OLIVIA“Do you know the kind of people I hate the most?” Those are the words that stumble out of Aiden's mouth, as I get into his car and sit down beside him. Aiden does not even spare me a glance, just keeps his eyes on the rearview mirror, or maybe on the road ahead. His car is still parked in front of my workplace, even though we have closed for the day. "No," I reply, shaking my head.How does he expect me to know the kind of people he hates? Is he drunk, or just rambling? I don't know anything about him, not even his birthday or his favorite color."Liars," Aiden blurts out. "I hate liars. They disgust me. They irritate me. I am not sure if it has to do with being lied to when I was younger, or something else."He pauses, letting his words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "I don't see any reason why anyone would lie. It is just useless," My hands clench into fists on my lap, my eyelashes fluttering rapidly. He is talking about me. He was referring to the fac
OLIVIA"Did you hear what I said?" Aiden asks, giving my cheek a gentle tap.I place my hand over his, continuing to look him in the eyes.I can't blame him for the way he is trying to get my attention. I have been staring into his eyes, lost in thought ever since he said those words, as if I had not heard him at all.I am in shock, and my mind is completely blank. I can't think of anything to say, even though my tongue is burning with the desire to speak.All I want to do is keep staring into his eyes, which seems to draw me in like a magnet. “Olivia” Aiden utters.Okay, I like the effort he is making to get my attention. Despite the fact that I haven't spoken a word for several minutes, he does not appear the slightest bit stressed. Or maybe, he is just used to dealing with women who act this way. Maybe he has been through this with other women many times before, and knows exactly how to handle it. I feel a sickening feeling in my stomach. I hate the idea of other women shaping h
OLIVIA Aiden drives to the parking lot of his house, and his hand remains on my thigh the entire time.He no longer uses his thumb, but he would occasionally run his hand up and down my thigh, slowly and softly. Believe me when I say that I like what he is doing. How can I not like what he is doing, by the way? I won't mind if he does more. Aiden pulls the car to a stop, and his hand slides off my thigh. I hate that he has taken his hand away. It feels like a part of my skin is left cold and empty.I open the car door and step out, closing the door behind me. I shiver as the cold night air seeps through my thin dress. I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the chill. This dress has been like a blessing before, but now it is more of a curse. I regret wearing such a light dress at this moment. I walk over to where Aiden stands, looking up at him as if asking for a go-ahead to follow him inside. He meets my gaze. He reaches for my hand, and interlaces our fingers. With our hands
OLIVIAI gape at him, my mouth hanging open in shock."Sarah is coming here? Is it my sister? " I ask, barely managing to get the words out.I have to be sure I had heard him correctly. Is this really happening, or am I imagining things? I just hope it was the former."Who else would 'Sarah' be?" Aiden blurts out, shaking his head. A line appears between my brows. "Don't be an ass," I snap at him. "This is serious,” I add. "I am just saying," He says , holding up his hands. “It is your sister, you should know that."“Why is she coming here? What does she want?” I ramble, firing off questions after questions. I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Why would Sarah come here? What could she possibly want? Sarah coming here means that I am in trouble. I'm officially in trouble. “What are we going to do now?” I ask. “Relax,” He mumbles under his breath. “R…Relax?” I stammer. “ You are really telling me to relax when my sister is coming here. Do you even know what is on the line? D
There is nothing worse than a surprise math test in the morning, except perhaps having to walk down the hall and find yourself face to face with three girls, their eyes boring into you as if they can see right through you.You try to edge past them, but they block your way, standing shoulder to shoulder like a wall.I have put all that drama with Madison behind me. At least, that is what I think.After the whole drama at the restaurant me and her with my best friend. I figure things would go back to normal, and she would stop bothering me. But there she is, blocking my way in the hallway, early in the afternoon.What is she doing here, and what does she want from me? I have no idea, but my stomach drops at the thought of yet another confrontation.I hate drama, and everything that comes with it. I will do anything to avoid a drama. When it comes to other people's drama, I am only there with my ears and eyes. I am happy to be a passive observer, but when it comes to my own drama, I w
OLIVIAAiden's deep brown eyes rake over my body from head to toe. We stand so close that our chests were almost touching.I return his gaze, scanning him from head to toe too. I am not going to let him be the only one doing the looking.His hands are shoved in his pockets. He wears a pair of denim jeans and a white T-shirt with the inscription "I don't really give a flying fuck."Of course, what else do I expect from him? He is Aiden Blacksmith, after all, and he does not give a flying fuck.His brows furrow. "Where are you headed?" He probes, a puzzled look on his face."Nowhere," I reply, a deep crease forming between my brows."So, you were just dancing around the door for no reason?" He probes, giving me a "you are nuts" look.I lift my shoulder in a half shrug. "Are you here to question me or something?" I ask."No," He answers with a shake of his head."Then, mind your own business," I shoot back. "Your attitude is just so... cute sometimes," He mutters under his breath.I
OLIVIA"I want you more than anything," Aiden murmurs, his fingertips sliding beneath my shirt. "I want you, right now. I want to claim you."His words send shivers through me. Before I can say anything, he starts walking, his eyes still locked with mine. I cling to him, my hands pressed against his broad chest.I love how it feels to be so close to him. I am not sure if it is the feeling of his toned chest beneath my palms, or the scent of his cologne that makes my head spin. All I know is that I want to be close to him forever, to feel the warmth radiating from his body. It is like coming home.Finally, Aiden stops in front of a large desk in the corner of the room and sets me down on top of it. I look up at him, wondering what he has in store for me. I wish I can read his mind. I wish I can anticipate his next move. "I love the look on your face right now," He utters, his voice low and husky. "You look so innocent and pure, and all I can think about is how you are going to look w
OLIVIAI chew on my bottom lip, rereading the message on my phone for the millionth time that day.Is this real? Am I just imagining things again? Is my life turning into a clichéd high school romance novel?I look at the message once again, my eyes darting back and forth as I read every word.It is real. This is really happening.I cover my face with my hands, my cheeks flushing a deep shade of crimson.Nathan is asking me out on a date. My crush fucking just asks me out on a date.Okay, let's make it official. I am the happiest person in the world at this moment. I doubt anyone else is as happy as I am right now. It is not just the fact that he asked out on a date that is important. It is the fact that he texted me about it. That is the bigger deal. Initially, I think he has forgotten about the date, since he has not mentioned it since the concert. But now that he has brought it up again, I am filled with butterflies in my stomach.It makes me feel like he finds me attractive. It
AIDEN Three months later… “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you, Aiden!" I wish I could block my ears so I wouldn't have to hear them singing this birthday song. I think it's really cringe. I don't even know what to do, how to act while they sing. I just stand there, my eyes locked on my girl. She's the only one whose singing doesn't make me cringe. Olivia has a big smile on her face, like she is more excited than I am and I'm the one clocking a new age. She even organized this whole thing, insisting I should celebrate with friends. And somehow, she got me to agree. So, here we are, having a mini party at my place with Bryan, Sarah, and Ashley. I turn 21 today. I'm in a better place; I feel loved. That's a good reason to celebrate. Olivia walks over to me and hands me a knife. "You can cut the cake now," She says. I nod and smile at her. Just as I position the knife and about to cut the cake, a voice interrupts me. "Don't cut the cake like it's your opp," Bryan jokes
OLIVIA Why the hell am I freaking out? It's just a date—a date with my boyfriend. This isn't the first, second, or third time I am going out with him. So, why am I feeling flutters all over my stomach? What's wrong with me? It's funny, even though he told me we are just going to see a movie, I can't help the butterflies in my stomach. It's always been like this. Whenever I see him, a part of me feels like a little girl getting her favorite treat. Is it normal that I still feel this way about him, even though our relationship is more than a month old? I can't get enough of him. I don't think I ever will. I know what I need now—a damn grip on myself. I haven't even picked out what to wear yet. If Aiden shows up and I am not ready, he'll tease me about how I always make us late. I really don’t want that. I walk to my closet. It’s just a movie date, right? Something simple will do. I consider jeans but then think better of it. I want to wear something cute. A mini dress it is. I grab
OLIVIAI blink my eyes open, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.The first thing I feel is the warmth beneath me, the gentle rise and fall of Aiden's chest. His breathing is the only sound I want to hear. I raise my head, letting my gaze linger on his face. He's still asleep, calm as ever. There's something about seeing him like this that makes my heart flutter. His messy hair falls across his forehead, and I reach up to brush it aside, my fingers lightly tracing his skin. He stirs a little but doesn't wake, only tightening his grip around me.A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. I think about us. What I love most is that, no matter what happens, we always find our way back to each other. We choose each other, again and again. If that is not love, I don’t know what is.I press a kiss to his chest, then shift just enough to reach his lips, kissing him there too. Is this what forever feels like? With him, wrapped in his arms, it certainly feels that way.Enough of
AIDENI slide into my car, the loud bass from the party music fading as the door closes behind me. I slam my fist on the steering wheel, regret boiling inside me. I’ve never regretted anything in my life, but this might be the first. I wish I’d never come to this party, let alone convinced her to join me.Where the hell is Olivia? Who did she follow? Why did I leave her alone like that? My mind spins, and the more I think about it, the more I blame myself. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid, she wouldn’t have left.I don’t want to be here at this party anymore. But, I can’t just drive home, not knowing where my girlfriend is or who she is with. I pull out my phone—this is my only hope. If I can reach her and know she’s safe, at least half my worries will be eased.I dial her number. I heave a sigh of relief as the ringing echoes through the car. At least the call is going through this time, but she doesn’t answer.A line forms between my brows. Why isn’t she picking up?
AIDENI lean against the wall, watching Marcel pace back and forth in front of me. We're in a dimly lit room, the smell of smoke thick in the air. I take a long drag from my cigarette, feeling the familiar burn in my lungs. "When did you get back from Italy?" I ask."Two days ago," He answers.I had been with my friends at the main venue of the party when I spotted Marcel. I remember thinking it was the right time to tell him about my decision to leave the drug scene. Marcel has been quiet since I broke the news, I wonder what's on his mind."Aiden," He calls out, pulling me from my train of thoughts. "Are you really sure about this? You're just going to walk away from everything?"I exhale slowly, watching the smoke curl up toward the ceiling. "Yes, I'm sure," I say.I know this news shocked him. I never imagined I'd reach the point where I'd decide to quit drug dealing, the life I've known for so long. But, it's time. I've chosen to leave the darkness behind, and there's no turning
OLIVIASarah squeezes her eyes shut, then slowly opens them again."I know I haven't been a good sister to you. I've never treated you the way an older sister should," She admits.My eyes widen. Where is this coming from? Is she just messing with me again?"Why are you saying all this?" I ask. "This isn't like you. You never care how you treat me, whether I like it or not."Sarah takes a deep breath. "You're making me feel worse than I already do. I know I've been awful. Deep down, I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't stop myself."She continues. "When our parents divorced, I completely lost myself. I didn't know how to handle the pain, let alone be there for you. So I started hanging out with my friends, and I abandoned you. I know that too.""I was lost too," I say, my lips trembling. "We could have supported each other, but even before the divorce, you were never there for me. It was always you and your friends. You never cared about me."Sarah rakes her fingers through her hai
~ TWO WEEKS LATER ~OLIVIACrazy. That is the only word that comes to mind as I stand in the middle of the crowded room, the noise and chaos around me growing louder. My eyes sweep the room. Smoke fills the air from countless cigarettes. The music is blaring. Bottles are littered across the floor. People are grinding on each other, drunk and reckless. If they're not smoking or making out, they're definitely drunk. Some are doing all three at once.I've been to a few parties before, but none as wild as this. This is insanity. What should I call this? Aiden's world? And where the hell is Aiden? He’s still not back from the car.Aiden and I arrived at the party just a few minutes ago, and he had to go get his phone, which he forgot in the car, while I chose to stay here and wait for him. I regret that decision now. I should’ve just followed him back to the car. Aiden invited me to this party. He said it had been a long time since he attended one, and he wanted me to go with him. You
AIDENThe warm breeze washes over me, sending shivers across the skin as I reach the lake. The lake is our favorite place - always calm in the afternoon, with a secluded spot we've claimed as our own. We’ve been here countless times before Sarah decided to call it our special place. It’s become a routine for us to visit two or three times a week. But now, I am not sure how much longer that will continue. I have a girlfriend and she’s Sarah’s sister. How much more complicated can things get?I spot Sarah, her back turned toward me. The plan is to sort things out with her. No matter what, I shouldn’t argue with her too much or let her get on my nerves. I walk closer and sit beside her. Sarah exhales smoke from the cigarette she is holding, then passes it to me. I take a drag, inhaling deeply before blowing out the smoke.“So, you’re going to marry my sister now, huh?” Sarah blurts out, still not facing me.I raise my eyebrows. “I would love to,” I mumble.Sarah spins around to face me
OLIVIAI step out of my car and head toward Aiden's doorstep. I take a deep breath and ring the doorbell. After waiting a moment without a response, I move to press it again. But before I can do that, the door swings open, and my brown-eyed boy stands before me.“Hazel,” Aiden says, opening the door wider to let me in.“Hey,” I murmur.“You’re beautiful,” Aiden whispers, pulling me into a hug, his hand gently stroking my hair.“Beautiful?” I blurt out. “Don’t try to flatter me just to make me feel better, I’m sure I look like a mess right now.”“You look stressed, but as beautiful as ever. You never look like a mess, and you never will.”“Aiden - ”“You don’t see yourself the way I see you,” He murmurs, his breath tickling my ear.I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest. If I weren’t so stressed, I’d love to kiss him like my whole world depends on it. He’s so sweet.We hear someone clear his throat, and we quickly pull away from each other, turning to see Bryan standing there."