I put on my jacket and pulled out my phone. I checked the time and it was about lunch time. I headed out and to the dinning hall. My appetite wasn’t what it used to be. I opened the door and walked in. Sophie was sitting alone at our table and I couldn’t help but smile. It was rare that I could catch my best friend alone.
I slid into the seat next to her and put my head down.
“That bad huh?” she asked, highlighting something in her textbook.
“They asked about Aidan.”
I turned my head to look at her. Her eyes stayed on the book.
“You knew that was a possibility.”
“They asked about the depression.”
Her eyes flicked over to me then, highlighter still in her hand.
“What exactly did they ask?”
“They wanted to know why I was in therapy.”
She put the highlighter down. “Gee, I’m sorry.”
“I’m starting to think this whole thing is stupid.”
“What does Michael say?”
“He said they were going to tear apart all my decisions whether I like it or not. By the way he was talking they’re all going to do it.”
“Oh wow, I’m sorry.”
I sat up. “I guess it’s my fault. I got involved with the school playboy, what else was I to expect?”
“Gee…” Sophie sighed. “You and I both know it was more than that.”
I looked at her. “Not you too.”
She eyed me closely. “I’m not his biggest fan. But we were all friends for years before you started dating. He couldn’t have faked it for that long.”
“Apparently he did. You didn’t see the look on his face when he said those things to me. It was the same face he used to dismiss the legions of girls on this campus.”
“I’m not going to argue with you. Mark told me he sent you a birthday gift. What was it?”
“Nothing of importance.”
She sighed. I knew what she was getting at. If Aidan didn’t care, he wouldn’t have sent anything for my birthday. But he did. I figured if I remained indifferent about the whole thing then maybe, just maybe, the whole situation would disappear.
“He didn’t care, Soph. I know that may be hard for you and Mark to believe but he didn’t, not about me.”
“I’ve talked to him, you know.” I gave her that look. “Don’t. He’s my friend too.”
“He’s not my friend. At this point he’s a distant memory.”
“He asks about you, every week.”
I banged my head on the table. “I’m sure he does.”
“Gee…”
I looked at her. “He’s in New York, Sophie. He’ll forget about all of us by graduation. Everyone will be scattered to the winds and then he’ll forget. If he hasn’t already.”
“Do you really think that? He called and sent you a text everyday since you got back here.”
“He stopped,” I commented. “Last week.”
“That’s because you didn’t answer the phone.”
“I figure if I don’t answer he’ll get the message. I’m not interested in his olive branch of friendship. I don’t want anything, anything to do with him, Sophie. I mean it.”
“Then why did you keep his gift?”
“What makes you think I kept it?”
“The same way I know his fall thesis still hangs on the wall in your room.”
“I’ve been meaning to take that down and put up Mom’s painting.”
“Gee…”
“Can we change the subject please? Aidan is history. He’s not coming back. He doesn’t care about me or anyone else at this stupid school.”
“Then why is he coming to graduation?”
I sat up straight. “What?”
“Mark invited him. He accepted. He’ll be staying in the guest quarters for a couple days while he’s here.”
I shook my head. “No, no. No, he can’t come.”
I was starting to panic. I could feel it welling up in my chest.
“Why can’t he? He still has friends here. Everyone’s excited.”
“I’m not excited. Do I look excited? He can’t come back, Sophie. He just can’t.”
Sophie shrugged and went back to highlighting her notes. “Well he is. Their graduation is two days before ours and he’ll be here right after. His mom too.”
“Oh fu—“
“Hey guys,” Sebastis said, cutting off the last part of my word. “What’s going on?”
“Did you know?” I asked him, swiveling around to look at him.
“Know what?” He looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Aidan’s coming for graduation.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s crazy.”
I narrowed my eyes at him trying to decide if he was lying. “Sebastis…”
“I swear I didn’t know.” He held up his hands, fork still in one. “I don’t talk to him.”
Sophie choked on her drink. I sighed and thumped my head back on the table. That was a lie. I could tell by Sophie’s reaction.
“Bast…”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant…”
I got up from the table and walked away. This was just great. All my friends talked to him. This was just…fucking spectacular. Only problem was Sophie was right about one thing. When I got back to the apartment building, before I went up to my room, I grabbed Aidan’s present from the trash. I don’t know what made me do it but I did.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out. I was walking across the quad, the breeze still held a bit of winter chill.
“Hello?” I said.
“Georgiana!”
I narrowed my eyes, trying to place the voice.
“It’s Lena.”
“Oh.” I sighed with relief. “Hey. How are you?”
“I’m good! I’m on campus and I wanted to see if we were still having lunch on Wednesday.”
“Yeah. It’s still good.”
“You’re not too busy? The itinerary said you were booked with interviews all week.”
I sighed. “Yeah. Those are just…going splendidly.”
“Oh.” I could tell she was trying to hide her excitement. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. So Wednesday? Noon?”
“Sure. Meet me at the garage. We’re going into town.”
I nodded. “Sure. It was nice talking to you Lena.”
“You too, Georgiana.”
The other end cut off and I snapped my phone shut. Lena was always as direct and never said goodbye at the end of a conversation. I could just imagine who she dragged here to conduct interviews with her. Part of me hoped Gregori had come with her. I still couldn’t figure out why I felt the way I did about him. Technically I didn’t feel anything but I still remembered that heat that radiated every time he was around. I’d figured that part out; he was the source of it. No denying that.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d felt the same thing, that invisible connection. It was so weird.
My phone buzzed then. I flipped it open and saw a text from Luke.
Meet me at the lake. I have some bad news.
I sighed. I could only imagine what that meant. All I was getting today was bad news. I sent a text telling him I’d be there in five minutes. Then my thumb hovered over “Create a new text” for a second. I hit it and typed.
Don’t even think about coming here.
I’d kept Aidan’s number in my phone so I knew it was him when he called. I sighed and hit send. I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to communicate with him in any way, shape, or form and here I was, betraying that promise.
I tucked my phone back into my jeans pocket and headed to the lake. Luke and I liked to take walks. Most of the time we never said anything to each other and it was nice to have that comfortable silence. We had a specific bench down by the lake that we’d just sit and relax. Most of the time that’s when we’d start talking, almost as if the walk was for us to gather our thoughts to spill to the other.
He only summoned me to the bench when something serious was going on. Part of me couldn’t imagine what it could be. Nothing horrible was going on, Jason was dead. The Underworlders hadn’t made an appearance since his death and my kidnapping on campus. It was eerie how still the world had become with Jason’s death. I could feel myself bracing for that stillness to end sometimes. But the moment would pass and my muscles would relax.
I was having one of those moments now. I jogged the rest of the way to the bench and found Luke already waiting for me. I didn’t wait to sit before I said something.
“What’s wrong?”
“We have a problem.”
“What problem?” I asked, sliding into my seat.
He looked at me. “Aidan is requesting a transfer.”
“What?” I said. “Again? Why?”
“According to the paperwork, he is unhappy with his instruction in New York.”
“He can’t come back here, Luke. He’s not allowed.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s what worries me. He’s trying to go against Raphael’s orders.”
I sighed and looked out at the lake. “What does my father say?”
“All he knows is Aidan saved his daughter from Jason. At this point I think your father would allow him back in on that point alone.”
I shook my head. “What the hell is he thinking?”
“I don’t know, Georgiana. What did Raphael say specifically?”
I thought. “I don’t know. It’s all fuzzy now. I can only remember certain parts at this point.”
Luke nodded. “That’s their way of defense. They don’t like people knowing they’re real.”
“But people believe in angels.”
“I know that. But an angel hasn’t been seen on the Earth in thousands of years let alone an Archangel.”
I sighed. “Do you think he knows?”
“Who?”
“Raphael. Do you think he knows Aidan’s trying to get a transfer? Do you think Aidan even remembers the dream?”
“It’s hard to say. Does Michael?”
I shrugged. “The topic doesn’t come up that often.”
“That’s understandable. Maybe you should ask him.”
“I would assume he remembers something since he knows we have to say goodbye a month after he comes back. Besides, I can’t talk to him. Not right now anyways. The walkie-talkie link is cut off at the moment.”
“I still think that is so odd. That you two can switch certain parts of the bond on and off like that.”
I just shrugged. “To tell you the truth I’m used to it. I don’t mind him being in my head that much anymore. There’s nothing really to hide from him now.”
“So you’re going to tell him about Aidan?”
“I’m sure he already knows and I know what he’d say to me.” I cleared my throat and tried my best Michael imitation. “Don’t worry about him, Georgiana. You need to focus on your interviews right now. Those are more important.”
Luke busted out laughing. “That was good.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“That’s good too.” He pointed at my smile. “I like seeing you smile. It’s good to see you happy.”
“I’m not always happy, Luke. You know that.”
“I know but you’re handling everything so well right now.”
“I think of it this way. If I can get through a three month separation, then I’ll be ok. Because he’ll be back and with me for a whole month after that. We’ll be together, even though…”
I trailed off after that. I tried not to imagine what it would be like to have to say goodbye to Michael forever. In my mind I was still trying to find loop holes. Right now I couldn’t find any but I wasn’t giving up, not yet. I wouldn’t, ever.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I dug it out.
“You should consider a holster for that thing.”
I smiled at Luke’s comment and looked my phone. My smile dimmed a bit when I noticed who the text was from.
“What?” Luke said.
“I made a mistake.”
“What do you mean?”
“ Sophie told me Aidan was coming for graduation. I sent him a text telling him not to come.” I held up my phone. “He replied.”
“What’s it say?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t opened it yet. I don’t want to. I don’t want to talk to him at all.”
“Gee, you have to face him sometime. It’s going to be worse if he gets his transfer. So bite the bullet and read the damn text.”
I sighed. “Fine.”
I opened it and read.
Well it’s nice to hear from you finally. I’m coming and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“He is so full of shit.”
I gripped my phone tight and tried not to toss it into the lake. I was furious.
“Why do you think his eyes are brown?” Luke said.
I looked at him. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“I thought it was funny.”
The corner of my mouth turned up. “Yeah it was a riot. God, Luke. What the hell am I going to do? He can’t transfer.”
“And what if he does?”
I rolled my head. “Why is he doing this? He doesn’t want to come back here. Why is he torturing me?”
“He is the way he is. Maybe you should send him a reminder of why he can’t come back. See if he remembers the dream, the pact.”
I popped out the keyboard and replied to Aidan’s text.
You promised.
“That was short,” Luke commented.
“The reply part is always easy. It’s the beginning that’s hard.”
My phone jingled. I opened the text and read.
Loop holes are great, Ana. You should know that by now.
My answer was easy. You son of a bitch. Don’t do this to me. You promised. You should try sticking to what you say for once.
His answer was just as quick. Still as fierce as I remember. Don’t fret, I’ll see you soon.
You are a pain!
Just the way you like me.
I didn’t dignify that with a response. I snapped my phone closed and shoved it in my pocket.
“Why are guys such douche bags?”
Luke started laughing. “Don’t take it personally.”
“How can I not take this personally?”
Luke sighed. “He’s trying to get under your skin. He wants you pissed off because then he knows you’ll respond to him. That’s all it is. Ignore it.”
“I’m trying. I was making great progress.”
“Then maybe that’s not the way to deal with him.”
“I don’t know how to deal with him. I don’t want anything to do with him and if he comes back here…”
“We don’t even know if it will happen. The Counsel could decline his transfer.”
“They won’t. I can already feel that.”
“Then you need to get yourself ready. Because it’s going to be tough.”
~ * ~
A/N: So you really didn't think that was it for Aidan, did you? I hope not. There will be some back and forth for the next couple of chapters. Some things need to be resolved before he can be put to bed, as some people say. I know Michael fans will be pissed since he's not there to do the whole cat pissing on a tree thing but if you've noticed, he takes the standing back approach. It sucks but you can't control people, Michael knows that and Gee...well she needs to figure some stuff out. Oh and I will be doing double posts for a while so if you vote, don't forget to do so on both chapters.