Chapter 16
Aurelia stopped walking but didn’t turn around.
Luigi rushed to block her path, his voice raw with four years of suppressed agony: “Why did you just fucking disappear? Why New Mexico? Do you have any clue what hell you put me through?”
How could she stand there looking so composed while he’d been dying inside every single day?
He’d been haunted by their memories-reliving every stolen moment under classroom desks, their first kiss behind the gym, all the dreams they’d shared about college together.
Every beautiful memory felt like a knife twisting in his chest, and it seemed like he was the only one carrying the weight of what they’d lost.
Luigi’s voice cracked completely: “Did I mean nothing to you? Were you just playing with me the whole time? We had plans-Boston University, remember? We were supposed to be together!”
Aurelia’s expression remained perfectly controlled, her voice clinical and detached.
‘My life is not your concern, and your life is not mine.”
The words hit Luigi like a sledgehammer to the chest, nearly bringing him to his knees.
He grabbed her wrist desperately: “Don’t give me that bullshit! You loved me-I know you did. We promised each other we’d go to Boston together. Why did you just abandon everything we had?”
After four years of rigorous training, Aurelia had learned to bury her emotions so deep that nothing showed on her surface. Even facing the ghost of her first love, she felt nothing but cold indifference.
The past was the past. There was no point in dissecting a corpse.
We were teenagers, Luigi. Boston University was your dream, not mine. People grow up and move on.”
Her dismissal left him reeling.
.uigi’s voice turned desperate: “Have you been happy? These four years-did you ever think about us?”
I came here every year, stood outside those gates like an idiot, hoping to catch a glimpse of you. I sent you thousands of messages that you never
inswered.”
Aurelia shifted the box in her arms, barely glancing at him.
This is a classified facility. Students have no outside contact once enrolled.”
At least that explained the silence.
But Luigi couldn’t let it go: “Then why didn’t you tell me about this place? Why keep me in the dark about your entire future? Did I ever matter to you
at all?”
Aurelia’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to act wounded when he’d been the one chasing after Rosalia.
He’d made his choice crystal clear that night at the graduation party.
Her voice turned arctic: “If you’re done with this conversation, I suggest you review the materials for next week’s research seminar.”
She stepped around him and walked away with purposeful strides.
Seeing Luigi again had been jarring. Learning he’d followed her here was even more unsettling.
But some bridges, once burned, stayed burned forever.
Chapter 16
Especially when it came to people who couldn’t decide what they wanted.
What Aurelia didn’t know was that Luigi had completely ghosted Rosalia after that night at the bar. Once he’d finally understood his own heart, no amount of explanation or pleading from Rosalia could earn her so much as a text back.
They’d spent four years at colleges in the same city and never once crossed paths.
Rosalia had tried reaching out under various pretenses, but Luigi always responded the same way: “To avoid any misunderstandings, you should ask someone else. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Eventually, even Rosalía got the message and stopped trying.
Luigi stood frozen, watching the woman he’d crossed the country for walk away like he was a stranger.
After four years of searching, four years of hoping, four years of believing they could fix what was broken-this was what he got.
Complete indifference.
His chest felt hollow, like someone had scooped out his heart with a rusty spoon.
He was about to turn and leave when movement caught his eye.
A guy had appeared at Aurelia’s side, smoothly taking the heavy box from her hands. They were laughing together, their body language easy and
amiliar.
ust like Luigi and Aurelia used to be in high school.
