I crept back to my dorm midway through classes. I rolled myself in my blanket and stared at the ceiling. I had barely laid there for a minute when I was startled by a knock at the door. Rolling out of bed, I got up to answer it. It was probably Bianca. I threw open the door and was a little surprised to find Aria standing there. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked her. 

"I saw you skipping classes and I decided to tag along," she said twisting a lock of her red hair. 

I stared at her incredulously. Though Aria liked to have fun and go to parties, she rarely skipped classes. Even when the whole group decided to do so, she rarely gave into peer pressure of such sort. 

"But you never do that!" I blurted out. "What's wrong? Is this about Airell?" 

I crossed my arms, thinking I would chew out Airell at the first possibility. 

"No," she said, slipping into the room and closing the door. "This is all about you. Why were you so upset the other day?" 

I sat down beside her. Aria had confided in me and she deserved to know. But I couldn't tell her about it, it was forbidden and disgusting and something only three people knew. Me, Bianca and my dad. Bianca's mom only knew a little and she had judged me for it. 

I hesitated. "It's complicated. It's about a guy." 

Her expression softened. "I get it if you aren't ready to share yet. Take your time. But just know this- you are pretty, smart and kind. You don't deserve a guy who hurts you." 

I smiled at her, feeling touched. She stayed and talked with me all evening until it was time for lunch. Surprisingly, she had been here for me more than Bianca

who had been busy with Finn. But at lunchtime Airell, Aria and Eryx sat together and I finally managed to talk to Bianca. 

"Ver are you alright?" she asked piling stew on her plate. 

"Fine." I said, adding some vegetables on my plate. "But I don't understand one thing. I erased his memories, Bianca. And I had never even told him about Monteverde. How is he even here?" 

Bianca squeezed my hand. 

"I don't know Ver. But I guess that he just followed his heart. Love is strange and it works in mysterious ways. I don't understand it, but I think he somehow travelled here on impulse and even though you erased his memories, you couldn't erase his feelings." 

We sat in silence while I pondered over her words. I had decided not to follow Aiden but two days later, I found myself in Tresville, looking for some sign of him. I spotted him after some time. This time, I noticed the girl with him and observed her. She was very pretty and was his girlfriend. I tried to force down the dark wave of jealousy that rose inside me. I had made him forget me and it seemed only right that he had decided to move on. Bianca's theory was probably wrong and his being here was just a coincidence. To my surprise, I found myself wishing that her theory was true.