Chapter 5: Cracks in the Armour

The following week, Aries found herself busier than ever. The campaign was in full swing, and she had photoshoots, interviews, and meetings lined up every day. As she posed in front of the camera, smiling on cue and wearing extravagant jewelry, her thoughts kept drifting back to Keith. His admission about growing up in foster care lingered in her mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder how much of the real Keith he kept hidden behind that perfect professional exterior.

One morning, as she was getting ready for another shoot, her phone buzzed. Aries glanced down and saw Keith’s name pop up. She felt a twinge of excitement but quickly masked it with indifference—because, obviously, she wasn’t that interested. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

"Need to reschedule today’s shoot. Something came up. I’ll be in touch. —Keith"

Aries squinted at the screen, confused. It wasn’t like Keith to cancel without a solid explanation. Usually, he was all about punctuality and professionalism. Her inner voice, who had become quite nosy about her personal life, whispered "Is he avoiding you?" but she promptly shut that voice down. Keith wasn’t avoiding her... right?

That evening, Aries decided to head to the bakery to help out. Her parents were knee-deep in dough, and Amy, her younger sister, was at the counter, expertly handling customers. Aries grabbed an apron and joined her, immediately immersing herself in the comforting rhythm of baking.

"Well, well, look who decided to bless us with her presence," Amy teased, her voice dripping with mock surprise.

Aries rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile. "I’ve been busy, okay? The glamorous life of a model isn’t all catwalks and couture, you know."

Amy snorted. "Oh, sure, I’m sure balancing jewelry on your fingers is exhausting."

Aries shot her a playful glare. "Hey, some of those rings weigh a ton! Anyway, I wanted to be here. Thought I’d take a break from all the... glitz and glam."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you wanted a break? And here I was thinking you were living for this new lifestyle. Is the modeling world too much for you, big sis?"

Aries paused, her hands fiddling with a tray of pastries. "It’s not that. I love it. It’s just... Keith canceled the shoot today, and I don’t know why. He didn’t give me a reason."

Amy’s eyes went wide, and she immediately slipped into her classic "meddling little sister" mode. "Keith canceled? That’s weird. He’s always so... on top of things. What do you think is going on?"

"I have no idea," Aries admitted. "He’s been distant lately. Like, something’s bothering him, but he won’t talk about it. I tried asking once, but he just brushed it off."

Amy’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Ohhh, I know what’s happening."

Aries frowned. "What?"

Amy leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper as if sharing top-secret information. "He’s totally in love with you, and he doesn’t know how to handle it. He’s probably out there pacing his living room, stressing about whether or not you feel the same way."

Aries burst out laughing. "Amy, seriously? Keith, in love with me? That’s ridiculous. We work together. That’s all it is."

Amy rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, puh-lease. You’re telling me you haven’t thought about it? I’ve seen the way you two look at each other."

Aries’ face flushed as she busied herself with a plate of cookies. "It’s not like that. Even if I did... I’m sure he doesn’t think of me that way."

"Uh-huh, sure," Amy said, still unconvinced. "Keep telling yourself that."

Over the next few days, Aries threw herself into work, trying to distract herself from thoughts of Keith. It was all business as usual until one evening, while scrolling through her phone, she stumbled upon a picture of him online. He was at some fancy corporate event, looking annoyingly perfect in a sleek suit, all polished and composed. But something was off about his expression—he looked tired, maybe even a little... sad?

Before she could overthink it, her phone buzzed again with another message from Keith.

"Sorry about the cancellations. Been dealing with some stuff. Hope you’re doing well. —Keith"

Aries sighed. Well, that wasn’t much of an explanation, was it? She debated what to say in return, then decided to just go for it.

"Is everything okay? You don’t seem like yourself lately. If you need to talk, I’m here."

She hit send and immediately regretted it. What if that sounded too personal? Too concerned? Too... something? But before she could panic too much, his response popped up.

"Thanks, Aries. I appreciate that. Just a lot going on. Let’s meet up tomorrow and catch up."

Catch up? Aries raised an eyebrow. Since when did they have anything to "catch up" on? They weren’t exactly swapping life stories over coffee. But hey, if he wanted to talk, she’d listen.

The next day, Aries met Keith at a small café. As he walked in, she noticed he didn’t have his usual aura of "cool, collected businessman." He looked... tired. Like, "I’ve been running on three hours of sleep and caffeine for days" tired.

"Hey," she greeted him, trying to keep things light. "You look like you’ve just crawled out of a disaster movie."

Keith managed a weak smile as he sat down. "Thanks. That’s exactly the look I was going for."

Aries grinned, but her concern was genuine. "You okay? You’ve been acting like a ghost lately."

Keith sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve just been dealing with some family stuff. It’s... complicated."

"Complicated how?" Aries asked, her curiosity piqued.

Keith leaned back in his chair, looking more vulnerable than she’d ever seen him. "I’ve been trying to track down some records from my childhood. From when I was in foster care."

Aries blinked. She wasn’t expecting that. "Oh... wow. That’s... I mean, that’s a big deal."

"Yeah," Keith muttered, staring into his coffee cup like it held the meaning of life. "It’s been harder than I thought. I guess I’ve just been feeling... disconnected from everything lately."

Aries’ heart ached for him. "You don’t have to do it all on your own, you know. You’ve got people around you who care about you."

Keith chuckled softly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "People like you?"

"Well, yeah," Aries said, trying to keep her tone light, even though her heart was pounding. "I’m basically your unpaid therapist at this point."

Keith laughed, and the tension between them eased a bit. "Guess I owe you a paycheck then."

"Make it a bonus," she quipped. "I’m not cheap."

They both laughed, and for a moment, the heavy cloud hanging over them seemed to lift. Aries could see it now—beneath the cool, professional surface, Keith was just as human as the rest of them, full of insecurities and struggles he tried to keep hidden.

After the laughter died down, Keith grew quiet again, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "Thanks, Aries. For real. I don’t talk about this stuff with anyone."

"You can always talk to me," Aries said, her voice softer than she intended. "Just don’t expect any profound advice. I’m kind of a mess."

"Join the club," Keith smirked, the warmth returning to his eyes. "We can be a mess together."

End of Chapter 5.

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