The day was shaping up to be another routine one. The morning sunlight filtered in through the tall windows of the university, casting soft, warm rays across the lecture hall. Emilia stood at the front of the room, adjusting her notes on the podium, preparing for the class she was about to deliver. It had become her rhythm—teaching, speaking, guiding her students through the intricacies of political science. But today felt different.
She couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different, but it was there, an unsettling feeling that had lodged itself in her chest since Aiden's return. The thought of him lingered in her mind, refusing to fade, no matter how hard she tried to focus on her work. He had come back to the university as a permanent lecturer, a fact she had learned just the day before. The shock of his return had faded somewhat, but the unresolved tension between them remained, thick and suffocating.
She couldn't escape him now.
As the students trickled into the lecture hall, Emilia took a deep breath, forcing her thoughts away from the past and toward the present. Today's lesson on international relations was important, and she had to be professional. She had managed to ignore the pull of her emotions in front of students for years, and she wasn't going to let Aiden distract her now. She could do this.
The door to the lecture hall creaked open, and Emilia's gaze snapped to it without meaning to. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him.
Aiden.
He stood in the doorway for a moment, his presence as commanding as ever. His usual confident posture, the way he moved with purpose, hadn't changed a bit. He had always had a way of drawing attention without trying, and now, standing at the back of the room, it seemed as if the air around him had thickened, pulling the attention of everyone present.
Emilia's heart twisted with the recognition of him. He was here, again. This time, it was not a fleeting visit or a random encounter. This time, Aiden was back for good.
He walked toward her, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before he quickly averted his gaze, the tension between them palpable. Emilia couldn't ignore the weight of the silence that settled in the room, but she couldn't afford to let it disrupt her. She wasn't going to be shaken. Not again.
"Excuse me, Emilia," Aiden's voice broke through the silence, pulling her attention back to him. "I just wanted to check in about the lecture for next week. I didn't want to step on your toes."
She blinked, the professionalism of his tone catching her off guard. But beneath it, she noticed the same edge of uncertainty that had been there since their last conversation. The familiarity of it tugged at her, but she quickly shook it off.
"Of course, Aiden," she replied, her voice steady, betraying none of the storm brewing inside. "We'll coordinate to make sure we're on the same page."
Aiden gave a small nod, but his eyes lingered on her, searching her face. He seemed to be waiting for something, for an invitation, an opening. It was as if he thought the conversation could take a different turn, that maybe they could return to the familiarity they once shared. But Emilia wasn't ready to entertain that idea. Not now. Not ever.
He took a step closer, and she could feel the space between them shrinking. Every movement of his seemed deliberate, measured, as though he were testing her, trying to see how far he could push. He was a master of subtlety, of insinuation, and he knew just how to make her feel like she was on the verge of breaking.
But she wouldn't. She couldn't.
"I don't know if I ever properly apologized, Emilia," Aiden said, his voice softer now, as though the professional barrier between them had broken for just a moment. His words hung in the air like a confession, but they didn't carry the same weight they once would have. "For leaving. For not saying goodbye. For everything."
Emilia's chest tightened, the words he spoke stirring up emotions she had long buried. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to shout at him, to demand the answers she had spent years searching for. But she couldn't. She had done her time in that mental prison, and now, she was free. She wouldn't let him drag her back into it.
"I've moved on from that, Aiden," she said, her voice cool but firm. "I don't need your apology. I don't need you to fix anything."
He flinched, but only slightly. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, a mix of regret and something deeper, more vulnerable, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. He studied her for a moment longer, as though he were trying to decipher her, to understand how she had changed, how the girl he once knew had become this woman standing before him.
"I know it's not that simple," he said, his voice low now, almost a whisper. "But I need you to know that I'm not here to undo the past. I'm not here to ask for your forgiveness. I just… I just want to be part of your life again, even if only in a small way."
The words hung in the air, laden with meaning. Emilia felt a sharp pang in her chest. Part of her—a small part, but still—wanted to reach out, to give in. Aiden had always been able to speak to her heart, to make her feel things she wasn't ready to face. But this time, it wasn't the same. This time, she had learned how to stand on her own. She had built her life, her identity, without him, and she wasn't going to let him sweep in and tear it down.
"No," she said, her voice resolute. "You don't get to do that, Aiden. You don't get to just waltz back into my life like nothing ever happened. I've spent years rebuilding. I won't let you undo that, no matter how hard you try."
Aiden's jaw tightened, his gaze darkening, but he didn't argue. Instead, he nodded, slowly and resignedly, as if he had known this moment would come, but still, part of him had hoped it wouldn't.
"I get it," he said quietly. "I really do. I just… I just wanted to try. To see if maybe we could find a way forward."
"Forward?" Emilia echoed, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "There is no 'we' anymore, Aiden. You made sure of that."
The words were harsh, but she didn't feel the sting of them. She had spent too long carrying the burden of their past, too long waiting for him to return and make everything right again. But the truth was, she didn't need him. She never had.
Aiden stood there for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say. His eyes met hers one final time, searching, hoping for a crack in her armor, but there was none.
"Goodbye, Aiden," she said quietly, but firmly.
And with that, she turned back to her desk, signaling the end of their conversation, the end of the chapter they had once shared. Aiden lingered for a moment longer, but he made no attempt to stop her. Instead, he simply walked out of the room, leaving behind only the faintest echo of the past.
As the door closed behind him, Emilia exhaled a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, a sense of finality settling in her chest.
It was over. Finally, it was over.
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This chapter explores the delicate push-and-pull dynamic between Emilia and Aiden. She has clearly moved on, but Aiden's return challenges her resolve. Through their exchange in the classroom, we see the contrast between Aiden's lingering emotions and Emilia's newfound strength and independence. It's a meeting of closure and boundaries, marking the end of an era for Emilia.