The following weekend brought with it a different kind of campus event—Langston University's Charity Art Gala, hosted in the historic student union hall. Unlike the wild, dimly lit parties Elena typically avoided, the gala was sophisticated, elegant, and themed as a celebration of student expression. It was the kind of event that drew out both the artistically inclined and the socially ambitious.
Rose had begged Elena to attend. "It's not a party-party. There's no dance floor, no bass, just jazz music and wine and fancy dresses. Come on. For me?"
Elena had hesitated at first. Things had been strange since the bonfire. Her heart hadn't decided whether to soften toward Aiden or retreat into safety. But eventually, Rose's persistence won out.
That night, Elena wore a silky off-shoulder navy dress and a pair of delicate silver earrings. Her hair flowed in waves, makeup soft but polished. She didn't expect anything out of the evening. She only wanted to support Rose, who'd secretly submitted one of her poems to be displayed among the visual artworks.
The student union hall had been transformed. String lights crisscrossed the ceiling. Large easels displayed paintings, photographs, and sketches by Langston students. Small tables with white cloths were scattered throughout, with trays of hors d'oeuvres and sparkling cider.
Elena arrived with Rose just as the soft jazz began to play. The crowd was diverse—students, professors, even alumni. She spotted Jordan across the room, laughing with a few teammates.
And then, she saw Aiden.
Dressed in a deep charcoal button-down, sleeves rolled to his forearms, hair neatly styled. He was standing near a sculpture installation, speaking with one of the art professors. Elena tried to look away quickly, but their eyes met.
Her stomach flipped.
He didn't smile. He didn't wave. He just looked.
She turned away.
---
Elena wandered deeper into the gallery space, careful not to let her emotions show on her face. The soft notes of the jazz trio in the corner brushed against the edges of the tension in her chest, but nothing was soothing it. Her heels clicked lightly as she made her way down the row of art installations, each more detailed than the last, but she saw none of them clearly.
Her eyes drifted to a sculpture shaped like a cracked mirror, the shards arranged in a twisting spiral on a marble base. It caught her attention—not because it was beautiful, but because it felt familiar. Broken. Sharp. Reflective of everything she felt inside.
Across the hall, Aiden leaned against one of the pillars near the wine station, watching her. He hadn't approached yet, hadn't even decided if he should. After their heart-to-heart behind the science building and the bonfire the night before, everything between them felt raw. Vulnerable. They were on the edge of something—something real—but it also felt as fragile as glass.
But he couldn't take the silence anymore.
He walked across the room slowly, weaving through the crowd, and stopped beside her at the sculpture.
"Elena."
She didn't turn around right away, her eyes still fixed on the sculpture. When she finally looked at him, her gaze was calm but guarded.
"You came."
He nodded. "Wasn't sure if I should."
"Neither was I."
They stood side by side, not speaking for a moment. The silence wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't hostile either. Just thick with everything left unsaid.
"I saw your name on the art sponsor list," she said finally. "Didn't know you were involved."
"I helped Rose submit her poem. She didn't want to go through the admin headaches. So, I volunteered."
"That was nice of you."
"I owed her," he replied. "She gave me a lot of lectures about how I treat people."
Elena let out a small laugh—quiet and brief. "She does that."
More silence. Then Aiden sighed. "Can we talk?"
She didn't answer right away. Her arms crossed gently, her body tense. "If this is about what happened at the bonfire… I don't want to rehash it."
"It's not," he said quickly. "I just want to talk about now. About us."
Her lips parted slightly, uncertain.
He continued. "I know things felt different after that night. I felt it too. But I don't want to pretend it didn't happen. I don't want to go back to who we were before."
Elena looked at him, her expression vulnerable. "So what do you want, Aiden?"
He hesitated, then stepped a little closer. "I want to be someone you don't have to second guess. Someone who doesn't confuse or disappoint you."
Her eyes welled. "That's a lot to promise."
"I'm not making promises. I'm just asking for time. To figure it out. With you."
She looked away. The weight of his words settled on her chest. "It's not that simple."
"I know. But nothing about you has ever been simple. And I like that. I like… you."
Elena's gaze drifted back to the sculpture. "Then why do I still feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop?"
"Because I haven't earned your trust yet."
Silence again.
"I'm not asking you to fall into anything," Aiden said, voice low. "But don't shut me out either. Please."
Elena took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. "I'm not shutting you out. I'm just… protecting myself."
Aiden nodded. "Then protect yourself. But let me walk beside you while you do."
A pause. Then finally—
"Okay," she whispered.
They stood there a little longer, together but not touching, both carrying too many emotions to sort through in one night.
---
The walk back to Elena's dorm was quiet, lit by soft streetlamps and the occasional sound of laughter from lingering students outside the student union. The crisp night air pressed gently against her skin, but her thoughts ran too wild to feel the cold.
Aiden walked beside her, hands tucked in his jacket pockets. Neither of them spoke—not out of discomfort, but because they were both steeped in the quiet aftermath of their talk. There had been no grand resolution. No perfect moment. Just honesty.
And sometimes, that was enough.
As they neared her dorm building, Elena slowed.
"This is me," she said, almost reluctantly.
Aiden nodded, rocking slightly on his heels. "Yeah."
For a moment, they stood there, bathed in the yellow glow of the entry light. The buzz of a distant car engine hummed in the background.
"I don't know where this is going," Elena admitted softly. "But I'm not ready to give up yet."
Aiden's eyes locked onto hers. "Me neither."
There was a pause. Aiden looked like he might say something more, maybe lean in. But he didn't. He just gave her a small nod.
"Goodnight, Elena."
"Goodnight."
She turned to go, but then paused on the steps, looking back over her shoulder.
"Aiden?"
He glanced up.
"Thank you… for not giving up on me either."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Always."
She disappeared into the dorm, and Aiden stood there for a few long seconds before finally turning to leave.
He didn't see the figure watching them from across the quad.
A student, someone Elena had once helped in the library, now nursing a grudge over an academic complaint. Someone who'd seen their closeness and misunderstood it. Someone bitter, insecure, and looking for attention.
The kind of person who could spark a fire with a single accusation.
---
Back in her room, Elena sank onto her bed, fingers brushing over her phone. Rose was still out with Jordan. She could call her. Tell her everything. But something made her stop.
This felt too new, too precious, to share yet. Like naming it might break the spell.
She lay back, staring at the ceiling.
She wasn't sure what would happen next.
But for the first time in weeks, she was willing to find out.
---