Chapter 58. Not so Great

Aaron POV

I handed the ice cream to Joan, and she gave me a tight, half-hearted smile as I settled next to her on the bench.

She just stared at the ice cream, letting it drip lazily down the cone. I rubbed my hands together, nudging her lightly with my shoulder.

“Hey, what’s going on? You’ve been staring at that cone for a while now. You okay?” I asked, and her beautiful green eyes flicked up to meet mine.

I perked up immediately, searching her face.

“Or… you don’t like the flavor?” I added, trying to coax a reaction. She shook her head and let out a small chuckle, but it sounded forced, almost like she was humoring me.

“No, it’s fine. I mean… I would’ve picked chocolate, but vanilla’s good too,” she muttered. Her gaze shifted, avoiding mine.

I frowned. I could tell something was off. I knew Joan too well by now—when something was bothering her, it showed in ways she couldn’t hide, no matter how hard she tried. And right now, she was