147. Restless Hearts
Brooks Mansion — Late Evening
Chloe and Aiden returned to Brooks Mansion with hearts still hammering, minds racing. Marcelline's "fever" weighed on them, her wellbeing tugging at their nerves like a relentless storm. Chloe practically bolted to her room to check her messages again, while Aiden paced in the foyer, jaw tight, fists clenched, the image of the Greek god-like man at Marcelline's villa burning in his mind.
Jealousy roared beneath his worry — a mix of protective instinct and frustration he couldn't shake.
"Man, you're scowling like you just lost your world championship," Greece teased when Aiden later kicked around a soccer ball at practice, letting out all the tension in furious, aggressive kicks. The ball flew every which way, thudding against the goalpost, ricocheting off the fence, yet he barely noticed.
Aiden shot a glare at Greece. "Shut up. It's… nothing."
Greece smirked knowingly. "Right. 'Nothing.' Let me guess — the girl? Or… someone stealing your thunder?"
"NO!" Aiden growled, hitting the ball so hard it nearly left the field.
"Heartbreak, jealousy, or rage? I'm confused," Greece said, chuckling. "Bro, come on, let's get out somewhere. Late-night snacks, rooftop laughs… distract the mind."
Aiden reluctantly let himself be dragged along. He laughed at his friends' jokes, ate, teased back — yet none of it reached the corners of his heart. That gnawing question followed him: Was that guy Marcelline's boyfriend? Are they together already? Does she even… need me?
Even amid laughter, he couldn't shake the unease.
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Brooks Mansion — Dinner
Later, back home, Aiden barely touched his food. He sat at the dining table, spoon hovering mid-air, mechanically moving it toward his mouth without actually eating. Kyron noticed immediately.
"Sir… I see you've discovered the revolutionary new diet of air consumption," Kyron quipped, smirking.
Aiden gave a sharp glare. Chloe elbowed Kyron under the table. "Stop teasing him, Kyron," she muttered.
Liana leaned forward, worry etching her face. "Chloe, Aiden… what's going on? How's Marcelline?"
Chloe recounted the "fever" with care, careful to skip any mention of the impossibly handsome man at the villa. Adrian and Liana shared a worried glance, sensing something more simmering beneath Aiden's silence.
Even after dinner, Aiden remained distant, lost in thought. His mind replayed Marcelline's villa, her faint, fragile voice, and that impossible figure watching over her.
Finally, Adrian's hand rested on Aiden's shoulder, steady and fatherly. "Aiden, I can see this is more than just concern for her health. Tell me the truth — what's bothering you?"
Aiden hesitated, swallowing hard. "It's… Marcelline. I saw… someone at her villa… a guy… handsome, like… like a Greek god. And I… I don't know if I even stand a chance. Maybe I never did. What if… what if I never do?"
Adrian's eyes softened. He leaned back slightly, speaking with the calm wisdom of both a father and a man who had faced his own heartache.
"Aiden… love isn't possession. And sometimes, the people we care about most… aren't meant to be ours. It hurts, yes. It always will. But wishing for their happiness… even if it isn't with us… is strength. That's what makes someone truly capable of love."
Aiden's throat tightened, eyes glistening.
Adrian continued, voice gentle but firm: "God writes every destiny with care. If she's meant for you… she will be. If not… someone else will enter your life who is meant for you. And maybe, just maybe, she'll still be happy. That's what matters most."
Aiden exhaled slowly, bitter truth settling in his chest. "Okay… Dad. I understand."
Adrian squeezed his shoulder with a soft smile. "That's my boy."
Still, as Aiden later lay in bed, the thoughts didn't leave. The questions whispered in the dark: Do I really have a chance with her… or am I already too late?
Chloe, in her own room, tried to soothe herself with the same logic, yet her worry for Marcelline — and subtle jealousy over the Greek-god-like presence at the villa — lingered like a shadow she couldn't shake.
The Brooks siblings were reunited under one roof, but their hearts remained restless, tangled between fear, love, and the quiet ache of longing.
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