Love Never Dies

Aria’s POV:

One…two…three

It was three days since I went my separate way with Liam; he dropped me at my place and drove off, and I am sure he must be in Italy right now.

I was getting dressed to have dinner with my parents; Father was back and wanted to see me. I knew I had a long night, as it won’t be easy trying to explain things to Father.

After staring at my reflection in the mirror, I brushed my hand through my hair… He said it was pretty, but maybe he is just a liar.

I pulled my drawer and took out the scissors, gathered my hair in my hand, and was about to cut it, but it was hard.

My hands trembled as the scissors fell off.

Ring

My ringing phone brought me out of my trance. I checked the caller, and it was Caleb.

“What?” I scolded once the call got connected.

“Umm…sorry,” he apologized, and I sighed heavily; I was just in a bad mood.

“Why are you calling Caleb?”

“Father called me; he asked I pick you up on my way.”

My brows furrowed. Which father? Did his parents finally return from their retirement tour? And it’s not like they ever liked me, so why would they ask him to pick me up?

“Hey,” he called.

“Pick me up?”

“Hmm…your dad invited me over; he asked that I pick you up so we can come together,” he explained, and I stamped my foot on the ground angrily. Why would Father ask such a thing?

“I already left,” I lied. He shouldn’t bother about me and just go.

“I am outside, Aria, and both your cars are parked here, so just come downstairs when you are ready.”

Ah, God, why can’t he just leave?

And why did Father invite him over? Didn’t he know we were already divorced?

I picked up my bag and hurried downstairs; the sooner we leave, the sooner he will be out of my sight.

I spotted Caleb’s car; he leaned against his car while on a phone call. His gaze moved to me before he hung up.

“Hey,” he smiled at me, about to step forward to hug me when I quickly pulled the door open and got in.

Caleb stared at me for a while before he got in as well and drove out.

“Do you want me to stop somewhere?” He asked, but I ignored him and focused my gaze out of the car.

He turned on the radio, and some commenters kept talking.

“We are here with Cool Kid; he just released his new track, we outside…Can you tell us more about it? Wait first… How old are you?” The moderator asked, and they both laughed.

“I am seventeen, bro.”

“Oh, no… Did you really sing this? Go on and sing… we need proof.”

He started singing, and every beat reminded me of that night, how Liam had taken me to dance with the others, and he simply stood there staring at me with a smile.

It was great.

“Aria,” Caleb called, and I jolted and stared at him. “I have been calling,” he said, and I turned off the radio. I don’t want to listen to anything that reminds me of Liam.

“I am asking if you had breakfast. We could stop to have a burger.”

“No need.” We were driving to my parents’ place, so my mom and Gigi must have prepared a feast for me. They say I am so light and need to eat much, so whenever I go there, they stuff me with food.

“You said you didn’t hate me, so what’s the attitude for?”

I clenched my fist and tried to keep my cool. “I don’t like you either,” I sneered.

“You remember your speech on the topic, love?” he asked, and I remembered the day I was asked to talk about love in my interview last year.

I had said a lot of things, but what had stood out was when I said, “Such a feeling is indisputable; I think the right name for love should have been infinity, and instead of the heart shape to demonstrate love, we should have used the infinity sign because no matter what, such a feeling never dies and it’s till eternity.”

“Do you?” Caleb asked, and I nodded. I remember my words so well.

I closed my eyes and feigned to be asleep; I wasn’t wrong when I said that. Love was until eternity, but now I don’t think that’s what I feel for Caleb.

Does love really die? And that easily?

Luckily, the ride was silent until we arrived at my parents' place; I walked out of the car and left Caleb to park his car.

Walked to the door and took a peek in, trying to see if I could spot Father, but the only ones present in the sitting room were Mother and Gigi.

“My favorite people,” I called out and hurried to hug Gigi, who rubbed my back.

“How are you doing? Why did you leave last time without saying anything?” She asked, and I was pushed to think of Liam; he had come to pick me up.

I didn’t think of him intentionally; I only did that because Gigi mentioned that day.

“Sorry, Gigi.” I stuck out my lips, and she laughed and rubbed my cheeks before I walked forward to hug Mother.

“Are you stressing yourself out in the kitchen again?”

“I enjoy cooking; I made a lot of food for you and even bought some fresh corn in the market… I will cook it for you for dinner, okay?”

I raised a brow. I didn’t tell Mother I was spending the night here, but she said that, which meant they all knew I was spending the night.

“There is your father,” Mother muttered. I turned to find Father; he held a newspaper and walked to the couch.

“Come over,” he waved at me. I slowly dragged my leg and approached him. “Get me a cup of coffee,” he said. I nodded and dropped my bag before hurrying to the kitchen.

I was done and poured it into a coffee cup before I walked back to the sitting room, and the tension in the air was as sharp as a knife.

Caleb stood by the door; Mother and Gigi kept glaring at him so much that he found it hard to walk in.

Father was busy with his newspaper as well, not paying attention to him. I walked over and placed the coffee on the coffee table.

“Aria dear, come sit; let’s have breakfast,” Mother called, and I nodded before throwing one last look at Caleb, who hesitated to get in.

I sat in the dining room with Mother and Gigi before Father later joined; we ate in silence, and no one paid attention to Caleb. Wasn’t Father the one who invited him over?

This felt awkward; my gaze moved to Father, who behaved like there wasn’t someone at the door.