Chapter 12
The second Jayden’s fingers wrapped around her wrist, he felt like his entire world snapped back into focus. The warmth of her skin, the fragile bones beneath–she was real. She was fucking real.
“Holy shit, Arianna,” he breathed, his voice cracking with a mixture of relief and disbelief. “I knew it. I knew you couldn’t be dead.”
When she turned around to face him, his heart nearly exploded.
She looked exactly the same as she had ten years ago–pale and delicate, like she might break if he held her too tight. Her dark hair was longer now, falling past her shoulders, but those brown eyes were unchanged. Still soft, still kind, still capable of destroying him with a single look.
“Hi, Jayden,” she said quietly, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. “This is… unexpected.”
Before she could say another word, he crushed her against his chest so hard she made a small sound of surprise. He didn’t care if he was being too intense, didn’t care if people were staring. He’d thought she was dead. He’d spent the last three days in absolute hell thinking he’d lost her forever.
“Why is everyone saying you died?” The words came out muffled against her hair “Why would they tell me that? Why would they make me think-”
berate and raw.
He felt her go completely still in his arms, and when she pulled back to look at him, her eyes were swimming with tears.
“Because I wanted to disappear,” she whispered, her voice so small he had to strain to hear her. “After everything that happened, after the trial… people looked at me like I was poison. Like your dad died
because I existed.”
Her lower lip trembled, and Jayden wanted to find every single person who’d ever made her feel that way and make them pay.
“I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she continued, tears starting to spill over. “So I let everyone think I was gone. I thought it would be easier for everyone, especially you.”
“Easier for me?” Jayden’s voice cracked completely. “Jesus, Arianna, losing you was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Even when I was angry, even when I said those horrible things-”
“You had every right to hate me,” she interrupted, her voice breaking. “I destroyed your family. I destroyed everything.”
“No.” He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. “No, you didn’t. What happened to my dad wasn’t your fault. I was eighteen and stupid and hurting, and I took it all out on you because I didn’t
Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I’m Shining Golden as a Queen
48.4%
Chapter 12
know how else to deal with it.”
Tears were streaming down her face now, and seeing her cry was like having his heart ripped out all
over again.
“I missed you so much,” she sobbed. “Every single day for ten years, I missed you.”
“Fuck,” he whispered, pulling her close again. “I missed you too. I never stopped missing you.”
They stood there on the busy sidewalk, holding each other and crying like the broken teenagers they’d never really stopped being. People walked around them, probably thinking they were crazy, but Jayden
didn’t give a shit. She was alive. She was here. Nothing else mattered.
“Come on,” he said finally, taking her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
The walk back to their old neighborhood felt surreal. Every street corner held memories–him walking
her to school, both of them complaining about homework, making plans for a future they’d thought was
guaranteed.
Her house was still dark and empty, so he brought her to his place instead.
“Sorry it’s such a mess,” he said, suddenly self–conscious. “I wasn’t exactly expecting company.”
She sat on the edge of his couch like she might bolt at any second, and he realize was probably just
as overwhelmed as he was.
“Can I get you something? Water? Coffee?” He was rambling, nervous as hell. “I think there might be some of those cookies you used to like-”
“Jayden.” Her voice was soft but steady. “Just sit with me.”
He sat down next to her, close enough to touch but not quite brave enough to reach for her hand.
“How have you been?” he asked quietly. “Really, I mean. Your health, your life… everything.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear–a gesture he remembered from a thousand conversations just like this one.
“Better,” she said. “I mean, I’m not cured or anything, but I’m stable. I went to school in California, got my teaching degree. I want to work with kids.”
Of course she did. Even after everything, she still wanted to take care of people.
“That’s amazing,” he said, and meant it. “But what brought you back here?”
Her expression faltered slightly. “My mom got sick. I came back to help her, and I just… I don’t know. I
14:51
Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I’m Shining Golden as a Queen
48.6%
Chapter 12
keep thinking I should leave, Int something always stops me
“Maybe you’re supposed to be here,” he said quietly.
She looked at him then, really looked at him, and he saw the exact moment her gaze landed on the coffee table where her diary and SD card were still sitting.
Her face went white.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “You… you read it all, didn’t you?”
The shame hit him like a physical blow. “Arianna, I’m so sorry. I had no right to go through your private-”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly, but her hands were shaking. “I mean, my mom sent them to you for a reason. I just… I never thought you’d actually…”
“I didn’t, for ten years,” he admitted. “I was too much of a coward to open the package. I only found it when I thought you were-” He couldn’t finish the sentence.
“When you thought I was dead.” Her voice was matter–of–fact, but he could hear the hurt underneath.
“I was such an idiot,” he said fiercely. “I wasted ten years being too proud and to
“That you what?”
d to admit that 1-
He looked at her–really looked at her–and saw the girl he’d fallen in love with when he was fifteen years old. The girl who’d tutored him in math and brought him soup when he was sick and loved him with a fierce, quiet devotion that he’d been too young and too stupid to fully appreciate.
“That I loved you,” he said simply. “That I’ve loved you since we were kids, and losing you nearly killed
me.”
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, but she was smiling now.
“Jayden,” she whispered, her voice soft and forgiving and full of more grace than he deserved, “I could never blame you for anything.”
Vale Dealni Blacthing I’m Shiming Golden as a Queen
