chapter 35

Before I knew it, the D- day was finally here. Logan kissed me goodbye and made mr promise I would call him if I had any problems.

That was unlikely.

Taking an Uber to the office wasn’t my usual routine, but today was different. I had the shoot scheduled, and June was driving us to the location so it didn't make sense for me to drive.

When I arrived the officr, she was already waiting outside.

"Hey, you ready for this?" she asked with a grin as I climbed into her car.

"Yeah," I grinned, "I didn't think it would come, the day I mean,"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "We’re shooting for one of the top modeling company in the city. Of course, the day would come. I would have gone crazy if it didn't come,"

I chuckled.

As we drove, I chatted with her about the shoot, but my mind wandered. When we finally pulled up to the location, my heart skipped a beat. The building was right beside Aiden’s office.

"Here we are," she said, parking the car. She noticed the change in my expression. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little nervous, I guess."

"Well don't be, you spent the past week making me get rid of my nerves. Now isn't the time to develop yours,"

I laughed and shook my head.

We grabbed our equipment and headed to the place where we marked. It was an outdoor shoot so there was nothing to set up except the back drop.

The environment was impressive, and I tried to focus on the task at hand. We set up quickly, and soon the shoot was in full swing. The models were all taken inside and given their costumes , their hair and makeup was already done so it made everything easier for us.

Everything was going smoothly until I glanced towards the window upstairs and saw Aiden standing there, watching me.

I felt my heart rate spike and my hands started to tremble. I tried to ignore him, but knowing he was watching me was more than enough to send me into overdrive. I missed my cue, and June gave me a concerned look.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" she whispered.

"Yes, I’m fine," I lied, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

I pushed through, trying to regain my focus, but Aiden didn’t leave. He just stood there, his gaze fixed on me. It was as if he was daring me to make a mistake.

“Let’s take a quick break,” June suggested, sensing my unease.

I nodded, let me just clear my head a little.

We stepped outside for some fresh air. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

"There’s nothing to talk about," I insisted. "I’m just a bit off today. it might be the flu,"

She didn’t seem convinced but didn’t push further. When we went back inside, Aiden was gone. I let out a sigh of relief and tried to refocus on the shoot. But the damage was done; my nerves were shot.

Every time I closed my eyes to concentrate, I saw his face. I tried to shake it off, to remind myself of the importance of this job. We were shooting for a high-ranking client, and I couldn’t afford to mess this up.

“Okay, let’s try this again,” June said, her voice encouraging. “You’ve got this.”

I nodded, giving her a small smile. We resumed the shoot, and I did my best to channel all my energy into my work. But Aiden’s presence lingered in the back of my mind, like a shadow I couldn’t escape.

I managed to pull myself together enough to keep doing the shoot. June seemed satisfied with the almost results, but I knew I hadn’t given my best performance.

“Great job today,” she said, packing up the equipment. “I’m proud of you for pushing through.”

“Thanks,” I replied, though I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment.

“You’re really quiet,” she observed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I will be,” I said, looking to the window. “I just need some time.”

I don't know what I was expecting, that maybe he was still watching me but I was disappointed when I didn't see an him.

I scolded myself for being so stupid, he was the reason why I was off my game today. I really hope the clients loved it.

You look like you could use a break. Why don’t you take a rest, and I’ll handle things here?”

I nodded gratefully. “Thanks. I think I just need to clear my head for a bit.”

She smiled and gave me a gentle push towards the door. “Go on. I’ve got this.”

I wandered out of the building, my mind still buzzing with the stress of the day. I spotted a nearby café and decided it was the perfect place to catch my breath. The moment I stepped inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit me, and I felt a small sense of relief. I ordered a cappuccino and found a quiet corner to sit in.

I was just starting to feel the tension leave my shoulders when the doorbell chimed, and I saw Aiden walk in. My heart rate quickened, and I expected him to make a beeline for me. But to my surprise, he didn’t even glance my way. He walked straight to the counter, ordered his drink, and took a seat at the opposite end of the café.

I watched him for a few minutes, waiting for him to acknowledge me, but he didn’t. He acted as if I didn’t exist, which both annoyed and confused me. Was he really going to ignore me after all the trouble he’d caused?

Determined to get a reaction, I got up and walked over to his table. “Aiden,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He looked up briefly, then returned his gaze to his phone, not saying a word.

“Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t see me?” I asked, my frustration growing.

Aiden continued to ignore me, his expression impassive.

“Fine,” I snapped, trying a different tactic. “Why do you keep stalking me, Aiden? What do you want from me?”

He didn’t even flinch. It was like I was talking to a statue. My anger flared, and I leaned closer. “Answer me!”

Still, there was no response. It took every ounce of self-control not to scream in the middle of the café. Aiden’s indifference was infuriating. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t acknowledge me.

“Why are you doing this?” I demanded. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”

Finally, he looked up, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. But instead of the anger or smugness I expected, his gaze was calm and resolute. He opened his mouth as if to speak but then closed it, turning back to his phone.

I stood there, stunned. This wasn’t like Aiden at all. He was always so quick to engage, to provoke. His silence was unnerving.

Realizing I wasn’t going to get a response, I took a deep breath and walked back to my table. I sat there, staring at my untouched cappuccino, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Why was he ignoring me? Had something changed?

The minutes ticked by, and I felt my frustration ebb, replaced by a creeping sense of unease. What if Aiden had really decided to leave me alone? I should have felt relieved, but instead, I felt unsettled.

I glanced over at him again. He was still engrossed in his phone, completely indifferent to my presence. It was like he had made up his mind to shut me out completely.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Had I driven him to this point? But then I remembered all the times he had interfered in my life, causing chaos and stress. Maybe this was for the best.

As I sat there, lost in thought, my phone buzzed. It was a message from my friend, checking in on me.

“Hey, are you okay? How’s the break going?”

I typed back quickly. “I’m okay. Just needed some time to clear my head. How’s the shoot?”

“Going well. Take your time. We’re managing fine here.”

I put my phone down and looked around the café, trying to gather my thoughts. It was strange, feeling this mix of emotions. On one hand, I was glad Aiden wasn’t causing a scene. On the other, his sudden change in behavior was disconcerting.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I got up, left some money on the table for my coffee, and walked out of the café. I needed to get back to work and focus on something productive.

As I stepped outside, I felt a strange sense of clarity. Maybe this was a turning point. If Aiden was truly going to leave me alone, then I could finally move on with my life without constantly looking over my shoulder.

I headed back to the shoot, feeling more determined than ever to make the most of this opportunity. My friend greeted me with a smile as I returned.

“Feeling better?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I think I just needed some fresh air.”

We resumed the shoot, and this time, I felt more focused. I channeled all my energy into the task at hand, determined to put Aiden out of my mind.

By the end of the day, we had wrapped up the shoot, and my friend was beaming. “Great job today. I’m really proud of you.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling a genuine sense of accomplishment.

As we packed up our equipment, I couldn’t help but reflect on the day’s events. Aiden’s silence had been unexpected, but maybe it was exactly what I needed to realize that I was stronger than I thought. I didn’t need his validation or his interference. I could stand on my own two feet and succeed.

As we drove away from the shoot location, I felt a newfound sense of freedom. Whatever Aiden’s reasons for ignoring me, I was determined to make the most of it and move forward with my life. No more looking back.