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Chaol Westfall hadn’t been very happy until he met Yrene Towers. 

He worked hard at his job in the police force, and spent his weekends with his close friends. He lived with Dorian Havilliard, who had been his best friend since childhood.

Still, there had been a hole in his heart from where his ex-girlfriend used to reside. Aelin Galathynius was passionate, a complete and utter wildfire. She has been hurled into his life, practically crashing into him when they had first met.

“ Watch where you’re going, ” Chaol had scowled when a lean blonde shouldered him as she skipped by with her friends.

“ Sorry, ” she giggled, turning away from the tall brunette at her side, “ I didn’t see you there with that absolutely horrible aura radiating off of you. ”

“ Aura? ”

Aelin just laughed as her friends pulled her into the nearby club that Chaol just so happened to be walking into himself. That night, Chaol and Aelin had danced the night away, and were practically inseparable the weeks following. 

She had a lust for life unlike anyone he’d known before. Aelin partied hard and loved even harder. She adored a good Saturday night when she could let her hair down and drink with her friend Lysandra until the morning. And Chaol and Dorian, who had unofficially joined the duo. 

Aelin was tough, as she was young when her parents died and she and her cousin bounced in between different foster homes during their childhoods. Still, there was tenderness lurking underneath her spiky exterior. She shoved her emotions down–always had–when she met Chaol and he broke underneath her shell.

It started out with casual bickering at the clubs. 

“ Why the fuck do you always look so grumpy? ” Aelin slurred, plopping down in the seat beside Chaol.

He swirled his drink in hand before taking a slow swig. “ Why the fuck are you always picking a fight? ”

The bickering turned into conversations, discussing work and friends and childhoods and dreams. The conversations turned into flirtations and chaste kisses from Aelin on his cheek. Flirtations turned into sex, rough and passionate and flawed on sofas and kitchen counters. The sex turned into a genuine relationship, lazy mornings and dinner dates and talks of adopting a dog. 

Their love was beautiful and sweet and calm. Chaol was the serene to Aelin’s wild, and they seemed absolutely perfect.

Until their world came crashing down. 

Nehemia died unexpectedly one Sunday morning, rocking Aelin’s whole world. Her closest friend was suddenly gone. The funeral was soon after her death, and Aelin kissed her friend’s cheek one last time. Chaol clutched Aelin’s hand as the casket was lowered six feet under the surface. 

Still, nothing could ease her excruciating heartbreak…not even Chaol.

He tried to give her space, tried to comfort her, tried to listen as she rambled for hours about how unfair the world is, but nothing seemed to help her. She retreated further into herself.

“ I don’t think we’re meant for each other anymore, ” Aelin had told him one night, after a meal spent in silence. 

Chaol’s eyes widened, “ I don’t understand… ”

“ I just can’t do this right now. Be with you, I mean. ”

“ Why? ” he begged. 

“ I need space. ”

“ Is this about Nehemia– ”

“ No, it’s about me– ”

“ I know these past few months have been hard on you, but I think– ”

“ No. I don’t want to be with you right now. That should be enough of a response for you. ”

Chaol packed his suitcase and left the same night.

The first days after the breakup were difficult and Chaol was tempted to pick up his phone to call her. He told Dorian as much and his best friend threw the shiny iPhone across their living room. 

“ Don’t call her, ” Dorian warned.

So, he didn’t. And he poured himself into his work and eventually forgot about what it was like to touch Aelin, to rest his hands on her lower back, to wake up beside her. He wished he could remember the great loss of his life.

One day, Chaol had been shot while on a case at work, and rushed over to Torre Cesme Hospital, where Yrene Towers M.D. treated him. 

Unlike Aelin, there was immediate attraction towards Doctor Towers, who examined the gunshot wound, and eventually extracted the bullet. She had wavy brown hair and golden-tan skin that seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights of the exam room.

“ Can I take you out? ” Chaol had winced as Doctor Towers poked around the wound.

“ How about I take this bullet out of your arm and then we’ll talk, ” she giggled, turning towards her side table of equipment. 

Chaol took Yrene out on a date a week later and it was love, it seemed. 

Yrene was the complete opposite to Aelin. She had brown hair and brown eyes whereas Aelin had blonde hair and blue eyes with specks of gold. She was not loudmouthed or arrogant. She was polite and knew when not to laugh when Chaol was being ridiculous. She had a plan, and did not simply flounce around life. 

Chaol was determined to marry her. And so, he did.

It was a quiet springtime ceremony, with only their closest friends in attendance. Dorian was the best man to Chaol, and Yrene’s friend Nesryn was the maid of honor. Aelin was not invited.

Aelin had been completely erased from Chaol’s life. Honestly, he didn’t let his thoughts roam to her, preferring to think that she was still mourning the breakup after all the time that passed. He and Yrene were happy . And, to Chaol, that was all that mattered. 

“Fleetfoot!” shrieked a woman’s voice as a golden retriever puppy barreled past Chaol and Yrene in the park, slightly bumping into Chaol. 

The woman, trailed by a tall, silver-haired man, scooped up the puppy and turned to them. Immediately, Chaol recognized the blue-gold eyes, and felt embarrassed he hadn’t realized her voice.

“Oh my gods, Chaol! Hi,” Aelin smiled, propping her puppy on her hip. The silver-haired man appeared at her side, petting Fleetfoot’s ears.  “How are you? It’s been forever!”

“Good, yeah, I’m good, Aelin,” Chaol replied, “this is my wife, Yrene. Yrene, this is my old friend, Aelin.”

Yrene offered a warm smile and Aelin nodded. “It’s so nice to meet you, Yrene. This is Rowan, my fiance–Rowan, this is Chaol, we were friends way back when!”

Rowan reached out a hand. “The famous Chaol, I’ve heard so much about you,” the two men shook hands. 

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah, Aelin always raves about how you and her and Dorian would pull all-nighters to rewatch the Twilight saga.”

“The Twilight saga?” Yrene raised a bow.

“Anyway, we should be getting home,” said Aelin, placing Fleetfoot back onto the pavement with her collar securely around her this time around. “It was great to see you, Chaol.”

“You too, Aelin. You look well.”

“I am, thanks. I feel really well.”

The blonde locked hands with Rowan and they started off, Fleetfoot leading the way through the park.

“Just friends, huh?” asked Yrene.

“We dated, for a time,” Chaol said. “But it wasn’t meant to be. And thank the gods for that. If we hadn’t broken up, I wouldn’t know you. And you, Yrene Westfall, are the great love of my life.”

Chaol pecked a chaste kiss onto his wife’s lips, but now he couldn’t stop thinking of Aelin; while he loved his life and was immensely happy, he couldn’t help but wonder what could have been…