Part 18: Apologies, Mia
It was Eli who brought it up first.
They were sitting on the balcony after dinner — dusk settling in, the sky streaked with orange and purple. Eli leaned against Aaron's side, knees drawn up, hoodie slipping off one shoulder.
"I want to talk to Mia," he said quietly.
Aaron didn't say anything at first. He just looked at the horizon.
"I owe her that," Eli continued. "We do."
Aaron's jaw flexed. "You don't owe anyone shit. You did what you needed."
"I know," Eli said, looking down at his hands. "But she didn't deserve to be shut out. Not like that. Not without an explanation. Not from both of us."
Aaron sighed.
"I'm not good at that kind of thing."
"I am," Eli said. "Let me try."
They met in a quiet café Mia used to love — neutral ground. Bright walls. Open windows. The kind of place that smelled like cinnamon and old secrets.
Mia was already there when they arrived.
She didn't look angry.
She looked… tired.
Hurt, in a way that hadn't curdled into hate — just distance.
When Eli approached, she stood, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
He didn't speak right away.
Just looked at her.
Then said, "I'm sorry."
Her eyes flicked to Aaron.
"I never meant to hurt you," Eli continued. "Not by loving him. And not by lying. I was confused. Scared. You deserved more than that."
"You were my boyfriend," she said. "Then one day you just… disappeared into my brother's house. And never looked back."
Eli swallowed. "I didn't disappear. I just changed. And I didn't know how to tell you what I was becoming."
She looked at Aaron then — hard. "And you?"
Aaron stared back, unmoving. "I didn't take him."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
Aaron added, quietly, "He gave himself. And I didn't know how to handle that. Still don't, half the time. But I know I care about him. And I know I fucked up with you."
Silence.
Then Mia let out a slow breath and sat down again.
Eli joined her. Aaron stayed standing.
"I miss you," Eli said.
"Then you should've told me the truth," she replied. But her voice had softened.
"I'm telling you now."
Mia looked at him for a long moment. Her eyes were glassy.
Then, softly: "You look happy."
Eli smiled. "I am."
She nodded once. "Good."
They didn't hug.
Not right away.
But they shared tea. Talked. Slowly. Awkwardly.
By the time they left, something fragile had been rebuilt.
Not like it was before.
But something.
In the car, Aaron exhaled.
"That went better than I expected."
"She needed to hear it," Eli said. "So did I."
Aaron reached over and gripped the back of Eli's neck.
Not possessively.
Just to touch him.
"I'm proud of you."
Eli smiled, quiet.
"I'm proud of us."
[To Be Continued — In Part 19: The world grows quiet again, but something stirs beneath the surface — Eli starts to dream about what else life could become. Not just survival, or safety… but something of his own. And Aaron begins to wonder if he can give it to him.]