU Need Some Therapy!

A/N This is definitely one of my favorite chapter titles I've ever come up with! It reminds of that meme that goes, "My therapy needs therapy." Anyway, here's the chapter, I hope you enjoy it! It's kinda short, but I hope the next one makes up for it :)

ARU

Aru stared at Aiden.

Why hadn't she figured that out sooner? It made sense. She was the last logical option. But...

"Me? Your fake girlfriend?" she repeated. The idea of anyone dating her, even if it was fake, was just...weird. Why would anyone like her? She was weird and nerdy and was very sarcastic--which were never appealing qualities to any potential partner. But honestly, she could care less about the people who thought that. She'd only accept someone who would accept her for herself, anyway.

But Aiden needed her help to face his dad. Aru could relate. Her deadbeat dad had taken off right before her birth, leaving both her and her mom. She hated him for the quiet, constant state of grief he'd left her mom in. Krithika Shah hid her pain well, but Aru was good at recognizing when people tried to disguise their sadness. She did it often enough herself.

Aru would find a way to help Aiden, no matter what. She didn't want to see his dad exploit his pain from the divorce.

"You don't have to," Aiden said hurriedly. Aru realized she'd been silent for a while, and he'd taken it as a no. "I can find someone else. Or I can just go by myself. I--"

"I'll do it." The words were out of Aru's mouth before she even realized she'd said them.

"It's kind of short notice and--"

Aru put a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off. "Aiden, I said yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely. I'm not letting you face your dad alone. You need help, and I'm willing to give it. As a friend, of course."

If Aru was going to be honest with herself, she had wanted to be a little more than friends with him, once. But Aiden had made it clear long ago that he liked their friendship the way it was. And Aru wouldn't ruin it for anything. She'd gotten over her long-ago crush, anyway. Right?

Something shifted in Aiden's expression, but it was gone so quickly Aru thought she'd imagined it. "Yeah," he said. "Of course."

Aru tapped her fingers on her charm bracelet, where its lightning-shaped charm glinted. Mini and Brynne had matching bracelets, with a skull charm and wind charm, respectively. It was kind of like their version of friendship bracelets.

"So, like...what else should I know about this whole thing? What should I tell my mom?"

"Pack for a three-day trip, from Thursday to Saturday. And I guess....well, we're supposed to be dating, right? So tell her that we are. Our moms both buy into that 'find a significant other early' stuff, so I think we can get them to agree relatively easily."

"True," Aru admitted. "But I thought the fake relationship was only going to be for the dinner?"

"My dad is a lawyer and he knows when people are telling the truth and when they're lying. We have to practice our act or he'll see right through us. Trust me."

Yet as he said the words, he didn't quite look at Aru. Maybe that was her fault. She'd suggested this in the first place. Aru felt a pang of guilt, and then indignation. Surely her company wasn't that bad.

"Fortunately for you, I'm a really good liar," Aru quipped.

Aiden laughed, the tenseness in the air suffusing a bit. "That's good to know."