Chapter 165 Chapter 165

Chapter 165 Chapter 165
Aurelia

“I spend too much time around you guys,” I muttered. She smirked. “That’s your excuse for everything now.” She said, and I leaned back slightly in my chair. But the thing was… She wasn’t wrong about the shift. It wasn’t just survival anymore. I wasn’t just reacting to everything around me; I was building something on my own, separate from Silverridge, separate from Talon, not instead of him, just… alongside. And that mattered more than I expected it to because at first, I thought being with him would automatically pull me deeper into his world.

And it did, but not in a way that swallowed mine. It expanded it. Later that day, I got a message from him, short like always.
“done early. coming Maylan later.”
I stared at it for a second longer than usual, then replied.
Cool. I’m in the library." No extra emotion No urgency, just information. That was something else that had changed. We didn’t communicate like we were constantly trying to hold onto each other anymore.

We just… updated each other. Like two people existing in parallel lives that still connected regularly. When he arrived later that evening, I was still in the library. He didn’t even text again. Just showed up and sat down across from me without interrupting.
Didn’t speak at first Just glanced at my notes Then my laptop Then I said, “You’re ahead,” he said finally.
“I try,” I replied. That got a faint nod from him. Not surprised, just acknowledging. He leaned back in the chair slightly.

“You’ve been consistent,” he added.
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that your version of praise?"
“It’s observation," he replied.

“Same thing.”
"No," he said. I smiled slightly. “You’re exhausting.”
“You say that often.” he said

“Because it’s true.” That was it. No heavy conversation No emotional shift Just presence, and somehow that was enough now. Later, when we left the library together, I noticed something I hadn’t really paid attention to before.

People weren’t reacting to me the same way anymore. Not like before Not like I was some “Blackwell situation” or “story attachment” anymore. Now I was just… another student. Sometimes recognized Mostly not And honestly, that felt good. On the walk back, I said it out loud.
“I think things are normal again.”
Talon glanced at me slightly. “They were never abnormal," he said.

I snorted. “You know what I mean.” He didn’t argue. Just walked beside me. That alone felt like confirmation Because if he agreed without correcting me, it meant he saw it too. That my life wasn’t stuck inside his orbit It was just intersecting with it.

Later that week, I had a professor pull me aside after class. I expected feedback; I got something closer to acknowledgment.
“You’ve improved significantly this semester,” she said.
I blinked slightly. “Oh. Thank you.”
“I can tell you’re balancing a lot,” she added.

I almost laughed at that. If only she knew how “a lot” that actually meant. But instead I just nodded.
“Yeah,” I said. “But I’m managing it.”

She smiled slightly. “Good. Don’t lose that focus," she said, and I didn’t because something about that stuck with me. Don’t lose that focus. Don't change. Don't struggle. Just keep going. When I told Dani later, she leaned back in her chair like she was analyzing me.
“You know what’s crazy,” she said.
"What?"

“You’re not spiraling anymore," she said.
“I never spiraled," I said, and she raised an eyebrow.
“You definitely used to mentally overthink everything about your boyfriend’s entire existence.” she said

“That sounds dramatic.”
“It was," she replied. I leaned my head back. “Okay maybe slightly.”

She nodded. “Now you’re just… you.” She said, and that made me quiet for a second. Because I knew what she meant, I wasn’t just “Talon’s girlfriend” in my head anymore; I wasn’t orbiting his life emotionally every second. I had my own structure now. My own goals My own rhythm And he was part of it. Not the center of it Just part of it That night, I got back to Silverridge later than usual. Talon was already home.

I found him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up slightly, making something simple without overthinking it. He glanced at me when I walked in. “You’re late,” he said.
“I was studying.”
“You said that last week.” He replied.

“Because it keeps happening.” He nodded once like that made sense. No judgment, just acceptance. I dropped my bag on the counter and leaned beside him. “You know what’s weird,” I said.
"What?" he asked.

“I think I’m actually doing okay without needing you around all the time.” I was sad, and that made him pause slightly. Not in a bad way Just processing, then he said it, "That's the point.”
I looked at him. “What is it."

"Independence," he replied. That word again. But this time it didn’t feel like distance. It felt like balance. I watched him for a second.
“You’re okay with that?” I asked.

"Yes," he said, simple, no hesitation. That was his answer. I nodded slowly. “Good,” I said. “Because I don’t think I’d want it any other way.” That made him glance at me properly. And something in his expression softened slightly. Not emotionally loud Just steady approval Like he noticed the same thing I did.
That we weren’t pulling each other off track We were just… existing in parallel growth Different worlds, same direction Later that night, I ended up sitting on the couch with my laptop again while he worked nearby.

Not together in conversation Just together in space And I realized something simple: I chose him. Not by losing myself Not by shrinking Not by disappearing into his life But by building mine strong enough that it could actually stand beside his. And that felt like the first real version of us that wasn’t fragile at all.

Aurelia

It didn’t start as a big conversation. It never really does with us anymore; it just slips in between normal moments like it was always meant to be there.
We were in Silverridge, late afternoon, sunlight coming in through the kitchen windows in that soft way that makes everything feel slower than it actually is.
I was leaning against the counter scrolling through my laptop while Talon stood nearby making coffee like he actually knew what he was doing now instead of just pretending he did.

Amy was somewhere upstairs yelling about something completely unrelated, which honestly felt like background noise at this point.
I glanced at him while he stirred his cup. “You’ve been quiet all day,” I said.
“I’ve been working," he replied.
“You always say that.”

“That’s because it’s usually true.” he said
I smirked slightly. “Sure.” He looked over at me briefly. “You’re leaving again tomorrow.” he said

"Yea." I nodded. “Early class.” He didn’t react immediately. Just nodded once like he already knew that schedule by heart now. Which he probably did That’s the thing that started changing slowly over time. We didn’t ask each other where we were anymore. We already knew, or we figured it out without needing to say it.