(Triple update. Make sure you've read 19, and 20)

Aru's pov

Once they all calmed and settled, Aru decided they would leave the next day instead. Starting early morning would be a bit more smart. So Brynne and Hira would share a bed, Aru and Mini would share one in the guest room and then Rudy would be on one couch and Aiden on the other.

Drew drove back but Aru saw he was a bit reluctant. He lectured Aru on taking care of Aiden or something and she was like 'Kay. But who asked?' Instead she asked why her and he just winked.

So now it was 2:32 am and Aru woke up for some water.

She tiptoed downstairs and headed into the kitchen. She saw Aiden leaning on the railing of the patio, facing towards it, phone in hand. He cut the call and leaned a little more. She saw his side profile and damn it was hot. Sharp. She decided to make her presence known.

She cleared her throat and opened the cupboard to find a glass cup. He startled and looked towards her, still leaning on the railing. The glass door was slid open so he could hear her.

"Hey" She whispered, not wanting to wake up Rudy. She poured the water and walked out to join him. She closed the glass door and sat on the railing. Since the patio was on the first floor of the villa she wasn't scared of falling.

"Uh. Hi" He replied facing back toward the railing. The moonlight light was on allowing Aru to see his expression. His mouth was tugged down in the corners and his eyebrows were slanted down.

"Something on my face, Shah?"

"Just studying your expression"

He quickly turned away. She grabbed his face with one hand and turned it back towards her. She sipped on her water.

"I'm not done yet" She held his face in her hand and she leaned down a little. Only a little because Aiden was tall, and even if she was on the railing, he was still only a few inches shorter.

She took another sip. His face was getting really red and Aru was a little happy to have this effect on him.

"Okay. So you're upset" Aru said, taking another sip and letting go of his face.

"How do you not have morning breath?" Aiden asked, trying to change the subject.

"I didn't actually sleep" Aru shrugged. "Anyway. Why are you upset?"

"Why didn't you sleep?"

"Wifey" Aru said warningly.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Aiden!"

"Okay, fine" He mumbled. "That was my mom"

"Oh. What happened? Anything wrong at home?"

"No um" He paused. "She was upset we weren't coming today. And about the apartment."

"Oh."

"She wanted to shift me to another university because I was in danger, but I refused because I had friends here. And then she blamed it on you"

"Me?" Aru asked, surprised.

"Because apparently I like you" Aiden sighed. "I tried telling her it's not true, but you know, she didn't listen. And then she screamed into the phone on how she couldn't lose anyone else to love"

Aru's eyes widened. She remembered his parents were divorced.

"If it helps" Aru started. "I only think of you as a friend"

'Lies!'

She saw him wince slightly, but she didn't know why. She sipped her water and made a mental note.

"We're going home tomorrow. Well today technically" Aiden said. "But I'm afraid she's going to try and keep me. And if I leave she'll start getting drunk"

"If you don't mind me asking" Aru said, downing her glass of water. "When did your parents get divorced?"

He sighed again. "Maybe I'll just tell you everything. You're a good listener, and maybe you could help me"

Aru smiled. "I'll try"

"Okay so" Aiden fiddled with his watch.

"Stop that" Aru said, looking at his watch.

"What?"

"Playing with your watch. Is it something you do when you're nervous?"

"Yeah"

"Then don't be" Aru said softly, prying his hand from the watch similar to what he did when he found out about her scratching habit.

"My parents started off great" He started. "And when my mom wanted to marry my dad, a lot of her friends refused. They said he had an on and off girlfriend while he was with my mom. She didn't listen. They threatened to cut off communications with her if she did. She did"

He paused.

"And then they had me. And then the fighting started" He ran his hand through his hair.

"They started fighting about big things at the start. My father was getting drunk with friends and staying out late so my mom didn't like that. But later they started fighting about the smallest things"

"I thought it was because of me. I wore the simplest clothes and stayed out as often as I could. I tried not to ask them for anything, did everything myself. I think" He paused. "Maybe that's when I really became an adult. When I was 12. When my mom finally found out about Annette. When they divorced, when my father left the house, when I started studying hard to not disappoint my mother because of everything she sacrificed to have me"

"And I just...I've been thinking" Aiden looked outside at the night sky. "What did she get out of it?"

Aru jumped off the railing and stood next to him. She turned toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You. And she'd say you're worth it" Aru smiled. He smiled back.

"I like you, Shah"

Aru raised her eyebrows to tease him, although she knew it was just as friends.

"Uh-no-I mean like-as"

"As friends" She finished quickly. Aru climbed the railing and set one of her feet down on the grass of Hira's lawn.

"What are you doing?" Aiden asked.

"Climbing out. I can't sleep anyway, so I might as well stargaze."

"Okay. Okay wait, I'm coming" He climbed out and followed her. "You have a passion for stars?"

"Not a passion" Aru paused. She was getting into the hard part. "Just an interest. My name kind of sparked the interest"

"I have an interest too. And Aru? I don't think that's a constell-"

"My full name is Arundhati" Aru said, sitting down and gazing up.

"Arundhati. As in the morning star?"

"You know Hindi?" Aru asked.

"I had to learn" Aiden explained. "My dad was a lawyer. He had to learn a lot of languages, and he kinda pushed me into learning them. Huh. That was pretty easy to admit. Maybe it's because I told you about my parents"

"Or" He paused. "Maybe it's because it's you"

Aru blushed a little and she went back to gazing.

"Ah. I see. My dad was actually Hindi" She said. "And my mom was Gujarati. So I know a good amount of both"

"Oh cool"

It was getting a little awkward, so Aru decided to start a conversation. She had many conversation starters after years of southern politeness.

"Did you know I have tattoos?" Aru asked.

"Yeah. I saw it on your right wrist. And your left one"

"Yeah um." Aru looked down at her wrists. "That one is a lightning bolt" She pointed to her right wrist. "And that one is a star. For my name"

"Okay. I know what the star means, but what does the lightning bolt mean? I've noticed your obsession with them"

"Oh well." Aru felt the memories rushing back. "My favorite grandpa, Indra, he would give me lightning bolt themed stuff. He was called the 'God of Storms' or 'God of the Heavens'. Figuratively, of course. He passed"

"This bracelet. It was something he made. He named the lightning bolt charm Vajra" She smiled at the bracelet. "And he's been with me ever since"

"That's" Aiden paused. "Maybe I shouldn't say anything. I'll just be quiet"

"Maybe" Aru repeated. "There's a lot of maybes in the world"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Like maybe, without saying anything, being in the comfort of someone who understands you is enough" Aru said, returning her gaze to the stars. "And maybe, just maybe, the comfort you feel with that person is enough to make you feel happy. And, maybe, that happiness could last a lifetime."

"Then maybe" Aiden said, looking at the stars as well now. "As long as you find that person, you'll want to keep living. Because maybe, that person and the comfort will propel you forward and-"

"And maybe, without realizing it, you'll be able to propel forward at the same time" Aru finished. She looked at him. "In that case, let's just enjoy the stars for a little longer in silence. Maybe"

"Maybe that'll be enough" They finished in sync. They returned their gaze to the stars, heading in at 3:32 am.





Okay then.

I honestly don't know how I'll manage the ships. I really don't.

I have Aruden sailing, and sometimes I don't even know how. I start a chapter and whoosh, it ends up with Aruden.

So yeah.

And also, a little random, but I always get a little frustrated when someone's like: oh that's good, but I expected better.

If you come across that, here's what you say:

"Imma try my best, but sometimes my best won't fit your expectations. And that's okay."

Because I don't want to say something like 'dude who cares what you expected' because whatever they say will probably get to me.

This line though, kinda guiltrips them a little, it's kind, and it explains why it's okay to be a little less than perfect.

Just something I came up with.

Anyway I digress. This chapter was really meaningful. It's my favorite so far, I think.

What do you think?



-Loife