𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮

ᴸᵉᵃʰ , ᴱᵐᵐᵃ ʷʰᵒˢ ⁿᵉˣᵗ ?

The next day, Aurelia was feeling a little better after spending time with Violet. She was still processing everything, but she knew she needed to talk to Walker. When she checked her phone, she saw that he had sent her a few messages.

Walker: Hey, can we talk?
Walker: I miss you, Aurelia.
Walker: Please, let's meet up.

Aurelia sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and longing. She decided to text him back.

Aurelia: Fine. Meet me at the park in an hour.

An hour later, Aurelia arrived at the park. She spotted Walker sitting on a bench, looking anxious. She walked over and sat down next to him.

"Hey," Walker said softly.

"Hey," Aurelia replied, keeping her tone neutral.

There was an awkward silence between them before Walker finally spoke up.

"Aurelia, I'm really sorry about everything. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, his voice earnest.

Aurelia looked at him, her emotions swirling. "Walker, I don't even know where to start. One minute you're distant, and the next you're all overprotective. And then there's Emma..."

Walker sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Emma's just a friend. I didn't mean for it to seem like more."

"Well, it did," Aurelia snapped. "And then you get jealous when I'm hanging out with Dylan. It's like you don't know what you want."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Walker said, his voice filled with regret. "I was just... confused."

"Confused about what, Walker?" Aurelia asked, her frustration boiling over. "You can't keep playing with my feelings like this."

Walker looked down, his expression pained. "I didn't mean to. I just... I care about you, Aurelia. A lot."

Aurelia's heart ached at his words, but she forced herself to stay strong. "Then why didn't you say something earlier? Why did you let things get so complicated?"

Walker looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "Because I was scared. Scared of losing you if things didn't work out."

Aurelia shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well, congratulations, Walker. You've managed to mess things up anyway."

Walker reached out to touch her arm, but she pulled away. "Aurelia, please. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough, Walker," she said, her voice breaking. "I need you to figure out what you want, and I need some time to think."

Walker looked devastated, but he nodded. "I understand. I'll give you space. But please, don't shut me out completely."

Aurelia stood up, wiping away her tears. "I don't know, Walker. I just need time."

She turned and walked away, leaving Walker sitting on the bench, looking lost and heartbroken. As she walked home, Aurelia's emotions were a whirlwind. She knew she needed to sort through her feelings, but for now, she needed distance from Walker.

Back at home, Violet was waiting for her. "How did it go?" she asked gently.

Aurelia sighed, sitting down next to her sister. "We talked, but it didn't go well. I told him I need time to think."

Violet nodded, giving her sister a comforting hug. "It's okay, Lia. Take all the time you need."

As the evening went on, Aurelia tried to distract herself by watching movies and reading, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Walker. She knew she needed to figure out what she wanted, but it was easier said than done.

The next day, Aurelia decided to invite Dylan over again. She needed a distraction, and he was always good at making her laugh. When he arrived, they decided to bake cookies together.

"Thanks for coming over," Aurelia said as they started mixing the ingredients.

"Of course," Dylan replied with a smile. "I figured you could use some company."

They chatted and laughed as they baked, and for a while, Aurelia was able to forget about the drama with Walker. But as they were taking the cookies out of the oven, her phone buzzed with a notification. She glanced at it and saw a message from Walker.

Walker: Can we talk? Please?

Aurelia sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness. She decided to ignore the message for now and focus on spending time with Dylan.

As they sat down to eat the cookies, Dylan noticed the change in her mood. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just... Walker wants to talk again," Aurelia said, her voice heavy.

Dylan nodded, his expression understanding. "You don't have to deal with it right now. Just focus on having fun."

Aurelia smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Dylan. Thank you being here."

They spent the afternoon watching movies and playing games, and for a while, Aurelia was able to relax. But as the evening went on, she couldn't help but think about Walker and their conversation.

— YOU ARE IN LOVE—