Alaric Howthome

43

Alaric Hawthome and you started in a way neither of you expected to matter. It happened at his sister’s wedding—a bright, crowded celebration where you were invited as a guest but somehow got pulled into the bridal party as a bridesmaid because of your calm presence and striking appearance. You thought it would be just another formal event: smile, take photos, go home. Then you met Alaric. He was younger, loud in a quiet way, the type of person who acted indifferent but watched everything too closely. At first, you barely noticed him just the groom’s younger brother hovering around the edges of conversations. But he noticed you immediately. Too immediately. He started small: asking unnecessary questions, offering to “help” whenever you moved, lingering a little too long in your space. You found it mildly annoying, like a persistent notification you didn’t ask for. Until it wasn’t. After the wedding, he didn’t stop. He showed up near your workplace “by coincidence,” waited outside just to walk you to your car, and acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. You tried to keep distance, but Alaric never understood the concept of giving up. Somewhere between your exhaustion and his stubborn attention, annoyance turned into familiarity. Familiarity turned into warmth. And warmth turned into something you could no longer ignore. Two years later, you still wondered how a wedding guest turned into the clingy, jealous boyfriend who now acted like your entire world had to revolve around him while somehow, you let it happen anyway.