Aiden's POV
Jace told me Bianca wanted to talk.
"About what?" I had asked, my tone a little less friendly than usual.
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets like he always does when he’s trying to be chill but secretly stressed. "Dunno. She just said it was important. Told me to stay out of it."
Now that was new.
Bianca telling Jace to stay out of something? That girl usually controls the entire student council like it’s her personal chessboard.
I walked into the empty classroom Bianca told me to meet her in. It was weird seeing it so quiet. No students. No noise. Just the ticking of the clock and the faint scent of whiteboard markers.
She was already there, sitting on the window ledge, sipping her usual coffee like she owned the damn place.
"You’re late," she said without looking at me.
"You’re annoying," I replied casually.
She turned and gave me that dead-eyed look she’s mastered so well. "You know I could ruin your life in three words."
"Try me."
She chuckled. That dry, almost unbothered kind of laugh that meant she was about to drop something heavy.
"So... how's Skylar?"
I blinked. Of all things she could open with.
"She’s fine? Why? You planning to recruit her into your little army too?"
"You like her," she said simply, jumping straight to the point. No hesitation.
I paused for a second too long.
"Wow. That silence screamed yes," she said, hopping off the ledge and walking over to the teacher’s desk.
I groaned. "Bianca, seriously. What do you want?"
She tilted her head at me. "I want to warn you."
"About what? Jace?"
"No. About yourself."
I stared at her.
"You hate love. You hate attachment. You pretend like you're above it. But the moment someone gets close enough to break through that dumb wall of yours, you panic. You self-sabotage. And I don't want that for Skylar. She's too real for that."
"You don’t even know her," I snapped.
"But I know you."
I opened my mouth to argue but froze. Bianca stepped closer and stared me down with those intense, unblinking eyes.
"Listen, idiot. I didn't call you here to fight. I called you because someone needs to tell you what you're too blind to see."
"Which is?"
She took a deep breath, like she was preparing for something.
"You are my cousin, Aiden. I know you better than anyone."
My jaw dropped.
"What."
"You heard me."
"Since when the hell—"
"Since always. Duh. Our moms are sisters. You never noticed how your mom always mentions a niece who 'runs things like a queen'? Yeah. That's me. Surprise, bitch."
I just stood there, blinking like my brain hit a reset button.
"Why are you telling me this now?!"
"Because someone has to knock some sense into you. You keep this up, Skylar's gonna end up in Jace's arms while you're stuck watching from the sidelines pretending not to care. And as your cousin, I refuse to let you be that pathetic."
I groaned and rubbed my face. "Why is my life turning into some tragic teen drama?"
Bianca smirked. "Because you're dramatic. And clearly, the universe wants to slap you with reality."
I slumped onto the nearest chair.
"So... you’re seriously my cousin. Like, real cousin."
"Congratulations. Took you a whole fifteen minutes to process it."
I shook my head, laughing despite myself. "Damn. That's wild."
She leaned back against the wall. "Now, about Skylar..."
"Don't start."
"I will start. And I will finish. You need to figure yourself out. Fast."
I looked out the window, thinking about Skylar’s laugh, her stupid little elbow-nudges, and the way she bit her lip when trying not to smile.
Yeah.
I was screwed.
"Let me guess," Bianca added, sipping her coffee again. "You're already jealous of Jace."
I didn't say anything.
That was all the answer she needed.
---
The silence inside the study room was almost unbearable. Bianca sipped her coffee like she was in the middle of an expensive hotel lobby, not a cramped school room filled with stacks of papers and second-hand books. She leaned against the desk, arms crossed, looking at me like I was one of her unfinished assignments.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" I finally asked.
She raised an eyebrow. "Because you’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost, when you knew this would happen eventually."
My jaw tensed. She wasn’t wrong. I just didn’t think Jace would be the one to spill.
“You told Jace?” I asked, almost in disbelief.
Bianca didn't even flinch. “He’s my secretary. He deserves to know who he’s working with. And no offense, but I wasn’t going to let him treat me like a stranger when I’ve literally babysat your whiny little self during family Christmases.”
I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. “Bianca—”
She cut me off, standing straighter. “No. We’ve been keeping this whole cousin thing lowkey for months. You’ve been parading around acting all mysterious, and suddenly you’re getting close to that Skylar girl like she’s not surrounded by chaos. It’s dumb.”
“She’s not just surrounded by chaos, she is the chaos,” I shot back.
Bianca tilted her head, unimpressed. “And yet here you are. Clearly losing your mind over her.”
“I’m not—”
She raised a hand. “Don’t even finish that lie.”
I sank into the chair across from her, exhausted. “Why are you dragging me in here anyway?”
She sat down as well, finally letting the ice melt from her voice. “Because I’m tired of watching you fight with Jace like some lovesick idiot. The school already thinks this is some triangle drama. Do you even want to protect Skylar from Cassidy and Scarlett, or just fight for her attention like a twelve-year-old?”
I didn’t answer. Maybe because I didn’t know how to.
Bianca softened a bit. “I’m not saying you’re not allowed to like her. I’m saying… if you really care, stop playing games. You can’t hide everything. Not from her. Not from me.”
I leaned back. “You know I don’t do feelings. Or softness.”
Bianca rolled her eyes so hard I swear they almost popped out of her head. “You say that while getting jealous when Jace opens the cafeteria door for her. Pathetic.”
I threw a pencil at her. She dodged it, laughing.
“You’re the worst cousin ever,” I grumbled.
“And you’re the most obvious, stubborn, emotionally constipated boy alive,” she countered.
I sighed.
There was a long pause. A heavy one.
“I didn’t want anyone to know,” I admitted. “About us being cousins. I didn’t want people to start rumors or think you were giving me special treatment.”
Bianca nodded. “Fair. But I don’t think that matters anymore. Not with what’s coming.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What’s coming?”
She smiled faintly. “Let’s just say… the student council isn’t the only thing that’s going to get messy. Be careful, Aiden. Especially with your heart.”
That last line made my chest tighten. I didn’t like the sound of it. Bianca rarely said things without a reason.
“Is something happening I don’t know about?” I asked.
She simply stood up, brushed off her skirt, and headed for the door.
“You’ll see. Just don’t mess it up more than you already are.”
And then she was gone.
Leaving me in that room, staring at the door, with my heart somewhere between confused and terrified.
---
Later That Day
Skylar was standing near the lockers, talking to Mia. Laughing.
I watched from the corner, debating whether to walk over or pretend I didn’t care.
Then Jace came.
He ruffled her hair, and Skylar swatted at him with a flustered smile.
And something in me snapped.
Bianca’s voice echoed in my head: “Don’t mess it up more than you already are.”
I took a deep breath.
“Hey!” I called.
Both Skylar and Jace turned. She waved at me, that usual sparkle in her eyes.
“Got time to walk home today?” I asked.
Skylar smiled. “Sure.”
Jace scowled but didn’t say anything. I could tell he hated it.
Good. Maybe he should.
Because no matter how complicated this gets, I knew one thing:
I wasn't going to give up on her. Not now. Not ever.