Chapter 39 Chapter 39
Angelina's POV
BANG!
A loud crash echoed through the house.
Caelan and I both whipped around toward the sound. It was just the door—slammed shut by a gust of wind from outside.
I blinked, my tension easing slightly.
"Open it," Caelan's deep voice murmured near my ear.
I had to admit, his voice was incredible—the kind of voice I'd never heard from any guy before.
I shrugged and walked over to open the door.
Caelan stepped out.
But the moment Caelan walked out of my room and I followed right behind him, we found ourselves face-to-face with Mom and Dad, who had just reached the top of the stairs...
"Aria?"
When I heard Mom's voice call my name, it came out strained and tight.
I knew exactly how this looked—a gorgeous guy who was staying with us, who hadn't said two words to me before, suddenly emerging from my bedroom with me. What would any mother think? Especially since they hadn't been home, and no one else was here.
I could practically see the thoughts racing through her mind about what Caelan and I might have been doing in there...
Dad, on the other hand, didn't read into things the way Mom did.
He glanced between Caelan and me, then walked over with a smile. "Hey, sweetheart, you're home! Did you grab those things I asked you to pick up from Uncle Robert's?"
I caught Mom's scrutinizing look, but Caelan and I had only been in my room for a minute—we hadn't done anything wrong. I had nothing to feel guilty about.
"Left them on the kitchen table," I answered.
"Got it—downstairs on the table, right? I must've walked right past them. I'll go grab 'em now."
Dad turned to head downstairs, but then paused and turned back halfway.
"Oh, and Leo's fine now. They just wanted to be safe, so they're keeping him at the hospital. They'll be back once he's done."
I understood—he was trying to reassure me not to worry about Leo.
"Okay," I nodded.
Dad headed downstairs.
Mom, however, frowned deeply and said in a serious tone, "Aria, I need you in my room. Now."
As she spoke, she shot Caelan a pointed look—the kind of look that suggested he was some predator about to corrupt her daughter.
I saw Caelan's confused expression, clearly having no idea what he'd done wrong.
As soon as we entered the room, Mom closed the door behind us.
She turned to face me, her expression concerned but not accusatory. She took a breath before speaking.
"Look, Aria, I'm not trying to be the overbearing mom here, but..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I get that you're at an age where you're interested in guys. That's completely normal. But having a boy in your bedroom when no one else is home? That's crossing a line."
I stayed quiet, knowing this wasn't the time to argue—even though nothing had happened.
Mom sat down on the edge of her bed and gestured for me to sit next to her. When I did, she continued in a softer tone.
"I trust you, sweetheart. I do. But it's not just about trust—it's about respecting boundaries and being smart about the situations you put yourself in. Does that make sense?"
The old me would have rolled my eyes and walked out the second Mom started this conversation. I never let anyone lecture me—I lived by my own rules. But now? I found myself actually listening, staying put without feeling angry or annoyed.
It was strange, honestly.
"I hear you," I said simply.
Mom seemed relieved that I wasn't fighting her on this. She reached over and squeezed my hand gently.
"Okay. Good." She paused, then her expression shifted to something more worried. "Now, I need to ask you something important, and I need you to be honest with me."
I waited.
"Since the fall... have you had any headaches? Dizziness? Anything that feels off?" Her voice was careful, almost tentative. "I'm worried there might be some lingering effects we don't know about yet. If something's wrong, you need to tell me. Please."
I understood why she was asking.
It took me back to that night shortly after I'd been reborn into this body—when I'd jumped from the third-floor classroom. Later that evening, I'd overheard Mom and Dad talking. They'd used words like "changes," "doctor," "personality disorder."
They'd noticed I wasn't acting like the old Aria. Since I hadn't tried to hide my true abilities, they'd obviously picked up on the differences. But as parents, they couldn't possibly imagine their daughter wasn't really their daughter anymore. The most logical explanation to them? Brain damage from the fall. Maybe even dissociative identity disorder.
If I had to guess, they'd already consulted a psychologist privately and were convinced I had developed a split personality.
"No headaches. Nothing feels off," I answered honestly.
Mom wasn't one to pry unnecessarily, and everything she was saying came from a place of genuine concern. I knew that, so I gave her a straight answer.
"That's good." Mom squeezed my hand again, but I could see the worry lines hadn't left her forehead.
She wasn't convinced. If anything, my calmness probably made her more certain something psychological was going on.
But I wasn't going to explain. Actually, maybe it was better this way—if Mom and Dad believed I had some kind of personality disorder, it might save me a lot of trouble down the line.
Mom stood up and smoothed out her jeans. "Alright. I think we've covered everything." She gave me a small smile. "You're growing up, Aria. I know you're smart enough to make good choices. I just... I worry. That's my job."
It was such a mom thing to say.
"Your brothers will be home soon with Leo. I need to run to the store and grab some things for dinner." She walked toward the door, then paused with her hand on the handle. "You good?"
"Yeah, I'm good," I replied.
She nodded and opened the door. "Okay. Love you, kiddo."
"Love you too."
Time passed quickly.
Monday morning, I finished my early morning workout, shouldered my backpack, and walked toward school.
The crisp morning air was refreshing, giving me a comfortable, carefree feeling.
After this period of campus life, I was becoming more and more like a student. Student life, though monotonous and dull, was incredibly interesting to me.
I walked into the school building, through the hallway, heading toward my classroom.
"Aria! Wait up!"
A voice called from behind me. I turned around to see Mia jogging to catch up with me.
"Kai's been looking for you," she lowered her voice, her eyes gleaming with gossip. "He's waiting by your locker. Girl, what did you do? He never waits for anyone."
Hearing Kai's name, my brow furrowed slightly.
My pleasant morning became less pleasant because of that name.
I took a deep breath and continued toward my locker.
Sure enough, Kai was leaning against my locker, phone in hand, apparently waiting for someone. Seeing me approach, he immediately put away his phone, a smile spreading across his face—the kind he thought was charming.
"Hey, Aria." He pushed off, making room for me to access my locker. "Can we talk? Just for a minute?"
I expressionlessly turned the combination lock, opened my locker, and began organizing my books, completely ignoring him.
Students passing by began to slow down, pretending to organize their own things, but actually eavesdropping.
Kai cleared his throat, seeming a bit uncomfortable—which was rare for him. "Look, about what happened the other day... I was out of line. I shouldn't have—" He paused, "I wanted to apologize. Can I make it up to you? Maybe grab coffee after school or something?"
I closed my locker and turned to look at him.
The hallway suddenly went quiet for a few seconds. Everyone was waiting to see my reaction.
I tilted my head, using a polite but distant tone: "I don't think we know each other well enough for that."
Then I shouldered my backpack and headed straight toward the classroom, leaving Kai standing there alone.
Behind me came suppressed laughter and whispers.
"Dude, she totally just curved him—"
"Did you see his face?"
"Kai Matthews just got rejected. This is epic."