OLIVIAI press the doorbell, hoping for a quick response. I don't want to be stuck outside. Luck doesn't seem to be on my side as I have to ring the doorbell again. I press the doorbell once more, but still no response.I bring out my phone from my jeans pocket; texting Aiden is the right thing to do now.Just as I am about to text him, the door jerks open, and I raise my head to meet Bryan's gaze. “ Hi,” Bryan says, giving me a nod. “ Hi,” I say. “ Aiden is inside, right?” Should that even be a question? He wouldn't ask me to come if he wasn't there. But, I need to be sure. “ Yes,” He replies. “ He's in the kitchen, though.”He opens the door a little wider, allowing me to enter. I step into the living room, and he locks the door behind me.“ Bro, someone is here for you!” Bryan yells before settling on a couch nearby, his eyes fixed on the show playing on the television screen. “ Hazel,” I hear a familiar voice, the only voice that can rouse me in the middle of the night. Ai
OLIVIA Aiden turns to me, his honey brown eyes boring into me. He closes his eyes for a few seconds, then he open them again, fixing them on them. I know he's stuck. I know he hates what is going on. I know he has a lot of thoughts swirling in his head, but I don't give a damn. I need to know everything. I need to know what's happening between him and my sister. I need to know where I stand. The phone continues to ring behind him, then it stops, only to start ringing again on the bedside table. Typical Sarah! I am sure she won't stop calling until he picks up. “ You won't pick the call?” I blurt out, crossing my arms over my chest. “ And, do you want me to?” Aiden shoots back. I let out a hiss.“ Do whatever you want. Do you even care about what I think you should do?” “ Olivia, you know I didn't invite you over to argue with you. I didn't ask you to come over just to start an argument about me having some sort of relationship with your sister other than being her best friend
OLIVIA"Hey," Aiden whispers, his eyes piercing deep into mine.There's a little chuckle in his voice, like he is messing around with me. Of course, he is. Who would say "hey" after everything that happened and all the words that had been said between us?"Hey," I whisper back.The corners of my mouth curl up into a little smile. Just looking into his eyes makes me feel things inside of me. I feel weak in the knees as I try so hard to hold his gaze. I think his eyes are my biggest weakness and favorite thing about him, then his charming smile follows.Aiden draws me closer to his body, and his lips come down to mine. I close my eyes, deepening the kiss and going with his flow. Every kiss with Aiden always seems to leave a mark on me, and I know this one will too. He's such a perfect kisser. He deepens the kiss, increasing the pace, and his hand immediately goes to my neck, gripping it but not too tight to hurt me. That's what I love right there! My favorite hand placement that always
OLIVIAAiden raises an eyebrow. He gazes at me like he is about to speak out, but words aren't coming from his mouth. But, I can still see the same look on his face, the look before he starts to kiss me. He wants me. I know he does.I take a deep breath, pushing myself up from the bed. I sit on the bed and grab a hold of his hand. He also moves to sit beside me on the edge of the bed. We sit beside each other, honey brown eyes piercing into hazel eyes.“What's wrong, Aiden? What's holding you back? Is it that you don't want to be my first time or you don't like having sex with virgins?” I ask.“No, Olivia,” He replies, tightening our hands together. “It's not that. It can never be that. Fuck it, I so much want to be your first time and not just your first time. This might sound selfish of me, but I just want to be the only one.”My eyes soften. “Then, why don't you want it now? Why did you stop? Can you tell me? I want to know.” I probe.“I don't think you are going to understand. It'
OLIVIA I bring my top to my nose, drawing in the smell. I can't even catch a whiff of my perfume on the top anymore; it is now covered with Aiden's scent. I bite my bottom lip, trying to stop myself from smiling. But, it is useless; my lips already curl upwards. I like it. I can't even lie. I'm so finished for Aiden. I know it, and I don't give a fuck. If I'm not a female simp for Aiden Blacksmith, who else am I supposed to simp on? I smooth out the top and I put it on when the door swings open. Aiden comes in, closing the door behind him. He's holding a plate with slices of heated pizza, the steam rising from the food, carrying the aroma of melted cheese and spices. I think he just reheated the pizza in the microwave. My eyes run through him from head to toe. He's still topless, gazing at his chest right now reminds me of how it moved on me a while ago. “Why are you devouring me with your eyes when I am right here in front of you? Just make your move, baby,” Aiden blurts out, his
AIDENI rake my fingers through my hair, making it messier, my eyes boring into the most beautiful hazel eyes I've ever seen. “Can you not leave?”“I wish,” Olivia tugs at my hoodie, pulling me closer. I lean in closer to her, her body now resting against her car door. Her eyes roam over me, fixing on my eyes before moving down to my lips, lingering there. I know what she's doing. That's my good girl.“Why are you looking at me like that?” I whisper, my fingers now trailing her eyebrows then going down to her pink lips, my thumb grazing her lips.“Aiden, what are you doing?”“I love when you call me by my first name, it sounds better coming from your tongue,” Olivia wraps her arms around my neck, her mouth claiming mine with urgent desire. I moan, giving in to her kiss.“ You know what sounds better? Your fucking moan,” She murmurs, deepening the kiss.“Where did you learn to talk like that?” I ask between kisses, my hands exploring her body, one hand tightening around her throat,
OLIVIA The first thing that comes to mind is to run into my room, lock the door behind me, and plug in my AirPods to listen to music, so I won't hear their voices. But, I can't. They've already seen me coming down the stairs. I don't have any choice but to stay. I stand on the stairs, my eyes fixed on Aiden and Sarah. I watch as Sarah wraps her hands around his neck, and he hugs her back as she pulls him closer to her so that there is barely any space between them. I bet she is going to smell like him after that hug. My eyes drop, and I catch sight of Aiden's hand placement. My insides tangle up, and I clench my hands into fists beside me. His hand is placed on her waist, the same hand that was holding me last night. I look up and meet his honey brown eyes. His gaze pierces into mine. I hate how his eye contact stirs up various emotions within me. I feel foolish. He's hugging someone right in front of me while maintaining eye contact with me, yet I still feel butterflies flutterin
OLIVIA I sit on the edge of the bed, sipping on orange juice. This will be the second glass of juice I've had today. I can't help it; I just realized how nice it tastes. I can't seem to get enough of the flavor. As I am about to gulp down another glass of juice, I hear giggles coming from my window. It is Sarah's voice. They haven't left yet. I stand up from the bed and walk to the window, parting the curtains. There they are, Sarah and Aiden in the parking lot. Sarah is grinning from ear to ear , looking up at Aiden with a glow in her eyes. God knows what they're talking about that has her so happy. My gaze shifts to Aiden. He has a smile on his face too, although not as bright as Sarah's. I don't know why that made me feel good inside; at least he's not as excited as my sister. What's wrong with me? Am I feeling jealous? Jealous of Aiden's friendship with my sister, or is it something more? I don't know what's wrong with me anymore. Sarah stands on her toes and runs her hands t
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."