บททั้งหมดของ Nightmare turned love : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

I walked with Jordan’s arm around my shoulder for what felt like forever. My mind was as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey, and I had no idea what the heck I was doing anymore.This whole thing with Aiden—if it even is a thing—was weighing on me more than I’d like to admit.“Nova,” Jordan said gently, pulling me out of my thoughts. I stopped walking and turned to him.“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice soft. Honestly, I felt bad that he had to go through all that embarrassment because of me. Scratch that—because of Aiden and his massive bipolar energy.“I’m alright,” Jordan said with a small smile, then he pulled away slightly. “I don’t need to get treated. It wasn’t that hard of a punch anyway,” he added, flashing a full-blown grin.How was he still smiling after what just happened? The guy was weird. Nice weird, but weird.“Alright then, if you say so. We should probably grab lunch before the time runs out,” I said, and he nodded.We’d barely taken five steps before the bell rang.I s

AIDEN’S POV I saw her before she even laid eyes on me. She stood beneath the porch light—hair slightly messy from the wind, eyes dulled with something close to exhaustion, and cheeks flushed, either from the cold or laughter. Maybe both. She looked better than she had earlier today—not fully okay, but definitely not broken. Not like the Nova who walked out of school with her head down and fire in her eyes. That fire was because of me. I hated how she looked like she didn’t need me anymore. I’d been outside for nearly an hour. Just pacing like a goddamn idiot, trying to convince myself to walk over and knock. To say something. Anything. An apology. An explanation. A scream—hell, anything that would get her to talk to me again. But right now? I didn’t even know where to start. Do I regret what I did to Jordan? Not one fucking bit. He was a smug, manipulative jerk who had the nerve to admit he was messing with her feelings—then turned around and asked her out within the same

The moment I stepped into Sip and Paint Haven—more like Sip and Paint Hell for me—I knew two things:One, I was about to embarrass the absolute hell out of myself.Two, Jordan had way too much faith in my ability to do what normal people call fun.The place was admittedly cute—dim lights, soft jazz, mini canvases lined up neatly, and the scent of paint mixed with something that smelled suspiciously like vanilla-flavored candles. Most of the people were already seated, looking cozy and close, drinks in hand like they had their lives perfectly together.Meanwhile, I was sweating like I’d just walked into a pop quiz I didn’t study for.“This okay?” Jordan asked, pulling out a seat for me like a gentleman out of a cheesy romance novel.“Oh yeah, the seat is fine,” I replied with a smile.“I meant the place,” he said with a soft chuckle.Oh. Great. Embarrassment level: unlocked. And I hadn’t even picked up a brush yet.“Oh, totally fine,” I lied again, this time flashing a tight smile. “I

I don’t know what came over me when I asked him where he was. I wasn’t thinking. Actually, I stopped thinking the moment I saw his calls and texts.I barely remembered the cab ride. Just the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears and the way I gripped the seat like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.He called.After the silence. The disappointment. After walking away again. He finally reached out.And I was running to him.God, what the hell was I doing?But even if my brain was screaming at me to turn around, my heart had already made its decision. I needed to hear it. The truth. For once — no guessing, no half-answers, no mixed signals. Just him being honest.When the cab pulled up in front of my house, I didn’t hesitate. I walked straight across the street, up to his door, already bracing myself to ring the bell — but before I could even reach for it, the door burst open like he’d been standing right behind it.Aiden stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, that usu

The rest of the school day went… surprisingly basic. Except, you know, for the dozens of eyes I kept catching on me like I was on trial for high school treason. “Can they not?” I muttered, walking through the hallway. With Aiden. Yes. Aiden. Not Eli. I honestly don’t know how that happened either. One moment I was leaving class, and the next he was waiting for me like we were best friends in some weird teen fiction .Somehow, we just… walked to the cafeteria together. “Nova,” Aiden said, flashing that annoying grin, “you had what I’d call a public fallout with Jordan this morning, and now you’re walking with me. That’s enough to get the gossip blogs buzzing.” “First of all, Cross—it was not a fallout. He had every right to be upset. Second, I’m not walking with you. You’re walking with me. Get it right.” “Oh, please,” he smirked, draping an arm over my shoulder. “Same difference.” “What are you doing?” I stopped dead in my tracks, eyeing his arm like it was radioactive.