"I didn't know you knew Landon," Theo said to Aveline at the passenger's seat as he drove to Atlas house.
Her head which rested to the side of the window shifted a little.
"Yep," she simply replied.
"Aveline—"
"Don't start with the lectures, Mr Charming."
He smiled. It was exactly how she used to call him back then.
"I thought you were going to forever pretend you don't know me."
She sat up abruptly and turned her gaze to him.
"Why does everyone want to return to the past? Why does everyone want to be acknowledged? Why can't we just meet people exactly where they are?"
His smile widened. "Because it's not fiction, Aveline. This is real life. The past meets the present all the time, and you have to acknowledge it. Because if you keep pushing it away, it will only grow into something bigger than necessary."
