Aster never cared about what people thought.
At least, that's what he told himself.
And most of the time, it was true.
People whispered about him all the time—about his reputation, his family, his past. It didn't bother him. Let them talk. Let them assume whatever they wanted.
But for some reason, when they whispered about Rea—about them—it made his skin crawl.
Not because he cared about gossip.
But because he knew Rea did.
She was the kind of person who avoided attention. Who wanted to blend into the background, unnoticed, untouched.
And now, thanks to him, she was at the center of it all.
He hadn't thought much about it when they walked into school together. He didn't expect the stares—the side-eyes, the hushed murmurs in the hallways.
But Rea had felt it. He saw it in the way she clenched her jaw, in the way she shrank slightly beside him, like she wanted to disappear.
And for the first time in a long time, Aster felt guilty.
It was a rare feeling for him.
Not because he didn't care about people, but because he'd learned, a long time ago, that guilt didn't change anything.
But now, sitting in class, stealing glances at Rea while she furiously took notes, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd dragged her into something she hadn't asked for.
And the worst part?
He liked it.
He liked having her around.
Liked the way she bit her lip when she was thinking too hard.
Liked the way she rolled her eyes at his jokes but still smiled when she thought he wasn't looking.
Liked the way she challenged him, never letting him get away with his usual bullshit.
It was stupid.
Dangerous.
Because Aster Westwood didn't get attached.
Not to people. Not to places.
And definitely not to someone like Rea Jones.
—
By lunchtime, Aster was getting restless.
The school felt smaller than usual, suffocating in a way that made his skin itch.
He found himself watching Rea more than he should. Watching how she fidgeted with her sleeves. How she avoided Elena's questioning gaze.
How she refused to look at him.
That part stung more than he wanted to admit.
"Elena's not letting this go, huh?" Aster said casually, kicking his feet up on the bench.
Rea shot him a warning glare. "Don't start."
Aster smirked. "What? I think it's cute."
Rea scoffed. "You would."
Elena, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. "You know, Aster, you're way too calm about this."
Aster raised an eyebrow. "Should I be freaking out?"
Elena tilted her head, studying him. "Maybe."
Rea groaned. "Can we not do this right now?"
Elena sighed but didn't push.
Still, Aster could feel the tension between them.
Rea was holding something back.
And for the first time, he wasn't sure if it was because she didn't trust him—
Or because she was afraid of something else entirely.
—
After school, they walked to the bus stop together again.
This time, Rea was quiet.
Too quiet.
Aster didn't like it.
"You know," he started, watching her out of the corner of his eye, "you're a terrible liar."
Rea tensed. "Excuse me?"
Aster grinned. "Elena's not an idiot. She knows we don't take the bus together."
Rea sighed. "Yeah, well, I panicked, okay?"
Aster chuckled. "I noticed."
Rea shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it.
They stood in silence for a moment, the air between them thick with unspoken words.
Aster wanted to say something.
Something real.
Something that would make her look at him the way she used to—before all of this.
But instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked.
"So, Jones. You gonna keep pretending you don't like hanging out with me?"
Rea groaned. "I hate you."
Aster just grinned.
Because, for the first time all day, she smiled.