April's POV

"When are we going to go back?" Aiden asked.

"To what? Reality? Can't we just remain oblivious for a little while longer?"

He grimaced down at me, cheeks flushed with cold. I glanced up at the steely horizon line and frowned, "it just had to be cold on our day out, didn't it?"

His lip quipped from one corner very slightly. "Because our luck is just that good."

Leaning my cheek against his shoulder, I inhaled deeply. He shook with silent laughter, "this would be a really romantic moment if it didn't smell of piss and petrol."

I didn't bother lifting my head, instead, letting my eyes become heavy, as I walked on blindly. "Way to ruin a moment, moron."

"You don't like moments."

"I don't." I admitted.

My phone vibrated in my pocket for the hundredth time. Aiden carried on walking ahead, hands in pockets. "Your mom again?"

"Hmm-hmm."

He turned around, expression sincere. "Just talk to her, April. You can't avoid her forever."

I grimaced. But I can try. "If I pick up –"I hesitated.

He finished the sentence for me – "if you pick up, she'll want you to come home so you can pack the rest of your things and leave. And if you tell her you're with me, that'll make her even more mad."

I pressed my lips together, his words opening a familiar wound. "If I pick up, she'll demand to know where I am. I already had to lie to her once when I said I stayed with Nina last night." I said, guilt making my stomach twist.

He laughed, "and look at the state of us. I don't know why we thought sleeping in a meadow would bode well for us."

I agreed, falling into step with him. There were clumps of grass still in my hair and I was barely able to wash my face in the diner bathroom since the mirror was so streaked with dirt. I felt filthy.

My phone rang again. I picked up:

Mum: April? Thank goodness, you finally picked up –

Me: Mum, I'm fine. Why do you sound so stressed?

Mum: (Voice hard) – when are you coming back from Nina's house? You know how much packing we have left.

Me: I thought we were still planning to leave at the end of this summer?

Mum: (Tone softer now, more hesitant.) I was thinking it would be better to leave sooner. Your dad and Olivia miss us; we could surprise them and come early.

Me: But what about finishing up here? My friends, school, my apartment? You can't seriously expect me to drop all of that in what? A week? (Aiden looked at me, his expression startled.)

Mum: Of course I don't expect us to leave in a week – god, I'm not stupid. Look, I'm not discussing this on the phone. I need to speak to you – in person – so come home within the hour please.

Me: But mum –

Mum: April. No buts – you come home in the next two hours maximum then – no complaints. Seriously. I'll see you later.

And with that, she clicked the phone off and I was left on the other end, increasingly agitated by her insistence to control my every move. I turned to Aiden, mouth open, ready to explain the bits of the conversation he heard, but he was typing a message onto his phone, fingers flying rapidly.

"Aid?"

He looked up distractedly, lifting a finger, "one minute." Then, he shoved his phone into his pocket and kissed me fully on the mouth, in the middle of the deserted morning street, his lips cold and tasting of coffee. He broke away, much too quickly to my disappointment, and we continued walking again, the skyline a blur of grey and us, two dark morning shadows.

I still didn't want to go back. I'd have to return home in two hours anyway, but I wanted to spend this day with Aiden – not many people knew he was back yet, meaning we had the world to ourselves - for now.

"You know," I began curiously, "I still haven't given you your birthday present. It's not too late." I said hopefully.

He sighed, jaw tightening ever so slightly. "Ap, that's not necessary."

"But I had it all planned in my head. Trust me, you'll love it." I grinned brightly at him, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. He titled his head away, so I ended up kissing his ear. I leaned back, confused.

"Apr-"

"Nope. No buts this time. Honestly, I have so much I need to tell you and show you!" He didn't seem to share my excitement and instead remained sullen.

What was wrong with him?

"April, I love you. I don't say it much, but you still know that, right?"

I frowned at him. "Er, thanks? Why?"

A poisonous feeling settled in my stomach; something was wrong, so very wrong. "What's wrong? This is our day out, remember? It's supposed to be fun – I think there's a circus on the opposite side of town. We could spend the day there. I think there's a train that takes you right to it-"

He cut me off, "no, we can't. I left you once, I will never do it again, I swore, remember?"

My smile dropped. "What?"

He stood up, his expression morphing into one I didn't want to see right now; he looked unwavering. "Aiden, what the hell is going on?"

"You need to do what's best for you – maybe one day..." he trailed off. "Maybe one day we'll meet again; we have to meet again. And maybe the time will be right then. But right now, you need your family."

I stood up, eyes burning indigently. I pushed my chin up into the air in a bid to make myself seem stronger. "Maybe I need you."

He smiled, his mind set, "no, you don't. Not right now anyway."

"You know, for saying you're not going to leave me, this is sounding a hell of a lot like a break up."

I barely registered the sound of gravel crunching in the car park area of a car parking up in one corner. His eyes glimmered with trapped stars; black, silver, gold, green – they folded up into one another, leaving vacant orbs. I don't really think he saw me at all.

Bending, he pressed a brief, icy-cold kiss onto my lips and then cut it short, too soon for me to feel the familiar euphoria that accompanied his touch spreading from my head to toes. When he drew back, his expression confirmed my fears. A car door someway off opened and my mother stepped out. Aiden's expression confirmed my thoughts: resignation, apology, hurt. My expression showed the opposite – shock, disbelief. Without looking away, I heard my mother speak.

"Thank you for telling me where you were, Aiden. Where April really was." Her accusing tone didn't make me feel guilty this time.

I kept my eyes trained on Aiden's treacherous expression and understood. He'd never disrespect my mother – my family's – wishes.

"April, come on."

I stood, unwavering, staring squarely at the boy in front of me, visibly broken. "No." My voice was quiet.

"Excuse me?" Came my mother's reply. "April Evans, get in the car. Right now."

"No." I said more loudly this time, "mum, I'm staying."

"April," Aiden's voice was low, "listen to your mum. Go."

I narrowed my eyes at him, at her, at everyone who caught my eye. "No."

My mother marched over to me, turning her back to Aiden and leaning close to my ear. "April, I don't want a scene. If we're going to fight, let's do it at home please, not here."

I clenched my teeth together and shoved my fists in my pockets. "Mum, I don't want to go back yet. I want to stay here – I don't want to leave. Please don't make me leave."

Aiden's sharp intake of breath was audible. My mother looked at me as though I'd just slapped her across the face. My eyes stung. "This place has changed you, April. I don't remember which daughter I let go to America for study – because it certainly wasn't this one. The one I knew listened to her parents; you're – you're just being totally reckless. You've changed and I don't like it." .

I sighed, unclenching my fists at the sight of her unruly brown hair and ghostly eyes; she'd quite literally jumped out of bed for me. She rushed to my side whilst I was in hospital, raised me, taught me most of what I knew and loved me so much I would never be able to return her love in a way I should.

"Mum." I sighed, "I do everything I do for you and dad – everything to make you proud. I've never disagreed with you like this, ever, but this is the first time I believe in what I'm against you for. Maybe I have changed. Maybe I'm not the same April you left behind, but I like me now. I belong somewhere and it's not just in England. It's here too."

"So you're choosing Aiden over me? Your dad and sister too?" She demanded her voice cracking.

Aiden broke in, "I don't think she's doing that ma'am." He pulled me towards him, staring me in the eye, his perfect flaws not intimidating me but fuelling my persistence. "April, stop it. Listen to your mom and go with her – now. Don't make this decision – not now." He made the words slide so easily out of his mouth I feared he meant them – but I knew his expression better than that. He was pretending and it killed me to see him do it.

I swallowed hard.

"I'm not choosing any of you over the other," I stood between them both, looking from one to the other. "I swear, I'm not. I want both of you."

"Well, that can't happen, April." My mother's reply came quietly.

"April, don't choose. Don't." Aiden's reply came from my other side, inaudibly, dejectedly.

I shut my eyes. I felt like I was going to throw up everything I'd eaten in the diner. "I'm not choosing." I said softly, pinching the place between my nose. "I want you both."

"That cannot happen. You make a decision: come with me or stay with him." She tried to sound threatening, intimidating but her voice cracked mid-sentence.

"Mum...." I looked down and then towards Aiden, unmoving and marble-like again, his expression frozen. "I can't leave. I'm sorry mum, but I'm - I'm staying."

A.N. Beautiful banner on the side made by the lovely wegooh1. Thank you so much!