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He’s been pretty distracted lately, since his stepfather Greg was released from prison on Monday—not that he’s tried contacting Aiden and the twins since his release. Plus, we had exams this week, so it’s been pretty hectic and hasn’t been too obvious that I’m trying to avoid him.
But Aiden’s not stupid. In fact, he’s probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever met (he did manage to get my calculus mark up), not just in school but also street-wise. I know he knows something is up, especially every time I feel him studying me with his piercing gray eyes, but with everything else going on, he hasn’t said anything.
Before I know it, two weeks have gone by and I’m clearing out my locker at the end of the day on Friday, the last day of school before the winter break.
“Am I still coming over to raid your wardrobe? I’m sure you’ll have a dress I can borrow for my cousin’s wedding this weekend,” Charlotte asks from where she’s leaning on the locker beside mine. “I can’t believe my cousin Grace bought the exact same dress I was planning on wearing after I got it, but I’m the one who has to change.”
“Of course you’re still coming over,” I reply to Charlotte. “Anna found out and wanted to come too.”
“Party at Amelia’s?” Noah asks as he, Mason, and Aiden appear beside Charlotte.
For the first couple of days after it was revealed that Dave roughed me up at the track when Mason left me to flirt with Amanda, the relationship between Aiden and Mason was a bit strained.
Aiden was pissed at Mason, since he’d blatantly told Mason to look out for me while he was occupied because we knew that the Silvers had it out specifically for me. After a couple of days, it started getting awkward and making the group as a whole feel strained as well. Then one day they came to school sporting some fresh bruises, and it stopped being strained. They went back to normal, like nothing ever happened, and no one has mentioned anything about it since.
Julian told Annalisa (who then told me and Charlotte) that Mason couldn’t take the guilt anymore and went to Aiden’s house while he and Julian were studying. Apparently, Mason was yelling at Aiden to “Get it out of your system and just fucking hit me already,” to which Aiden replied, “You should feel guilty because Amelia didn’t deserve that shit.”
Then some more words were exchanged, which Julian didn’t care to share, and things got heated. Apparently, Mason just lunged at Aiden and they started hitting each other. After a couple of minutes they hugged it out, and all three boys went inside and ordered pizza, acting like nothing ever happened. Boys are so weird.
“Absolutely not,” I answer Noah while trying to ignore Aiden’s unwavering gaze on me. “Last time I went to a party with you, Noah, you were sent to the hospital with a concussion.”
“Can’t make the same mistake twice, right?” Noah laughs, subconsciously rubbing the spot on his head where he received stitches that night.
Aiden’s gaze burns a hole into my soul, so I pretend to be immensely preoccupied with some loose papers at the back of the top shelf.
I assume Charlotte rolls her eyes at Noah. “No party. It’s girls’ night.”
“Awesome,” Mason smiles. “We were planning on inviting you all out tonight, but since you’re already at Amelia’s, looks like we’re all coming there.”
“Wait, what?” I automatically turn to look at them, accidentally making eye contact with Aiden, whose expression is one of his normal stoic, impassiveness. But his eyes—the expression in his eyes make me feel like throwing up and digging a hole to crawl into and hide for the next fifty years.
“Coming where?” Annalisa arrives at my locker, ready to drive with me and Charlotte back to my house.
“Movie night at Amelia’s. Pizza’s on me,” Mason announces, not bothering to confirm with me.
“I’m so picking the movie,” Noah chimes in, a calculating smile forming on his lips.
I quickly glance at Aiden. What if everyone leaves and he wants to stay later to talk to me privately? Last time we were alone together at my house we made out, and that cannot happen again, no matter how much I wish it would.
“Are you purposely pretending you don’t know what a girls’ night is?” Charlotte laughs as she, Annalisa, Mason, and Noah start walking toward the parking lot, completely ignoring my attempt to protest.
My eyes widen slightly when I realize that it’s just me and Aiden at my locker, and he’s studying me with those intuitive, captivating gray eyes.
I quickly turn back to my locker and shove random books into my bag as quickly as possible.
“Amelia,” Aiden’s strong hand on my shoulder makes me freeze.
I quickly slam my locker door shut and turn to look at him, making his hand drop from my shoulder.
“Is everything okay?” he asks me, making my pulse simultaneously speed up and slow down.
His psychopathic, junkie stepfather is out of jail and possibly out to get him and his brothers, and he’s asking about me.
“Of course it is. What about you? Is everything okay with Greg?” I ask, unable to stop myself.
I should’ve escaped, but I can’t stop caring about him no matter how much I wish I could.
“I haven’t heard anything yet. But I can’t stop worrying about him hurting the twins.”
