An age gap love story.
A brokenhearted billionaire.
A college girl.
*****
"Nevaeh," Aiden whispers, "can I rest my head on your shoulder?"
I nod, letting him rest his head on my shoulder. He closes his eyes.
"Thank you." He sighs in contentment. "...
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I push through the door and step into the bookstore. This place is new, and even though it's smaller than the last bookstore I visited a couple of days ago, the atmosphere is cozy.
It has beautiful french doors. The built-in bookshelves and surrounding walls are clad with wood paneling. There's a big couch so soft, providing a comfortable spot in the corner of the room.
I sigh in contentment as my gaze travels around the surroundings. Visiting bookstores has always made me calm. This reminds me of how I used to spend my free time when I was still in high school back in Texas. It's always thrilling to find new favorite books and add them to another collection in dad's library at home.
Books have always been my therapy. It's why I love roaming around the college library too. But now, the idea of visiting any places that have memories of Aiden -- including the library -- makes my heart clench with pain.
After I left him, I prefer to go somewhere else that doesn't remind me of him. New places, or places that have no connection to him at all.
My heart still hurts like being sliced every time I think about him -- and I still think about him a lot. I wonder what he's doing, if he's really happy.
Of course, he's happy now, Nevaeh. He's with her, the woman that he loves so much.
My eyes water again, and I lean back against the bookshelf. The agony I've been feeling inside starts to build up again, ready to consume me.
I wonder if Aiden has forgotten me. Maybe he hasn't and that's because he hates me.
All the wonderful and beautiful things that have happened between us seem so far away. Was it never real between us? Or was it not enough that it was so easy to shatter, just like that?
I shake my head in denial and shut my eyes. What am I doing? I've promised myself not to think about him anymore.
Here I am, trying to live my life, enjoying the little things in life, but the truth is that I'm not even living. I'm barely surviving.
I'm grateful that Ash and Maya have welcomed me to their apartment, to stay with them. We've spent a lot of time together, mostly them trying to cheer me up by doing something fun together -- a movie marathon, dancing, ordering a lot of comfort food. Sometimes, Flynn joins us.
At first, I was really surprised to hear that Flynn was officially in a relationship with Ash -- I couldn't stop asking about how it happened. After Flynn permanently moved to Seattle for business purposes, he apparently had a few dates with Ash before they became official.
Both of them say that they have a deep connection with each other, and I'm truly happy for them. Ash has trauma from her previous relationship, and so far Flynn has been showing that he's nothing like her pervert misogynistic ex-boyfriend. He respects Ash and would never force her to do anything she's not ready for.
