Aurelia the Others and Me

I was surprised by how quickly I'd settled into my new routine: work during the day, evenings spent checking out apartments, hitting a bar with Marco's friends, or running with Nat and Aurelia. And most nights ended in Bela's bed.

Sleeping together was a welcome distraction. Though I could tell her interest was starting to fade. She admitted she used to have a teenage crush on me, a confession that had caught me off guard. But now, I seemed to have become a box she'd ticked off her bucket list.

Our nights only made things more confusing. I found myself mentally comparing her to Aurelia, recalling the soft, warm grip of her hand during that reckless moment at her place. My body would be with Bela, but my mind would drift, replaying the sensation of Aurelia's fingers around me.

Neither Aurelia nor I had mentioned that afternoon since I'd fled her apartment. During our runs with Nat, we kept things polite, almost businesslike, careful never to find ourselves alone.

Lying in bed on Friday night, Bela sleeping beside me, my mind wandered back to Aurelia. I was still reeling from the intensity of her actions since I'd come home, trying to make sense of her anger.

What right did she have to be upset with me? She'd broken things off and paraded a series of boyfriends before me. Sure, I'd cut her off when I moved away, but hadn't she left me first?

Still, I felt guilty that some of her words did ring true. I had a hard time thinking of her in a nonsexual light. Then again, she'd contributed to that.

But a thought kept gnawing at me. My curiosity was overwhelming, so I picked up my phone from the bedside table. I changed the background picture from the selfie Aurelia had taken during the party two weeks ago.

Her name was near the top of my contacts, still blocked after all these years. But after her recent outburst, I needed to know. Had she tried to reach out after I'd left?

With a deep breath, I tapped the button to unblock her.

My phone immediately exploded with notifications, buzzing from the messages, missed calls, and voicemails. Heart pounding, I quickly turned off the sound and vibration, glancing at Bela sleeping beside me. Luckily, she did not wake up.

I opened our old conversation and stared at the hundreds of unread messages. Some were casual holiday greetings--she never missed my birthday, Christmas, or the New Year. But there were other, more surprising moments, like a picture of her having lunch with my mom--something I'd never heard about.

Most messages were random musings, snapshots of things that reminded her of me. A picture of an old record we'd listened to in high school, a note about her nerves before marrying Lance, wishing I were here to talk it out. Dressing room selfies, asking if a particular outfit looked good on her. Her life, unfolding through the years, all in messages I'd never seen.

Then, as I scrolled further, the tone began to shift. Scattered among the mundane were increasingly risqué photos. At first, it was just selfies in low-cut tops or short skirts. But the pictures grew bolder and more revealing as the years went on. Eventually, they became more explicit, each image displaying a glimpse of her body.

I spent hours reading the collection of texts spanning the five years since I last visited here. My chest tightened when I finally reached the last message sent just a few days ago.

Aurelia: Sorry about the other day. You being back here still feels so strange. I'm going a little crazy. I'll back off.

I stared at the screen, my head swirling with conflicting emotions. Until now, I'd convinced myself she'd only been teasing me, enjoying the power she still had over me, or craving some attention.

But now, reading through years of messages, I wondered if she'd ever truly let go. I'd been so wrapped up in my own pain after our breakup that I'd never stopped to consider what it might have been like for her. She'd lost her best friend, too.

I tapped the text field, my fingers hovering over the keyboard, unsure.

Tom: Hey. I'm going apartment hunting tomorrow. I could use someone who knows her way around the city.

She was probably sleeping. It was stupid of me to keep the screen up to my face, and anxiety built up in my chest. Surely, she wouldn't be available on such short notice anyway. She had her own life here.

But almost immediately, the typing bubble appeared, and after a few seconds, her reply popped up.

Aurelia: Of course, where should we meet? :)

***

The early afternoon sun was warming my upturned face, and my eyes were closed. I was leaning against a wall at the foot of the building where the next apartment to visit was, enjoying the calm of the street, with only the distant noises of traffic reminding me that I was in the middle of a city.

"Tanning?"

Aurelia's light and teasing voice pulled me back. I opened my eyes to find her standing in front of me. She wore a dark blue dress with a crisp white collar, her red hair catching the light, giving her skin an almost porcelain glow.

But the biggest surprise was the thick black-rimmed glasses she had on.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "That's new."

She touched the edge of the frames, glancing away for a moment. "Yeah, I usually wear contacts." There was a quick, almost imperceptible shift in her expression, a subtle blush. "Do they suit me?"

"Definitely," I said, still smiling. "You look... very distinguished."

Aurelia's lips curled into a slight, satisfied grin, and for a second, her gaze softened. She looked up at the building behind me, her eyes narrowing.

"This is the place?" she asked, somewhat skeptical. "Not exactly the best neighborhood."

"It's within budget," I replied with a chuckle. "Shall we go in?"

Without another word, she slipped her arm through mine, her voice warm as she gave a slight nod. "Lead the way."

We spent hours visiting different apartments, each one with a different problem: it was either too expensive or too small, in a state of complete disrepair, shared by six roommates...

The promising ones were so far from the city center, which Aurelia maintained made me better off moving to a cheap rental in the suburbs and getting a car.

Feeling deflated, I let her pull me into a quaint little café. The smell of freshly baked pastries lifted my spirits just a bit. As a thank-you for her help, I insisted on paying for our coffee and snacks.

"Can't believe there was not even one good option," I said after we settled down at a table, unable to keep my voice from sounding morose.

Aurelia gave a sympathetic smile, squeezing my forearm. "The rental market's terrible right now. But don't worry. We still have one more place to check out. Besides," she said, with a teasing nudge, "it's not like you need to find something today. You've already got a place to stay, don't you?"

I hesitated, unsure how much I wanted to share. But Aurelia's curious blue gaze stayed steady on mine, waiting for me to continue.

"I... don't think I'll be able to stay at Marco's much longer," I admitted. "I've been, uh, kind of seeing Bela. But it's not going anywhere, and I think she's starting to get bored with me. Better to leave before things get weird."

Aurelia burst into a laugh, her eyes lighting up. "Bela? Marco's little sister?" I nodded with a proud smirk. "She is cute."

Her hand drifted from my wrist to my hand, her touch warm. "Listen, if you're stuck, you can stay with me and Finn. He won't love it, but tough break. I pay the rent anyway."

It was my turn to chuckle. "Yeah, I'm not sure that would be any less awkward..."

But as I finished, what she had said clicked in my head. "Wait? You pay the whole rent?"

She blushed, clearly embarrassed by whatever situations she had going with Finn. "Yeah... turns out using your trust money to buy a bar for your band isn't exactly a foolproof business model," she said, rolling her eyes. "He thought it'd be a permanent venue for their gigs."

I couldn't help but laugh, which caused Aurelia to frown at me.

"Hey, don't be mean," she said, her voice a mix of defense and warmth. "Finn's a really nice guy. Just... not quite as clever as you."

Her tone turned playful as she squeezed my hand. "Besides, Nat let it slip you're broke, too."

We ate in silence for a little while before I worked up the courage to pick up the conversation again.

"So... I unblocked your number."

I wasn't quite sure what to add. Aurelia was not helping. Her gaze was trained on the table, and she made sure not to meet mine. But after a little while, she answered.

"God, " she murmured, her voice neutral and not betraying her emotions. You must think I'm crazy."

"What happened there? There's thousands of messages."

"I was a mess after you stayed with Lance and me." She was still not looking at me. "I almost broke things up with him."

"Instead, you got married." I sounded so bitter. "That doesn't answer my question, though," I pressed.

"Yeah, well, at first, I thought you were just ignoring me. I really wanted you to answer. After a while, I realized I was blocked, but I had started to use our convo almost like a journal, I guess..."

"There were a bunch of nudes as well." I kept going, stating the facts.

She turned crimson and visibly flinched in her seat.

"I'm not crazy." Tears formed in her eyes, but there was an unexpected confidence in her words. "I just don't know how to get your attention."

I couldn't tell what I was trying to get out of her or what answer would have satisfied me, but her reaction took the wind out of my sails.

"I've thought about what you said last time, at your place..." I started.

Aurelia looked even more defeated. But I soldiered on. "I think you had a point." I said, my admission causing her to gasp and her eyes to fly right back to mine. "I'm over us and you don't owe me anything. But... I'd like to know who you've become. I want to be friends again."

Her lips trembled for a moment, and then she let out a shaky laugh, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. A bright, tentative smile began to peek through. "I'd love that."

"Let's move on then. No point ruining a nice afternoon like that. Friends?" I said, offering an olive branch.

"Friends," she murmured, her soft voice contrasted by the new determination in her blue eyes.

For the next few minutes, we ate in awkward silence. Eventually, Aurelia pulled out her phone and began browsing it, clearly as inclined as me to leave this topic behind us. She perked back up.

"A listing just popped up a few blocks from here!" She stuck her screen right under my nose. "We should check it out!"

The bright mood she'd had all afternoon was back. I wasn't sure whether it was real or affected, but it was better than the gloominess of our previous conversation, so I played along.

The apartment was in an unassuming building on the last floor. It was a narrow loft, the door opening on a small kitchen with a low ceiling. But taking a few steps led into the living room. The far wall was a gigantic window, going from the floor and all the way to the roof, curving inward to turn into a skylight.

Aurelia and I were frozen in awe of the view, the city spreading around the river, flowing at the foot of the building.

"Oh my God, you

have

to get this one," she breathed.

I could only nod, mesmerized. It was a one-in-a-million vista.

A thin stairway hugged the wall, leading up to the loft bedroom. It was a small, open area barely big enough for a mattress and a ledge over the kitchen that overlooked the living room below.

Downstairs, the middle-aged woman showing the apartment waited for us. Her polite smile brightened when Aurelia slipped her hand into mine as we approached. I was caught off guard by the gesture until I saw the approval on the woman's face. I always forgot how much everyone seemed to like young couples.

"So, what do you two think of the place?"

"It's amazing!" Aurelia said, practically glowing. "This would be such a big change for us. We're both living with roommates. It'd be our first time having a place of our own."

I felt a flicker of guilt at the way she played to the woman's sympathies. But Aurelia sold it so well that even I almost believed it. And considering the rent was sky-high, my conscience was fading fast.

The woman's expression softened. "How long have you been dating?"

Aurelia turned, her eyes meeting mine, a warm, adoring smile spreading across her face. "Since high school," she said softly.

I cleared my throat, breaking away from her fascinating gaze. "The rent's over our budget,

honey

."

The effect was immediate. The woman shifted slightly, looking thoughtful. "You two are adorable," she said, sounding uncertain. "I'm only helping my parents lease this place, and I'd rather not spend my whole weekend showing it. So... if you can be here tomorrow morning to sign the lease and pay the first three months upfront, I might be able to convince them to trim the rent a little."

Three months? I had no way to come up with that money for the next day. Asking for an advance on my wage to pay the first month had already been humiliating enough.

Sensing my hesitation, Aurelia gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Would you mind if we stepped outside?" Her voice was sweet, but I knew she still had a trick up her sleeve.

As soon as we were in the corridor, she assailed me, her hushed voice full of urgency.

"Come on, you have to take it. This apartment is crazy. I'm telling you, the next person who walks in here will snatch it up."

"I know..." Did I, though? Sure, the view was incredible, but the loft was tiny for the price. I couldn't tell how much of my excitement was real and how much was fueled by Aurelia's energy. "But I don't have that kind of money lying around."

She noticed the embarrassment in my voice and placed a reassuring hand on my arm.

"I can lend you the money."

I was baffled. "You're serious?"

"Relax, it's no big deal." She chuckled, waving off my surprise. "It'll give me an excuse to visit, and I know you'll pay me back. Besides, I'll just ask Daniel to break your knees if you don't."

I had to laugh. Most men in her family were built like tanks and stood a solid head over me. Daniel, her brother, was no exception.

When we returned to the apartment, the lady looked thrilled, beaming as we confirmed we'd be back to sign the lease the following morning.

"So, are we going out to celebrate?" Aurelia asked me as we made our way out of the building. She had not let go of my hand yet. "I'm meeting Finn over at his bar. I'd love for you two to get to know one another."

There were very few things I wanted less than to spend time with her boyfriend. But she'd been accommodating all afternoon. And there was no way I was turning her down with how she looked at me in the sunny street.

"Sure, I'll see if Bela wants to tag along."

We walked back to her place. I was petting Napoleon and texted Bela while Aurelia got changed. The memory of what had happened here the last time we were together made me feel awkward.

"Okay, let's go!" Aurelia barged out of her bedroom, her ideal daughter-in-law appearance gone. Instead, she now wore a short skirt and a spaghetti-strap top, her glasses gone. More fitting for a night out.

She twirled and shot me a pointed look. I felt guilty. I'd managed not to think of her that way all afternoon, but my efforts had all been blown away in five seconds of this new outfit.

"You look amazing."

Her smile brightened from the praise. And it was not stolen. So much so, in fact, that I glanced down at my black jeans and plain shirt, suddenly unsure if I'd look out of place

She caught my hesitation immediately. "Don't worry, you're fine." She said with a warm smile. "I just didn't want to go to a bar looking like I came straight from church."

I nodded and checked my phone one last time. Still no answer from Bela. Oh well.

With that settled, Aurelia and I headed to Finn's bar. It felt more upscale than I'd expected. The room was full of lacquered wood and brass accents gleaming in the low light, giving it a vintage charm. A stage took up a good part of the space, the rest filled with high tables and a row of booths along one wall. There was already a crowd, the dim atmosphere charged with fragments of conversations.

Aurelia tugged on my hand and snapped me out of my thoughts. She pulled me to a booth, and I shimmied next to her. To my surprise, Finn was sitting there rather than working behind the bar. Alongside him was a row of boho-looking guys.

"Hey, you!" Aurelia perked up, making a point of talking to Finn only and not his friends. "You remember Tom?"

For a second, panic tightened my chest. How much had she told him? Hopefully nothing about the handjob in their living room a few weeks ago. The thought made my throat dry.

"Yeah, of course," Finn's smile seemed genuine as he reached over the table. "Startup guy. From the party."

I chuckled and shook his hand. "More like bankruptcy guy. But I'll take it."

Aurelia let out her throaty laugh and leaned into me, a bit too much for my liking, what with her hunky boyfriend sitting right next to us. Finn noticed it, too, and when she was done, he extended his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"Don't worry, dude." His tone was still friendly. "From one entrepreneur to another, I get it. The struggle's real."

The approving nod this got from Finn's friends and their fauxhemian vibe was all I needed to confirm that they shared his affluent background. I was about to joke about the source of his funding when Aurelia's eyes caught mine. She must have guessed what I was about to say because the unspoken message in her glare was clear.

Be nice.

She was right about Finn and me, though. After a few minutes of conversation, we actually got along surprisingly well. But despite the casual conversation, I could sense the anger building up in Aurelia as she kept ignoring his friends.

"I'm so glad you're here tonight, babe." Finn's earnest tone would have been disarming without the evident frustration on Aurelia's face. Well, maybe not so evident to him. "You've not been to one of our gigs in so long."

I knew she was about to reach her boiling point. But instead of exploding at her boyfriend in public, she grabbed my hand.

"Come on, Tom." She said as she gestured for me to get out of the booth. "Let's go get drinks."

Finn's confusion was evident as I extricated myself from the plush seat with an awkward smile. Aurelia weaved us through the crowd to perch ourselves on stools at the bar, and as soon as we sat down, we ordered.

When the gin and tonics arrived, I tried to pay as a small thank-you for her help with the deposit. But the barmaid politely declined as I held out my phone, expecting to tap a terminal.

"It's covered."

I turned to find Aurelia's amused smirk.

"One of the perks of dating the owner," I said, laying my phone on the bar.

Her smile faded. She took a long sip of her gin and tonic before letting out a big sigh.

"I can't believe he's ditching me again."

I tilted my head, still a little unsure about what was making her so annoyed with him.

"He's right over there," I pointed my chin to the booth we'd just left.

"I told him how important you were to me." She almost sounded more sad than frustrated now. "That I wanted the two of you to spend some time together. Instead, he's decided that his stupid band needs to play here for the third time this week."

"I don't get it. We could all hang out after the gig?"

Another sigh. "He's gonna be wasted. His buddies will want to 'debrief' for hours. Whatever that means. And there's always a bunch of groupies orbiting them."