Chapter 1

A faint smile. A familiar face. A calming presence.

Aria woke up with a strange mix of calm and uneasiness settling over her. It had been months since she last woke from the nightmares... the ones where Peter’s voice echoed too loud, where arguments replayed like broken records. Those dreams used to leave her shaken, her heart heavy with doubt. But lately, something had shifted...The nightmares were gone. 

The new dreams weren’t about Peter at all.

They were about someone else, someone she had barely spared a thought for in her waking hours.

Her best friend’s younger brother. (Three years younger!!)

Shawn.

Aria sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. She couldn’t remember when she had last even spoken to him. Small exchanges here and there at Victoria’s house.... Shawn had always been in the periphery of her life, quiet, polite, reserved.... younger yet seemed mature at times and moreover never really demanding of attention.

So why now? Why him?

The calm in those dreams unsettled her more than the fights ever did because at least with Peter, she knew what the dreams meant, the weight of their relationship, the doubts she carried, the truth she refused to face. But with Shawn… it felt like her subconscious was speaking a language she didn’t understand.... 

She pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh.

 Get a grip, Aria!!  Dreams are just dreams. Nothing more...

Her phone buzzed, screen lighting up in the dawn.. and out of habit, she reached for it, already guessing who it was..

Peter: Good morning cutie ❤️ Have a great day ahead. Please don’t skip your meals and stay hydrated.. Take care. 

A small smile tugged at her lips. He does know me too well… always skipping meals.. muttered Aria.... but as quickly as it came, the smile faded. She dropped the phone beside her and lay back down, staring at the ceiling.

Who is the real Peter? The one who says all the right things? Or the one who makes me question everything?