Aiden's POV

Aiden was sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the soft hum of music from his headphones filled the room. His thoughts kept drifting to Serafina, as they often did lately.

He'd never met anyone like her before—quiet yet fierce, reserved yet full of emotion just beneath the surface. The scars he'd glimpsed on her arm haunted him. They were a silent testament to the pain she carried, pain she had somehow survived.

And the way she had opened up to him about it...

Aiden felt a pang of protectiveness he didn't fully understand. She trusted him, and that meant everything. But it also made him wonder: was he doing enough?

His phone buzzed beside him, pulling him from his thoughts. He grabbed it and saw a message from the group chat with Serafina, Mia, and Ethan.

Mia😃: Movie night Friday? My place.

Ethan🤯: As long as we're not watching rom-coms again.

Mia😃: Rom-coms are superior cinema, Ethan. Deal with it.

I'm in. What about you, Fina?

The typing indicator appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again before her message came through.

Fina❤️: Sure. Sounds fun.

Aiden smiled to himself, relieved. After everything that had happened with Connor and her panic attack, she was starting to seem more like herself again.

The next day, Aiden spotted Serafina at her locker. She looked better—less tense, her smile coming a little easier as she chatted with Mia. Still, there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes when she caught sight of him.

"Hey," he said, walking up to them.

"Hi," she replied, her voice soft but warm.

Mia gave them a knowing look. "I'll see you in class, Fina."

Serafina rolled her eyes as Mia walked off, her teasing smirk not going unnoticed. "She's ridiculous."

"She's not wrong, though," Aiden said, leaning against the locker next to hers.

"About what?"

"That you're starting to look happier."

Her cheeks turned pink, and she glanced down at the books in her hands. "I'm trying. It's... easier when you're around."

The words caught him off guard, but he hid it with a smile. "Good. I'm glad."

They stood there for a moment, the noise of the crowded hallway fading into the background.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, breaking the silence.

"Anything."

"Why do you care so much? About me, I mean."

Aiden frowned, confused by the question. "Because you matter. You're my friend, Fina. And friends look out for each other."

She seemed to consider his answer, her expression unreadable. "Thanks, Aiden. For everything."

"You don't have to thank me," he said, his voice soft. "I'm just glad I can be there for you."

Later that evening, Serafina's name lit up his phone again.

Fina❤️: Can we talk?

Of course. What's up?

Fina❤️: Can I call you?

He dialed her number immediately, his chest tightening with concern.

"Hey," she answered after the first ring, her voice quieter than usual.

"What's going on?"

"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry if I've been a burden to you."

Aiden's heart sank. "Fina, you're not a burden. Where's this coming from?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just... I don't want you to feel like you have to take care of me all the time."

"Taking care of you doesn't feel like a chore," he said firmly. "It feels like the right thing to do. And I don't do it because I have to—I do it because I want to."

The line went quiet for a moment before she whispered, "You're a good person, Aiden."

"And so are you," he said, his voice steady.

They stayed on the phone for hours that night, talking about everything and nothing. And as Aiden listened to her laughter—so rare and beautiful—he realized something.

He didn't just care about Serafina as a friend.

He cared about her as something more.

a/n

trying to get like them in real life .