Chapter 40

Chapter 40
Aurelia's POV

We found the food truck he was talking about and got a bunch of stuff. Their prices were pretty fair, and soon enough we were both carrying plastic bags with food.

The cool evening breeze was soothing to my skin, and the way the wind whistled in my ears was refreshing. The driveway was empty and I hadn't noticed how strange it felt— no cars, no more tyre tracks, nothing.

“You must be rich,” Leo said, looking around the driveway. He shifted the bags in his hands and stepped closer to the door.

I unlocked it and pushed it open. “It’s my dad’s house. He passed away. I just stay here for now.” I moved inside and turned on the hallway light.

“Oh,” he said, walking in behind me. He wiped his shoes on the mat and looked at the high ceiling. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine,” I said, dropping the bags on the counter. I pulled off my shoes and set them aside. “Come on. Kitchen’s this way.”

“This place is huge,” he said, following me down the hall. He set the bags on the counter and leaned on the island. “Do you live here alone?”

”Kinda, my stepmom visits a lot. But mostly it’s just me.” I opened the fridge and took out two bottles of soda. “Want one?”

“Sure,” he said. He took the bottle and twisted the cap. “Must feel strange sometimes.”

“It does,” I said, opening mine and taking a sip. “Quiet all the time.”

He looked out the wide kitchen window and nodded toward the backyard. “That pool is insane.”

I walked over and rested a hand on the counter. The water outside was still, the pool lights giving it a soft glow. “Yeah. I don’t even swim that much.”

“You don’t?” He laughed and leaned closer to the glass. “If I lived here, I’d be in that pool every day.”

“I used to when I was younger,” I said. I set my bottle down and started pulling food from the bags. “Now I just look at it.”

He helped me set out the boxes of tacos and fries. “Thanks for inviting me in. I didn’t think we’d end up here.”

“I didn’t either,” I said, opening a box and taking a fry. “I just didn’t want to eat outside.”

“I get it,” he said, grabbing a taco. “That food truck was a good call. These smell amazing.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve never tried it before. Pretty cheap too.”

“Good prices,” he said. He took a bite and nodded. “Wow. Better than I expected.”

We ate for a few minutes, the only sounds the rustle of wrappers and the hum of the fridge.

“So,” he said, wiping his mouth. “What do you study?”

“Geology, I told you before,” I said. “Just finished final semester exams.”

“Nice. I’m starting college soon,” he said. “Still trying to pick a major. I like music but not sure if that’s smart.”

“You play?”

“Guitar,” he said. “Mostly for fun. My mom keeps telling me to pick something stable and continue with tech stuff that I already know so much about."

“Parents,” I said with a small laugh. “Mine wanted me to do law.”

“What changed?”

“I hated it,” I said. “Couldn’t see myself there.”

He smiled and took another bite. “Good call. You seem like someone who needs to explore, not read old cases.”

“Yeah,” I said. I sipped my soda. “What about your family?”

“They’re okay,” he said, shrugging. “My dad’s... oh well, but my mom runs a small shop. They’re cool with me being gay now but it took a bit.”

I looked at him. “Was it hard to tell them?”

“At first, yeah,” he said. “I told my mom first. She cried but not in a bad way. My dad didn’t talk for a day. Then he asked if I was happy. That was it.”

“That’s good,” I said. “Better than a lot of stories I’ve heard.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m lucky. What about you? You said your dad passed?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Six years ago. Heart attack.”

He lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” I said. I picked at a fry. “It’s still weird sometimes.”

He nodded and looked out at the pool again. “I can imagine.”

I leaned on the counter and watched him. “So what made you come to that club that night?”

“My uh... Cousin told me to go out,” he said. “She thought I needed to meet people.”

“Did you?”

He smiled. “Met you, didn’t I?”

I laughed. “True.”

“What about you?” he asked.

“My friends wanted a night out. I wasn’t really feeling it.”

“Same,” he said. “But I’m glad we went.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Me too.”

We ate a bit more, and the silence was comfortable this time.

“You always walk in the evenings?” he asked.

“Sometimes,” I said. “When it’s too quiet inside.”

“I get that,” he said. “Although I must say your security choices are questionable" he grinned. "What if you just invited a serial killer into your home?"

"Well, good thing I'm rich. I have a standby twenty-four-seven watching camera feeds," I said with a smile.

He laughed. "I walk when I need to think too."

“What do you think about?”

He grinned. “Life. Music. Sometimes food.”

I laughed. “Same.”

He glanced at the window again. “Still can’t get over that pool. Do you ever have parties?”

“No,” I said. “Not really a party person most times. People trash the place and you're left to clean up. I had a sleepover with my best friends last night though.”

“Maybe you should... have a party,” he said. “It’d be fun. Friends, drinks, truth or dare— I think it'll be really fun."

“Maybe,” I said. I finished the last fry and pushed the box away. "If you promise to clean up for me after.”