Novels by ALJAY

“Aiden!”Mitz’s voice snapped me back to reality so suddenly that I flinched. I blinked at her, my chest tightening. “W-What?”“I’ve been calling you for ages. You were totally spaced out,” she said, eyes narrowing in concern. “Are you sure you’re okay? We don’t have to go if you’re not ready. I can drive you anywhere else instead.”“I’m…” I exhaled hard, forcing a small, steady smile. “I’m fine. I’ll deal with everything after tonight. I just need to get through this.”She did not press further, but I noticed how her jaw tightened, how her eyes darkened with worry.I stood and headed to the restroom to fix myself up, moving mechanically as though on autopilot. I ran a comb through my hair, straightened my collar, and splashed some cold water on my face. Even the light streaming through the window, the same golden glow I used to love, looked dull and washed out.My mother’s confession stayed in my head, looping again and again like a broken record. It clawed at me every time I thought

“And I did it again. I told you, Aiden, you’re going to Founder’s Night with me whether you like it or not,” Mitz said in a low voice as we combed through racks of outfits inside the boutique. She had already ratted me out to Mom about the event, and of course, she was quick to push me to attend. Even after I tried convincing her I didn’t want to, she reminded me how I had skipped every big event during high school including the graduation ball.“If Mom would only give me the choice, I’d still stay home,” I muttered, stopping in front of a slim-cut gray suit with a low V-neck vest and clean lines that hugged the shoulders perfectly. The moment I spotted the price tag, I frowned. “This is the most affordable one here, and it’s still expensive enough to completely drain our savings…”“Don’t even look at the tags. Pick what you actually want,” Mom called from the opposite side of the rack, her warm but firm smile making me feel guilty.“I can just borrow something from Mitz's brother,” I

“What? You saw Silas kissing someone in the locker room earlier and didn’t bother to tell me right away?” Mitz scoffed through the phone, her voice so loud I had to hold the device away from my ear.I groaned and fell back onto my bed. “It wasn’t exactly breaking news, Mitz. And why would it matter anyway?”“Because it’s Silas Rennick,” she shot back. “Come on, Aiden, you don’t just keep that kind of thing to yourself.”I stared at the ceiling and sighed. “He can kiss whoever he wants. It’s none of my business. Honestly, the less I know about him, the better.”“You’re full of crap,” Mitz said immediately. “I saw how stiff you got when he sat beside you today. Don’t even try to pretend.”“I wasn’t stiff,” I muttered. “I was cautious. You know how people at this school are. Sitting next to Silas is enough to set off a thousand rumors, and I have no interest in being the subject of anyone’s gossip.”She went quiet for a beat, and I could practically hear the smirk forming on her face.“L

“Aiden, are you even serious right now? Founder’s Night is barely three weeks away and you still can’t make up your mind if you’re going or not?” Mitz muttered with a shake of her head. “It’s Founder’s Night! This could literally be the highlight of our entire year, not to mention the only chance we’ll have to blow off steam after all the crap we’ve been through!”“I’m really not interested in spending the so-called best night of my college life at a crowded party,” I said flatly as I set my lunch tray down on the only empty table we could find. “Stuff like that just isn’t for me. You know I’d rather keep things low-key. And besides, I’m not about to make my mom shell out money for a suit, shoes, and whatever else they expect me to wear. Tuition here already costs more than enough.”Mitz’s expression softened with disappointment. “So, I guess I’m going to be showing up alone,” she muttered, her tone barely audible.We’d known each other since we were kids, practically growing up side