Chapter Text
Now...
Aidan Carrington awoke with a start. He didn't have to look at his cell phone to know that it was 11:15am. Thanks to his annoying internal clock, he was up at the same time every morning. Most people would be at work at this time, but he wasn't most people.
Some mornings when he was wasted enough, he could picture her standing by the door. Sage. His Sage. She would give him a teasing smile; taunt him with one of her snarky wisecracks. Often her long, beautiful dark hair would be wet, as if she'd just stepped out of the shower, and she would slowly drop the towel and beckon him to come over.
Today she wasn't at the door but he was drunk. His head was throbbing with pain, and he was about to get up when a slender hand slid over his chest. He looked at the sharp, claw-like nails resting on him and hoped they hadn't made too many scratches on his back. He turned to look at the woman beside him. She was fast asleep, her red hair partially covering her face. He had no idea who she was.
Pushing himself off the bed, he almost threw up but managed to make it to the bathroom without retching. Lately he seemed to have horrible hangovers every time he went on a drinking binge, and today was no exception. He paid his respects to the porcelain gods for several minutes before stepping into the shower.
Later as Aidan glanced at his reflection in the mirror, he realized he had a black eye - which meant he had probably been in some sort of fight last night. Too bad he couldn't remember it, but thank God for the internet. He wouldn't know what the hell he had done half the time if it weren't for people following him around and snapping pictures of him. By now TMZ had probably already posted what happened along with pictures of him next to his infamous father. Not only would they write about their striking physical resemblance (they were both tall and possessed a rugged physique) but would also discuss their similar destructive, violent personalities ad nausem. Aidan had learned long ago to ignore the false comparisons; he was nothing like that bastard. Nothing. As for his looks, he had his mother's hazel eyes which meant he hadn't inherited everything from his asshole of a father.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked out of the bathroom and over to the closet to grab some clothes. The floor creaked, waking up sleeping beauty, but he ignored the soft moan that drifted into his ears. Slipping a t-shirt over his head, he dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of boxers and jeans.
"Hey gorgeous."
Turning around, he caught his first glimpse of her face. She was hot. Without liquor in his system though, she did nothing for him. His expensive sheets were wrapped around her tight body, and she blushed under his gaze as he sauntered towards her. Typical. He knew the effect his good looks had on women. She wasn't any different.
When he knelt on the bed, she puckered her lips in expectation of a kiss. Instead he leaned over her to grab the clothes that were strewn behind and handed them to her. From the stunned expression on her face, it was obvious she hadn't expected that.
Shortly after, Aidan was downstairs and pouring himself a cup of coffee as the redhead came stomping down the stairs. She shot him a dirty look; he flashed a smile and tipped his cup at her.
"Asshole!" she bit out, slipping into her shoes.
He smirked. "What was your name again?"
She walked to the door but not before throwing one last parting shot at him. "Like father like son.”
His eyes turned cold; she took a cautious step back and left in a hurry. He figured she'd sell her story to TMZ, detailing their night together. Maybe he'd give it a read, considering he couldn't remember most of it anyway.
He was taking a bite of his toast when a brunette on the TV screen caught his attention. She was beautiful, and attempting to seduce her partner in a bathroom. His mind flashed back to a similar incident with Sage from high school. She had sent him a text earlier that day, asking him to meet her in the bathroom on the third level. It was hardly ever used, but of course the moment they started making out they were interrupted by a freshman walking in on them. He remembered barking at her to get out while Sage buried her face in his chest with embarrassment. Later, rumors of him being sucked-off by some mystery chick had spread like wildfire through school. His friends had begged to know who the girl was. He'd said nothing.
He traced the thin chain around his neck, rubbing the infinity pendant between his fingers. No longer a symbol of their everlasting love, it was something he touched in anger when he thought of Sage. It was the only thing of hers that still remained with him, the last possession which still connected them together; he'd burned everything else a long time ago.
When he did find Sage again, and he would no matter how long it took, he planned to destroy the pendant - along with her.
Chapter Text
Eight years earlier
Sage Alvi's first day in Belleville Private Academy was going exactly as expected - long, horrible, and everyone was snotty as hell. The racial slurs against her Arab ethnicity were a nice surprise though. At first she didn't realise high school Barbie was talking to her when she whispered "terrorist", but after the third utterance of the ever imaginative "raghead" by another one of her half-sister's friends, Sage realised it was all for her benefit.
The bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch, just in time to distract her from dwelling on memories of her mom. Sage followed the rest of the students out of the algebra class and headed to her locker. Shortly after, she was standing outside, holding a lunch tray in her hands. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and she had to admit there was something to be said for the California weather after all. Eating outdoors in the middle of January was not really an option in Chicago, unless she wanted to freeze her ass off. Then again, she would happily sit through the most frigid of winters if it meant she could have her old life back - her home, her friends. Mom.
"Hey, you!"
Sage realised the tall, dark-haired jock-type was talking to her when he gestured her to come closer. She'd seen him around the house this past week, hanging out with Theo, her half-brother, and snickering whenever she passed by them. Aidan. That was his name. She'd actually wondered if there was something going on between the two because he'd been staying in Theo's room for a few days and had only left to come to school this morning.
She knew it would be smarter to ignore them, especially since Cat was sitting next to him. If anyone hated their current situation more than Sage, it was her half-sister, and Cat had expressed her full-on hatred by being a complete bitch to her. As if that wasn't bad enough, they were surrounded by other students including the brunette who had called her terrorist that first time. Ignoring her instincts to stay put - she wasn't a coward! - she steeled herself and walked towards them.
"So you're the charity case staying with the Woods," Aidan said, sneering, while the group around him snickered.
She smiled back at him, voice dripping with sarcasm. “No, I’m the very special house guest. Who the fuck are you?”
“How long you planning on mooching off of them?”
"You tell me. What is it, Day 5 now since you’ve been staying over at the house?”
"Aidan has more of a right to be with us than you," Cat fired back.
"Really? You sure about that?" Sage knew Cat wouldn't dare say anything else lest Sage were to "accidentally" let the truth slip about their biological relationship. Their father, Thomas Woods, had asked Sage not to reveal to anyone outside their immediate family that she was his illegitimate child, at least not yet. He said he needed more time to process her sudden appearance in his life before it was made public, but in the last week Sage realised Thomas had aspirations for a political career, which meant an illegitimate daughter with a young intern wouldn't exactly be great for his campaign. Frankly, she didn't really care if he claimed her as his own; she had been perfectly fine without a father for sixteen years.
Aidan snapped his fingers to capture Sage's attention, and she leveled him with a cold stare. This guy was starting to piss her off.
"Don't talk to Cat. Talk to me."
"Why? I don’t want to talk to either one of you.”
"You should be kissing her ass for taking you in."
“Is that what you’ve been doing? Kissing ass? No wonder the three of you are always locked in a room together.”
An awkward silence fell over the group. They weren't expecting her to fight back, and now most of them appeared uncomfortable. Except for Aidan who was smirking and seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Jealous?" he taunted.
"Bored.”
"We not fun enough for you?”
“Not really."
He leaned forward, his hazel eyes focused intently on her, and she sensed the anger simmering underneath the insincere smile. "Heard chunky girls like you are good with their mouths."
"We are. Need lessons?"
"Who taught you how to give head? Your mom?"
She froze, finding it difficult to breathe through the sea of rage that washed over her. How dare he talk about Layal like that?
"Cat texted me a pic. Very hot. No nudes though. Know where I can get some?"
"Shut the fuck up!"
The gleam in his eye sharpened now that he'd finally found her weakness. It was a mistake on her part to reveal it, but she didn't care.
"Sucks that she's dead. Lost my chance at riding that hot piece of ass."
Her anger was red-hot and blinding, allowing her instincts to take over, and she hurled her tray at Aidan. Her sandwich went flying past him but the bottle of orange juice hit him just above the eye before crashing down on the bench and breaking into pieces, juice dripping all over his pants.
The choruses of "what is going on here?", "that psychotic bitch", and the hysterical screaming blended into a huge blur for her. The only thing she was focused on was Aidan and the fucking smirk on his face as he rubbed his bruise.
*****
Sage sat outside Principal Smith's office, waiting for Thomas Woods to show up. After the altercation at lunch, Smith had phoned her father right away as the "three of them needed to have a discussion about her disruptive behaviour if she was going to continue to attend Belleville Academy". Considering how disastrous her morning had been, she was hoping they would simply expel her. Maybe then Thomas would allow her to return to Chicago. She could stay with a friend temporarily or maybe even rent a small apartment near her old high school. Her father was apparently wealthy (ironic considering how much she and her mom had always struggled with money), and she hoped he wouldn't mind supporting her until she was able to fend for herself. She didn't really care where she went, as long as it was far away from here. She hated everything about this place, from the new family that seemed to hold her personally responsible for her father's stupidity, to this pretentious hellhole of a school.
Thomas appeared at the office door, dressed in a designer suit that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe. Up until six weeks ago she had believed her father was dead but here he was, with the same features she possessed and had always wondered about. This whole thing still felt strange to her, like she was caught up in a nightmare that refused to end. Unfortunately it wasn't a dream, not at all. It was a horrible reality in which she had lost her mother to pancreatic cancer and had gained a stranger as a father. Considering she'd inherited Layal's brown skin tone, along with her silky dark hair and brown eyes, she had always identified herself as an Arab-American. So imagine her surprise when her father turned out to be Caucasian. She still hadn't come to terms with that or his presence in her life.
Layal had taught her to speak Arabic from an early age, and it was how they often communicated with each other. Thanks to conservative grandparents who had condemned and rejected her mom for becoming pregnant while unwed, Sage had never known any family other than Layal. They had always shared a close bond with each other. Now she was gone, and Sage had no one left in this world she loved.
"Is it true? Did you attack another student at lunch?" Thomas asked, his eyebrows furrowing with disapproval as he interrogated her.
"He said some horrible things about mom. I wasn't going to let him get away with it."
For a second his features softened, and she wondered if there was an actual personality hidden underneath that cold exterior. Her mom had been an amazing, vibrant, loving person but Sage couldn't understand what had attracted Layal to the man in front of her. Yeah, he was rich and some would call him handsome, but he seemed so blank and lifeless to her.
"Maybe you misunderstood."
"I doubt it."
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Just because he made you upset doesn't mean you resort to violent retaliation. That's not how we do things here, Sage. Maybe all of us can sit down and talk it out."
She rolled her eyes, amazed at his gullible nature. Did he really think a discussion was going to solve this? "I think you're giving that jackass too much credit."
"Please don't be vulgar."
The secretary must have informed Principal Smith when Thomas came in because a second later he strode out of his office and extended his hand to shake Thomas'.
"Mr. Woods, I'm sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances but as you are Ms. Alvi's legal guardian-"
"Cut the dog and pony show and tell me how we can fix things."
"Alright, why don't the three of us go into my office?"
"I'd rather not involve Sage. She can wait here for us."
She watched as the two men disappeared into the office and shut the door behind them. It amazed her how Thomas could be this condescending and still have the principal eating out of his hand. Did money and status really yield this much power? It was frightening, really.
Being expelled from this hellhole was obviously not going to happen if Thomas had anything to do with it. Which meant she was stuck here, in this ignorant place where she'd encountered more prejudices than she had in her entire time in McKinnon High. Her previous high school did not have the best reputation - it was the only school in a neighbourhood mostly known for crime and violence - but at least there wasn’t a lot of internal racist crap to deal with.
Exhaling a resigned sigh, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
An image of her mom popped into her head, and Sage had to force herself to think of Layal during happier times, before the cancer had destroyed her. Her mom had been gorgeous, and always garnered a lot of attention from others. Sage remembered often wishing that she looked like her mom and complaining to her about it. Layal would simply smile and assure Sage she was beautiful. Sage knew it had been a lie, after all that was what moms were supposed to say, but she didn't care. It made her feel great anyway.
Losing her mom had left a deep, hollow ache in her heart which refused to subside, yet Sage couldn't bring herself to cry. She hadn't shed any tears when she discovered Layal would be taken from her thanks to the cancer that had been diagnosed too late, or when her mother had lain in her deathbed in hospice care and made Sage promise to accept her father into her life. She hadn't even cried during the funeral service that Sage had had to plan after Layal passed away. She felt nothing but an emptiness and she didn't know why.
The office door opened and Thomas strode out, looking less frustrated than he had going in.
"Mr. Smith and I discussed it and I explained to him your side of things. He understands you're going through a difficult phase right now and today's incident was an isolated one."
"Yeah well, I can't promise to control my temper if that jackass insults mom again."
"You don't need to worry. I'll speak to Aidan myself. Why don't you grab your things and I'll drive you home?"
The thought of being alone was a lot more appealing than spending it here amongst these horrible people, and she readily agreed.
Shortly after, in the privacy of the pool house that Thomas and his wife, Stacey, had designated as her space, she collapsed back onto the bed and pondered her current situation. Stacey clearly despised her and while Sage understood how difficult this must have been for her, she didn't appreciate that both Stacey and Cat seemed to hold her responsible for Thomas's infidelity. At first, Sage had worried she would be forced to deal with them every day during dinner, but after moving in two weeks ago she realised the Woods family didn't really spend any time with each other. That in itself was strange to her. While Layal hadn't always had her evenings off on account of the two jobs she held down, her mom ensured they spent a lot of quality time together.
Things were very different here, and despite her pessimistic attitude, Sage still had to give this living arrangement a shot.
After all, it's what she had promised her mom.
Chapter Text
It took Sage a few weeks to start adjusting to her new life and surroundings. While not any closer to the Woods than before, she had learned to tolerate them and had even exchanged friendly conversations with Theo – which Cat was not the least bit pleased about if her scornful glances were any indication.
Sage also had to admit she had been too quick to judge the students at Belleville. Although Cat and her group of friends were still obnoxious, not everyone was as narrow-minded as them. There was Tara, who was one of the smartest students in the school and had quite a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and Anna, a film geek who had aspirations to be a famous director one day. David was one of the most beautiful people she had ever met and flamboyantly gay, which unfortunately meant he was picked on at times but somehow he never let it affect him.
At first Sage had been determined to not make any friends - not like she was planning to be in LA for long - but Tara’s increasing stubbornness in forging a friendship with her finally broke down her resolve. Grateful to be part of the group now, she actually looked forward to school some days.
Other days she wanted to run and leave everything behind, and it was usually because of Aidan. She had heard through the grapevine the reason he seemed to have it out for her had more to do with reconciling with Cat than actual hatred for her. Apparently they were always on-again, off-again and because their recent status was off he was trying to get back into Cat’s good books. Whatever his reasons, he was an absolute jackass and Sage hated him in a way she had never despised anyone before. He tried her patience a lot; like it wasn’t bad enough she had to see him in school he was also over at the house practically everyday. She didn’t understand why; it’s not like he didn’t have a home. He was filthy rich being the only child of a mega Hollywood producer and some famous ballerina. Maybe they couldn’t stand being around him either.
The thought made her snort as she cleaned up the counter after making a sandwich, only to look up to find Aidan leaning on the kitchen doorframe. He’d been outside playing basketball with Theo a few minutes earlier; unfortunately it looked like the game was finished which meant he was here to mess with her now. Like always he was glaring at her, his usual smirk in place. Oh, how she wanted to smack that goddamn smile off his face.
“Maid work, huh? Looks like they’re finally putting you to use.”
“Fuck off.”
“Why don’t you shut that filthy mouth and make me a sandwich?”
“Why don’t you jump off a bridge and die?”
“You should be nicer to me. One word from me and these guys will throw your chunky ass out on the street.”
You scoffed at him. “Oh, please. Like anybody listens to you.”
“Saw you eyeing me down when we were playin’ outside. You have no shot, you know. You’re not my type.”
“I was watching ‘cause it was funny. You can’t play. You suck at basketball.”
He sneered. “Like you’re some kind of star athlete?”
“Don’t need to be one. I have eyes. I can see when someone sucks.” She tilted her head, flashing him a cold smile. “But I guess you don’t need to worry about all that. You always have daddy’s trust fund to fall back on, right?”
His jaw clenched, her words must have hit a nerve. Normally she’d feel guilty about being such a bitch to someone but this was Aidan. As far as she was concerned, he deserved far worse than what she was dishing out.
She grabbed the plate of sandwich and moved to exit the kitchen, already anticipating trouble as she she had to walk past him to leave. As expected he reached out to grab the doorframe, blocking her way. Leveling him with a hostile stare, she stared up at him. He was tall, over six feet to her five feet three inches, and that automatically made her feel defensive. If he was trying to intimidate her, it was working – not that she would ever admit it. “Move.”
The smirk on his face dissolved. He stared at her intently, his hazel eyes spewing venom. “You think you know me, Sage? You don’t. You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you’re an insecure little prick who’s acting like an asshole just to impress his ex. Even you have to admit that’s pathetic.” His piercing glare was nerve-wracking but she refused to look away, knowing he would use any sign of weakness to taunt her further. “Get out of my way.” She wasn’t sure what to expect next but relief surged through her when he lowered his arm a second later. With her head held high, and heart pounding in her chest, she walked away.
***
Sage shut the door behind her, and entered the security code in the alarm panel. It was a Saturday night, everyone was out. She always liked it when the house was empty because no one was judging her, or throwing daggers at her with their eyes (as Stacey often did), and she felt free to be herself.
Her stomach growled, and she headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat. She was inspecting the contents of the fridge when the landline started ringing. She ignored it at first, figuring they would reach whoever they needed on their cell, but as it kept ringing continuously, she finally answered it. “Hello?”
“Is Cat home?”
It was Aidan, just her luck.
“Obviously not or she would have answered already.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. Try her cell.”
“I already did, she’s not picking up.”
“Maybe she’s out on a date and doesn’t want to be bothered by you.”
“I need to talk to her.”
The fact Aidan didn’t rise to her taunts was concerning enough, but the desperation in his voice was doubly so. She was used to him sounding cocky and smug, not frantic like he was now. “Why don’t you come over and wait here? I’m sure she’ll be home soon.”
“I’ll be there in five,” he said and hung up.
Shoot. She was hoping he would turn down her offer. What the hell was she thinking? It was too late to change her mind, considering he would be here soon. Almost on cue the bell rang followed by a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and went to answer it.
Aidan was waiting for her on the porch, his hair messy and free of its usual gel, t-shirt half-tucked into a pair of scuffed jeans. The black puffer jacket he was holding was the only thing that looked clean. Before she could say anything, he stepped inside.
Aidan never just walked, he swaggered, his every step reflective of his superior attitude and designed to bring attention to his good looks. Tonight, however, there was stiffness in his gait. He forged ahead of her, dragging his jacket on the floor. She closed the door and followed behind him, wondering if he hurt his back.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, after noticing him wince with pain when he tried to sit down.
“None of your fucking business.”
“It will be if you pass out in front of me.”
“Your concern’s touching.”
“Don’t mistake self-preservation for concern.”
He waived her away. “Why don’t you go back to the servant’s quarters and leave me the fuck alone?”
God, she hated him, and now she was angry at herself for inviting him to come over. No wonder he was being an ass, he probably figured he could walk all over her because she’d been nice to him. She stormed out of the den and exited the house through the back door.
Shortly after, back in the comfort of the pool house, she changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed. When she tried to sleep, however, all she could think about was how hungry she was. She hadn’t eaten anything in the last few hours, just to see if she could go on a diet if she really needed to, but apparently she lacked the will power. Oh well. So she was never going to be skinny. Whatever.
Throwing the covers aside, she slipped out of bed and went outside. Once inside the main house, she was making her way to the kitchen when the sound of a frustrated groan stopped her in her tracks. It was Aidan. She contemplated staying put, but after she heard him cry out again she couldn’t ignore his voice. Reluctantly she walked to the bathroom and found him clad in his jeans, facing away from her. She froze, catching sight of his naked back; it was covered in bruises and cuts, some of the wounds still bloody. Like someone had whipped him.
“What? This turning you on?”
He met her gaze in the mirror. Despite his angry expression, his voice lacked its usual vitriol; she realised he was embarrassed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Aidan,” she said is a brisk tone. Being hostile to him was much easier than showing compassion, and she had a feeling he would appreciate it more.
“A strip show from me is gonna cost you. Hope you have a stack of hundreds.”
“No, but I have a first aid kit in my room. I’ll even help you with your back as long as you shut up and don’t irritate me.”
He hesitated for a second, as if contemplating the sincerity of her offer. Finally he pantomimed zipping his mouth shut, and she had to force herself not to smile at his dramatics. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
After grabbing the first aid kit, she returned to the bathroom. His eyes followed her reflection in the mirror until she came closer, relieved that his back was now blocking the mirror from her line of sight. There was something disturbing about being the focus of his attention when he was studying her so intently without a hint of sneer or smirk on his face.
With a gentle touch, she cleaned his wounds and applied the bandages. He still winced once in a while, and her stomach clenched with anxiety just thinking about the pain he was in. After finishing, she shifted back to give him space to turn. “All done.” His gaze centered on her again, the awkward tension returning between them. Avoiding his eyes, she stepped around him to wash her hands. “Try not to get in anymore trouble,” she said before rushing out of the bathroom.
***
Sage was heating up leftover pizza when Aidan popped into the kitchen, wearing one of Theo’s shirts. He didn’t look very pleased to find her in there, which was somewhat comforting; at least she wasn’t the only one who felt strange about the whole night.
“Don’t tell anyone about this,” he said. He appeared unusually nervous as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
“Why would I? You’re the last person I want to talk about.”
“And don’t start thinking we’re friends or something. We’re not.”
“I know that. I don’t make friends with assholes.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
She grabbed the plate from the microwave, moving to leave when he spoke up again.
“Thanks for… everything.”
Gratitude did not suit him; she much preferred it when he was being obnoxious. “Whatever,” she replied without bothering to look at him and exited the main house.
Later that night she was lying awake in bed, unable to sleep, when her thoughts turned to Aidan. She wondered why his back was covered with faded scars, if he’d been involved in a fight. She hadn’t seen any bruises on his hands which led her to think he hadn’t defended himself, but he wasn’t the type of guy that didn’t fight back. If anything, he was always the aggressive one, instigating confrontations. After several minutes of wracking her brain trying to come up with a plausible explanation, she forced herself to stop thinking about him. Whatever he was involved in, she didn’t want to be a part of it. At all. And she was sure he preferred that as well.
Besides, she had her own life to worry about.
Chapter Text
Sage sat on the outside bleachers with her friends, watching the soccer team practice in preparation for the big game later that week. While Tara was intently watching the action, critiquing the players' strengths and weaknesses, Anna and David were simply there for the eye candy. Just like Sage.
"Does Theo walk around the house like that?" Anna asked.
Sage glanced over at her half-brother. Theo had removed his jersey, revealing a muscular upper body. "Ew."
"Are you kidding me? He's fine," David added in a wistful tone.
It was on the tip of her tongue that Theo was her brother when she remembered they didn't know the truth. "Guess he's not my type."
"Forget Theo," Anna said. "I want some of that."
Sage followed Anna's gaze and realised her friend was talking about Aidan. With his sun-kissed skin and sparkling eyes, he was perched in front of the net before leaping up high in the air to block the ball from going in. A wave of cheer erupted from a small crowd gathered on the other bleachers, consisting mostly of sophomore girls, and he flashed a bright smile in their direction. "Looks like he already has a fan club, babe."
"I wish Aidan would take his shirt off," Angela sighed.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind that at all," David added.
Tara remained blissfully unaware of their conversation. "Westview has a pretty strong team but I think we have a good shot. As long as Theo and Aidan don't fuck it up."
"Sage, isn't Aidan always hanging out at your place? Is he back together with Cat?" Angela prodded.
"I don't know. I don't really talk to him."
"Ugh, what good are you?"
Sage chuckled.
"I heard Cat's dating someone else. Some guy from college. And Aidan is pissed about it," David said. "And she's planning on bringing him to the game on Friday night."
"Really?" Tara asked. "I hope Aidan doesn't get distracted by all that bullshit. He needs to focus on the game."
"Oh my God, will you just chill about the stupid game? Nobody actually cares about that shit, you know," Angela huffed.
As the group bickered over the importance of the game against their rivals, Sage focused her attention on Aidan. The top half of his uniform was drenched with sweat. His eyes, squinting under the glare of the hot sun, remained glued to the ball. Her thoughts turned to the scars on his body, and she wondered if his teammates ever questioned him about the wounds. They must have. How did Aidan explain the marks away? Or did he find some way to hide them when he was in the change room? No matter how much she tried not to think about his situation, she couldn't help herself. All her musings led to the realisation there was no way those scars were a result of a one-off fight. After all, this was Aidan. If he was involved in a brawl he'd be bragging about it instead of acting cagey as he'd done that night. Of course that meant there was something even more sinister going on with him, which was troubling.
David nudged her legs. "Chris and I are going out for dinner after the game. Want to come?"
"Yeah, sure."
She tore her gaze away from Aidan, and reminded herself to stop obsessing over him. They were not friends. She didn't even like him! And his problems were none of her business. Besides, her life was complicated enough – the last thing she needed was to borrow trouble.
***
After a long night, Sage was finally home and getting ready to hit the sheets. While she'd never been much of a sports enthusiast, watching the soccer game tonight with her friends had been a lot of fun. That was until their rivals made a comeback in the second half to score two goals, and beat the Belleville team in a heartwrenching upset. She was supposed to go for dinner with David and Anna but neither of them had been in the mood after that loss.
An hour later she was on the brink of sleep when someone knocked on the door. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was close to one in the morning. The only one who would show up at this time would be her dad, and only if it was an emergency. She jumped out of bed and rushed to answer it, except it wasn't Thomas waiting for her on the other side – it was Aidan.
The last time Sage had seen him was after the game, when a verbal fight broke out between Aidan and a player from Westview. Aidan had already been in a foul mood due to the loss, and being taunted by the other team certainly hadn't helped matters any. If it hadn't been for Theo dragging him away, she suspected there would have been a huge brawl right then and there. Now here he was, face twisted in pain. He was gripping the door frame like he was unable to stand on his own without support. "Aidan, what happened?"
"Can I come in?"
"Of course."
He limped inside, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and encouraged him to lean on her while they made their way towards her bed. When he finally sat down on one corner, grimacing in pain, she studied him closely. He wouldn't look at her, his gaze locked on the floor. There were no bruises on his face, but she knew, instinctively, his body was covered in them. That dreadful feeling returned to her stomach. As much as she wanted answers, now was not the time. He needed help and support right now, not an interrogation. Aidan was wearing his bomber jacket which she suspected was causing him added discomfort. Without asking she removed it from his shoulders, and then realised maybe she shouldn't have. It was intrusive to assume he needed help when he hadn't actually asked for it. Embarrassed, she took a step back. Her stomach clenched with anxiety at the devastated expression that still marked his features. She felt helpless. "What do you need, Aidan?"
It was a long time before he spoke. "I shouldn't have come here."
"Don't worry about it. Do you want me to get Theo? Cat? Tell me what to do."
"Just let me rest for a while?"
The tremor in his voice broke her heart. "Stay as long as you want."
Sage paced back and forth for several minutes, pondering her next move. It wasn't until the flicker of annoyance in his gaze that she recognised her fidgeting was probably making things worse. Finally she took a seat on the bed, her body partially turned towards him in case he needed anything.
After a while she reached out and hesitantly laid her hand on top of his. Her father had done the same when she sat next to her mom's bed in the hospital, staring at the lifeless body that once used to be such a vibrant personality. In that moment the simple gesture by Thomas had provided her with much needed comfort; she wanted to do the same for Aidan.
They sat there in silence, the air thick with tension as the minutes ticked by. It was difficult for her to remain still, to patiently wait for him to talk, but she reminded herself whatever he was going through was much bigger than her feelings.
Soon after, his fingers brushed her own. "Can you help me with my shirt?"
"Yeah, sure."
Sage moved to stand in front of him, aware of his keen gaze following her every action as she unbuttoned his shirt. Despite her best efforts not to betray any emotion, her fingers trembled as soon as she spotted the red, angry wounds on his chest. "Are you okay to walk to the bathroom? It'll be easier to clean up in there."
"Whatever you want, Florence Nightingale."
His attempt at humour was obviously for her benefit, and she didn't want to make things awkward by not playing along. "I'm surprised you even know who she is." He rose to his feet, and they walked to the bathroom together. His body weighed heavily against her own. She worried the physical contact would further aggravate his pain, but he didn't complain. Once inside, he sat on the edge of the bathtub while she searched for alcohol wipes and bandages in the medicine cabinet.
"Nightingale was a porn star, right? Did some porn as a sexy nurse?"
She returned his smile. "Something like that."
"You aspiring to be a porn star or a sexy nurse?"
"Shut up."
Kneeling down in front of him, she tended to his chest and stomach. At one point he hissed with pain, but when she checked on him he simply gave her a fake smile. He may not have asked, but she discerned she needed to be more gentle. After every swipe of the alcohol swab, she blew softly on his skin to ease the sting. Shortly after she jumped into the tub to clean the cuts on his back.
"Why are you helping me, Sage?"
Her hands paused as she pondered an answer for him. In the end, she went with the truth.
"I don't know."
"Not sure why I'm here either."
"Looks like we're in the same boat."
"Or tub."
She rolled her eyes at his lame joke.
They returned to the bedroom a bit later, and he kicked off his shoes before she helped him onto the bed.
"I'll leave soon, I promise," he said, leaning on the headboard behind for support.
"Don't be stupid. You can stay the night."
"How do I know you're not going to seduce me while I'm sleeping?"
"Guess you'll just have to risk it." About to walk away, she froze when he reached out to grab her elbow. The warmth of his skin against hers was strange, exhilarating, and entirely too intimate. As if experiencing the same awkwardness, he removed his hand immediately.
"I'm sorry for showing up here."
"I told you it was fine."
"I was an asshole to you." He hesitated, regarding her with an expression she didn't quite understand. "I'm sorry I said shit about your mom."
Remembering his disrespectful words from their first interaction unleashed a fresh wave of anger and hurt, and she leveled him with a hostile stare. "Don't ever insult her again."
"I won't. I swear."
His emphatic response gave her pause. He seemed genuinely regretful, and she found herself softening again. "Do you need anything else?"
"No."
She contemplated ignoring that little voice in her head that wanted answers. In the end, however, she couldn't. "Can I ask you something?" Panic flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a blank mask and she realised he didn't want to share what happened. "Never mind."
He exhaled a heavy sigh. "No, it's fine. I owe you that at least."
Careful not to touch him, she sat at the foot of the bed. "Is it your dad who does this to you?"
His eyes widened slightly. A multitude of emotions – anger, shock, embarrassment – flooded over his face while he squirmed under her observation. Even if he didn't say anything, she already had her answer. Her heart started pounding in her chest. "Have you ever told anyone?"
A bitter laugh escaped his throat. "Why would I do that?"
His attitude was perplexing. "Because what he's doing is wrong. Because he hurts you-"
"Only when I'm acting like a bitch." He shrugged his shoulders. "Or when I embarrass him, like I did tonight."
"Are you fucking kidding me? This isn't your fault!"
"Spare me the bullshit. I'm not some poor little rich kid.”
He glanced away, his lips pursed into a thin fine.
"Look at me, Aidan."
He obeyed, even as his chin jutted out defiantly. "What?"
"You're the biggest jackass I know. I think I hate you more than I've hated anyone before."
"This supposed to make me feel better?”
"No one deserves this kind of abuse, not even you. And this is coming from a person who can’t stand you."
There was a storm brewing in his eyes, the hazel in them transitioning into a hue so dark it was, frankly, intimidating. "Hate me that much, huh?"
"Just being honest. I don't see the point of sugar-coating things."
His lips shaped into a genuine smile. "Me neither. It's annoying."
"Then you know I'm telling the truth. You don't deserve this." Maybe it was a good thing he was silent. As much as she wanted to understand where he was coming from, his refusal to believe her was frustrating. "What he's doing is wrong. You get that, don't you?"
"It doesn't matter, anyway. He's leaving for New York tomorrow. I won't have to see him for a while."
"Until he comes home and decides to do it again," she pointed out. "I can help you, if you want."
"You already have."
"No, I don't mean like this. I... can talk to someone, get you the help you need." As soon as the words left her mouth, he started to scoot off the bed even while flinching. "Aidan, stop. What are you doing?" With one hand on his chest and the other wrapped around his shoulder, she blocked him from getting up.
"Get away from me. I don't want anything from you," he gritted through clenched teeth. "This is my life. You don't get to fuck with it!"
"He has to stop hurting you!"
"Why the hell did I think I could trust you?"
"Okay, okay. Calm down!" Using all her strength, she grappled his arms. "I won't say anything." He finally stilled, close to tears. Seeing him so distraught broke her heart; she reached up to cradle his face. "I won't, okay?"
"Swear to me."
"I promise." He scanned her face, his gaze piercing into her. At first he seemed to be gauging her sincerity but then something shifted, as if he was searching inside her for something she wasn't quite willing to give. Their close proximity, the intensity of his stare – it all left her feeling unsettled. Needing some distance, she urged him to sit back on the bed. "Get some sleep. You're probably exhausted."
"Where are you going?"
"I'll crash on the couch."
"You can sleep here with me."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
He offered her an amused smile. "You think I'm going to try and fuck you?"
"Maybe."
"You're not my type, remember?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot you like skinny blondes. How very diverse of you."
"Checking out my exes?"
She chuckled. Bantering with him was so much more easier – and comfortable – than having to deal with the tension that crept in between them. "If I sleep here, you swear to keep your hands to yourself?"
"Couldn't do much even if I wanted to."
"Well then, scoot over. Unlike your skinny exes, I take up space when I sleep."
"To be fair, they're usually on top of me. And not exactly sleeping."
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up."
He shifted over, allowing her to lie down next to him. Despite putting on a brave front earlier, Sage was now having second thoughts about sharing a bed with him. Something told her sleep wouldn't come easy tonight. "I'm going to leave the lights on."
"Okay."
Wringing her hands together, she stared up at the ceiling.
"I think you need new pyjamas."
She smiled, surprised it had taken him this long to comment on them. Torn and tattered, they were her favourite pair. She had spent many a Sunday mornings in them, lazing around the apartment with her mom. "I think you need to shut up."
"If you want to take them off, I'm okay with it. I just want you to be comfortable."
"So sweet of you.”
"Hey, I’m a sweet guy.”
"No wonder you have so many girls throwing themselves at you."
"Well that, and because I'm hot."
"And humble."
His soft chuckle helped alleviate some of her stress.
"You really hate this place, don't you?" he asked.
"Not all the time."
"Just when Cat goes after you?"
"I can handle her. It's her friends I can't stand, especially when they start with that terrorist shit."
"Don't let them get to you."
"Easier said than done."
"They're idiots."
"They're ignorant. You'd think they'd be smart considering the advantages they've had."
"You think money makes people smarter? Come on, you know better than that."
"Yeah, you're right." She sighed. "Cat hates me for what my parents did. Her friends hate me for being Muslim. I just... I'm not used to being hated for things beyond my control."
"Hey."
He tapped her shoulder. She turned towards him. Despite the lack of physical contact between them, she was keenly aware of his presence.
"I can help you, you know. I can fuck them up so bad they'd be too worried about themselves to come after you."
It was not an idle threat, having been the target of his viciousness. There was darkness in him, capable of brutality, and it simultaneously intrigued and terrified her. "No, don't get involved."
"Why not?"
"Because I can take care of myself. I don't need your help."
Although his eyes flashed with irritation, he didn't argue. "Fine. But I'm here if you change your mind."
"Got it."
As they lay beside one another, eyes locked, with only a few inches of space separating them, it was all too much for her. It was easier sniping with him, or even engaging in small talk, but with Aidan's concentration fully on her and nothing to distract her from his penetrating gaze, she felt on edge. Abruptly, she turned her back to him.
"Have you met him yet?" he asked.
"Who?"
There was a brief pause before he responded. "Cat's new boytoy."
Of course he would be jealous, it was only natural as he still held feelings for his ex-girlfriend, but it still bothered Sage – and she didn't want to think about what that implied. "No. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anything. I'm not a narc."
"No need to get pissy. I was just curous."
"Whatever.”
"Theo doesn't think you're all that bad."
That definitely surprised her. “Really?” Sage smiled. "At least not everyone hates me."
"I don't either."
She chose to ignore the solemnity of his voice. "Does he know... about your dad?"
Aidan tensed again, his tone bordering on acerbic. "He would never say anything. I trust him."
But was silence the right approach? How could it be considering someone was hurting Aidan? Maybe Theo wanted to seek help but Aidan had forced him to remain silent, just like with her.
"Do you miss it?" he asked.
"What?"
"Your old life."
"Yeah," she breathed softly. "A lot. I wish," she waited, trying to swallow the lump in her throat, "my mom was still alive."
"But that's never going to happen, Sage. Things would probably be a lot easier if you just accept that."
Silence filled the air once again, and she pondered the strange circumstances they were in. Aidan was the one who was hurt and in need of comfort, yet he was consoling her. Maybe he did act like a jerk most of the time but there was a side to him that was sweet and gentle. If only he didn't insist on hiding it.
Soon fatigue took over, and she relaxed enough to fall asleep.
***
Loud bursts of laughter from the pool woke her up the next morning. At first she didn't move, remembering Aidan had slept beside her. Would things be more awkward between them in the bright light of day, she wondered. When she opened her eyes, however, the space next to her was empty. Sitting up, she scanned the room for his things and found them all gone. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. His leaving was probably for the best. After all, how would she explain his presence in her room if they were to be caught? And if Cat were the one to discover them, her half-sister would hate her even more.
There were many good reasons Sage should have been thankful he'd left – yet she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Chapter Text
Sage was gathering her things together when David suddenly popped up from behind. Leaning beside her locker, he flashed an eager smile.
“Changed your mind about the dance?”
She shook her head ‘no’.
“Come on. It’ll be fun,” he urged.
“It’s not my thing.”
“If you’re worried about finding a date-”
“I’m not,” she interjected.
David scowled at her. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been so moody lately.”
She shrugged her shoulders, hoping silence would put an end to David’s questioning.
“Want to smoke up? It’ll make you feel better.”
“I don’t think so.” She gave him a forced smile. “See you later.” Slamming the locker shut, she walked away. David was right about her mood, but she didn’t want to feel better. Yesterday would have been Layal’s 38th birthday and instead of crying or mourning the loss of her wonderful mother, Sage simply sat in her room and did her homework. The numbness that had gripped her insides still refused to let go. Where were the tears, the sadness? What kind of a person was Sage that she couldn’t even grieve her mother’s death? That she’d managed to move on so quickly? How could she betray her mom like that?
Lost in her thoughts, she turned the corner only to crash into Aidan. Her books dropped to the floor and she knelt down to retrieve them. “Sorry,” she mumbled absentmindedly.
“Wow, an apology.” He joined her on the floor and started helping. “Didn’t expect that from you.”
“Why?”
He flashed a cheeky smile. “You’re not the kind of girl who says sorry. More like 'drop dead, asshole!’”
She went to grab the book he was holding except he raised it out of her reach, taunting her. Frustrated, she glared at him. “Don’t be a jerk.” Realising she wasn’t in the mood to play, he handed the book back promptly. Concern gleamed in his eyes as his gaze roved over her face, but she ignored him and stood up. Without saying anything, she headed down the hallway.
An hour later Sage was sitting in a quiet corner of the library, staring blankly at the Physics textbook in front of her. Try as she might, none of the material was sinking in. Finally giving up, she laid her head on the table and closed her eyes. Shortly after, she sensed someone pulling up a chair close by.
“Want to tell me what’s going on?” Aidan asked quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.
She pretended to be asleep.
“Stop faking. I know you’re awake.”
She sat up straight and turned towards him only to be taken aback by his close proximity. His long legs were stretched out and almost touching hers while his left arm was balanced on the back of her chair. Worried someone might get the wrong idea about them, she shifted back to put some distance between them – except he leaned in even closer.
There was no twinkle in his eyes, his usual smirk absent as he levelled her with a disconcerting stare. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“I know something’s up when you don’t tell me to go to hell.”
“Maybe I’m trying to be nice,” she snapped.
“Now I know you’re lying.”
“Fuck off!”
A proud smile shaped his lips. “That’s more like it. Now tell me what’s going on.”
Maybe she needed a different tactic to get rid of him. “I’d rather not talk here.”
“Fine. Grab your stuff.”
Sage hesitated, and he shoved the textbook into her bag before handing it back to her.
“Ready?”
Stubborn jackass that he was, Aidan wasn’t going to let this go, so she followed behind him as they headed to the top floor of the library. The space upstairs was dimly lit. There were only a few people scattered throughout the room. Aidan led her towards the back wall until they reached the very end and turned the corner. It was empty, far away from everyone else – the perfect hiding spot. Sage wondered how many times he had sneaked up here and with whom. “This is your make-out corner, isn’t it?”
“Jealous?”
“No!”
“Good. Because you’re not my type, remember?”
“So you keep saying.”
“We’re here to talk and nothing more. Try not to get too excited.”
“Honestly, there’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
Hand curving around her wrist, he pulled her down gently to take a seat. Sitting cross-legged in front of him, she felt vulnerable as his eyes scanned every inch of her face. His stare was penetrating, determined to break through all of her walls and discover everything she wanted to keep hidden. With the tension becoming too intense, she shifted her focus to one of the buttons on his shirt.
“Are they giving you a hard time?” he asked.
“Who?”
“Tish? Cat? Anyone else?”
She shook her head 'no’.
“If they are,” he continued. “Tell me. I can help you.”
“Why?” It was her turn to interrogate him. “Why would you want to? Why do you care?”
He appeared stumped by her question. As if stalling for time, he ran his fingers through his hair. Was he worried she would spill his secret if he didn’t help her? She had hoped they had gotten past that but apparently not. “Look, Aidan. I promised I wasn’t going to say anything about you and I meant it.”
“Is that why you think we’re here?”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Then why? Do you feel like you owe me or something? You don’t.”
“Just shut up for a sec and let me talk,” he snapped. “I want to help you because we’re friends. That’s it, that’s the only reason.”
“Are we? Really?”
“Yes. If I thought Theo was in trouble, I would do the same.”
She scrutinised him, trying to gauge his sincerity. Eventually, she decided to take him on his word. Exhaling a resigned sigh, she gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t done anything.”
“It’s nice to know I have someone in my corner.”
“I am. Now spill it. What’s going on?”
Feeling embarrassed, she shrugged her shoulders. What would she say to him? It would be one thing if she had actually been depressed, at least that would be normal behaviour for someone who had recently lost a loved one, but how could she explain her lack of emotions? Worse yet, what if he judged her for it? “It’s nothing.”
“You’re lying.”
She took his hand to reassure him, only to immediately recognize the intimate gesture was a mistake. Touching him, experiencing the heat of his skin against her own, made her feel unsettled, even strangely excited. With his arresting gaze taking in her every move, her senses were on overdrive. She quickly withdrew her hand and steered the conversation back to what they were discussing. “If you want to help, Aidan, don’t push me. When I’m ready to share, I will.”
The way his jaw clenched made it clear he wasn’t happy with her answer, but at least he didn’t argue. “If things get bad-”
“I’ll get help.”
Resignation set in his face, he seemed to realise she wouldn’t concede any further. “Going to the dance?”
“No.”
“You should.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why? Can’t get a date?” He smirked. “Maybe you’re too picky. What are you looking for in a guy?”
“Someone nice and sweet. So nothing like you.”
“Sounds boring as fuck.”
“Whatever. You wish you could be as exciting as my future boyfriend.”
“Too bad I don’t compete with imaginary guys.”
She smiled at him. Assuming their conversation had ended, she moved to stand up when Aidan caught her elbow. The gold flecks in his hazel eyes were mesmerising, and she found herself transfixed by their striking beauty.
“You’ll call if you need help?” he asked.
“I don’t have your number.”
He pulled out his phone to make a call. A second later, hers vibrated in her pocket.
“Just sent you a text. You should have it now.”
“How did you get my number?” she prodded.
He cocked his eyebrow. “I have my ways.”
“Stalking me now?”
“Only when I’m bored.”
Maybe it wasn’t the right time to bring it up but she couldn’t help herself. “Is everything okay at home?”
His smile stiffened. “You don’t need to worry. He’ll be in New York for a while.” Just as quickly he was his usual smirking self again, the darkness in him melted away. “Resist the urge to send me memes.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “I’ll try.”
“But I’m open to nudes.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
His amused gaze slowly travelled down her body, lingering on her chest. A slow blush spread across her cheeks. This was the first time he had blatantly checked her out and she was at a loss for words, unsure of what to do. Before things became weirder, she swatted his hand away. “See you later.” Ignoring his cocky laughter, she rushed out.
Chapter Text
As soon as Marcus Ashler walked into her second period English class, Sage realized why the students of Belleville had been gossiping about him since that morning. With his head shaved, neck tattooed, and a link chain attached between the hoops of his belt to his pocket, he stood out like a sore thumb in the preppy crowd. Although a part of her was relieved there was someone new for the students to whisper about, she also sympathized with him knowing how out of place he probably felt. The defiant glint in his eyes, however, and his proud swagger as he took the empty seat next to her, suggested he probably wouldn't appreciate the sentiment.
The most persistent rumour circulating about Marcus was that his father had to cash in a huge favour to get him into Belleville. Apparently he had a history of dealing drugs which led to him being kicked out of other prestigious schools until Belleville finally took him in. Sage doubted the rumor was actually true. For one thing, the very same people had once gossiped she was a sleeper cell. Plus, despite his physical appearance, he just seemed too green to be a dealer – especially in comparison to the ones in her previous school. Her instincts screamed Marcus was not really a thug, only pretending to be one to score points with girls.
Throughout class he remained quiet, staring out the window. At one point he turned his head unexpectedly to catch her glancing at him; she averted her eyes right away.
At lunch, Marcus was once again the topic of conversation. Already David seemed enamored by Marcus's bad boy reputation.
"You think he still deals?" David asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know."
"Think he's ever been in jail?"
"No," she scoffed. "He's got a rich daddy, remember?"
"Whatever he's doing, it's working. He's hot."
"I guess. He's not really my type."
David shot her an exasperated glance.
Later that day she was on her way to class when Marcus caught her attention again. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, checking his phone.
"No cell use during school hours," she advised. "I would put that away if I were you."
He looked up at her, a surprised expression on his face. "You're not me."
She didn't bother to respond and kept walking. Soon, he fell into step beside her.
"People here have nothing better to do than talk shit all day long," he mused.
Sage chuckled. "Guess you heard the rumors about yourself?"
"And the ones about you too."
"Don't believe everything you hear."
"So you're not a raging bitch?"
"Only on weekdays."
His unexpected giggle, a far cry from the tough guy image he projected, brought a smile to her face.
"Anyway, I gotta jet. Talk to you later?" he said.
"Sure."
As he walked away, she had to admit there was something about him that intrigued her. And David had been right about him, Marcus was definitely adorable.
*****
While in the midst of reading Wuthering Heights for a book report that night, her cell phone rang. Sage glanced at the screen; it was Aidan. "Hello?"
"Still awake?"
"Yeah. Everything okay?"
"You think I only call when I'm in trouble?"
"Yes."
He chuckled softly. "Maybe I just want to hear your voice."
"Maybe you're full of shit."
"Say something sexy."
"Fuck you."
"Not what I was expecting but it'll do."
"When you start paying me by the minute, I'll put in more effort."
"I'm not going to buy the ride before I take it out for a test drive."
"Wow, such a charmer."
"Aren't I?"
"Must be why you have a fan club."
"Want to join?"
"Nope. Not interested."
"It's a lot of fun."
"I doubt it."
"You have no idea what you're missing. There's a monthly mud wrestling challenge. Winner gets me all to herself for the night."
"I'd rather lose."
"Loser gets a kiss too."
"How generous of you."
"I'm a lover. Talent like mine needs to be shared with the masses."
Hearing the smugness in his voice, it was easy to imagine the cocky smile he was wearing at that moment. "You're so full of it, Aidan."
"Isn't that what you like about me?"
"Don't flatter yourself."
"Someone has to, since you obviously won't."
"I don't think your ego needs any more stroking."
"No, it's not my ego that needs it."
She burst out laughing at his incorrigible tone.
"You sound like you're doing much better," he said.
"Do I?"
"I was worried."
"I told you I was fine."
"And you would never lie, right?" he muttered sarcastically.
"Only when I have to."
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I guess."
"I don't want you to lie to me."
The earnestness in his voice tugged at her insides but she chose to ignore the strange emotions he evoked.
"Did you hear me?"
"Yeah," she replied. "Like you said, we all lie."
"Maybe, but there are some people I'm honest with."
"Like who?"
"Theo." There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Cat."
His response bothered her far more than expected and she chastised herself for her reaction. Of course Aidan would be honest with Cat; they'd dated for a long time and were still close.
"And you."
Now that was even more concerning. "It's late. I have to go."
"Scared?"
"No."
"Liar."
She remained on the line, quiet, unsure of what to say next.
"At least you're not denying it."
"What do you want from me?" she snapped.
"I'm bored. Entertain me."
His sheer audacity brought a smile to her face but there was no way in hell she would admit that out loud. "You're unbelievable."
"I know."
"Why don't you invite your fan club over? I'm sure they'll keep you busy."
"Nah, they get annoying after a while."
"Aw, must be so hard to be worshipped."
"It really is," he played along. "But that's why I need you. You keep me grounded."
"By reminding you you're not as amazing as you think you are?"
It was a while before he replied. "Because even after knowing everything, you're still here."
She didn't know what to say, or how to feel about that. From the silence at his end, he was in a similar position. As if sensing her hesitation, he changed the topic.
"Who you going to the dance with?"
"I don't think I'm going."
"Come on, don't be a suck."
"If I go, it'll probably be with friends."
"Oh, you have some?" he teased.
"Yeah, I do. Real ones, not assholes like yours."
"Show-off."
She smiled.
"Didn't realise it was that hard for you to find a date."
"Maybe I don't want one."
"Thought you might go with that new punk that started today. What's his name? Manny, Monty-"
"Marcus?" she interjected.
"Whatever."
"Why would you think that?"
"Saw you talking to him today."
"So?"
"You guys were flirting."
"We were not."
"That's what it looked like to me."
"Even if we were, why do you care?"
"I don't!" he snapped. "Actually, I don't give a fuck."
"Good. You shouldn't. It’s none of your business."
"Didn't realise he was your type."
"My type?"
"The wannabe thug. He realises he's loaded, right? He wasn't born in the ghetto somewhere?"
"So because he doesn't act like you and your friends, he's a poser?"
"Or do you like him because he reminds you of all the losers back in your old school?"
"You're such a fucking prick, you know that?"
"Hey, at least I'm honest. I don't pretend to be something I'm not."
"Maybe you should."
"Fuck you!"
She hung up on him, furious, but the next second her phone buzzed with a new text message.
"I'm sorry. Call me. Please."
Although Sage contemplated ignoring the message, she found herself dialing his number. He picked up the phone on the first ring.
"Sorry," he said, sounding genuinely upset.
"You wouldn't need to apologize if you just stopped acting like an ass."
"I know."
"And control your temper."
He sighed. "I know," he repeated.
Feeling a tad guilty for yelling at him, she said, "And I guess I should stop letting you get to me too."
"Hope not. You wouldn't be as much fun then."
She laughed softly.
"Just be careful around that Monty."
"It's Marcus."
"Whatever."
"I thought you said he was a poser?"
"Doesn't mean he's not trouble."
"Yes, Dad." A quick glance at the clock revealed it was almost midnight, she'd been talking to him for almost an hour. "It's late. I should get to bed."
"Is that an invite?"
"Only in your head."
"Tease."
She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Trying to get rid of me?"
"You want to talk more?"
"Yeah. I haven't even started to tell you how I plan to take over the world."
"Fine. You have half an hour."
Thirty minutes turned into more than two hours with the conversation venturing far beyond than just his nefarious plans for world domination. They spoke about first crushes and kisses, their most embarrassing moments, and it was only when she almost fell asleep on the phone did he finally let her hang up.
***
Sage stepped out onto the patio. The cold, sharp air was a welcome respite from the hot, sweaty atmosphere inside. At first the idea of clubbing had seemed fun but after being there for two hours she just wanted to go home. The place was overcrowded, everyone around her reeked of either sweat or weed, and she'd stopped enjoying herself a while ago.
She was pondering excuses to leave when her phone started to vibrate. Pulling it out of her clutch, she was surprised to find two text messages waiting for her. They were from Aidan.
"Call me as soon as you get this."
Worried, she dialed his number. He picked up after the third ring.
"Hey," he said. "Where you at?"
Instead of sounding frantic as she had expected, he seemed relaxed, even flirtatious.
"I'm at a club. You said it was urgent?"
"Downtown? Who'd you go with?"
Irritation surged through her. "Focus, Aidan! Why did you text me?"
"Well, Theo's wasted. And I'm halfway there."
"Okay. Why do I care?"
"Because neither of us can exactly drive home. I was hoping you’d pick us up."
"Call an Uber."
"I am. You."
"Since when am I your chauffeur?"
"Since I asked nicely," he declared. "Come on, I thought we were friends. Isn't this what friends do?"
Even though she didn't like admitting it, Aidan's incorrigible nature had grown on her to the point where she found it charming. He was the complete opposite of her with his swagger and confidence, and she was strangely intrigued by it. Not that she would ever share that with him. "Fine. But you owe me one."
"Whatever."
"Text me the address," she ordered before hanging up. Relieved at having a legitimate excuse to leave, she headed back inside to speak to David.
*****
Parking along the street, no mean feat considering the driveway was over-packed with cars, Sage slipped on a cardigan before stepping outside. Noting the loud music and the crowd gathered on the lawn, she realised this was a full-blown party and not just a casual hangout as Aidan had implied. Great. She just hoped it wasn't one of Cat's friends throwing the party.
As Sage walked past a group of guys, one of them started whistling and making lewd gestures at her. In response, she buttoned up her cardigan. The blue cocktail dress she had borrowed from Tara was a little tight in the chest area, and although appropriate for clubbing, it wasn't something she would wear normally. It made her feel too self-conscious around people.
Rushing into the house, she scanned the crowd for signs of Aidan and Theo and discovered them doing shots in the middle of the den. They were surrounded by some of the cheerleaders from school, including Tish who shot her a dirty glance. Great. This evening was just getting better and better. "Aidan!"
He turned to look at her. "Hey!" His face beamed with a huge grin. "Want a shot?"
Sage didn't need super hearing to know Tish was whispering about her to her group of friends. They weren't exactly attempting to hide it either as they all turned to stare at her and giggle. "I'm leaving now. If you and Theo still want a ride, you guys better be outside in five minutes."
Shortly after, both boys met her outside. Aidan was holding onto Theo who looked too hammered to stand on his own and Sage quickly moved towards them to help. Slowly, they made their way to her car.
"Thanks for coming, hun. You're sweet," Theo slurred.
Aidan snickered. "Bro, shut up and stop hitting on your sister."
"Ew," Sage replied. "Why don't you both shut up?"
She unlocked the back door and was helping Aidan slide Theo in when her brother puked all over her chest. "Fuck!" she griped, pulling off her cardigan which was covered in vomit. Although the dress was fine, she couldn't say the same about herself. Just watching Theo heave was making her stomach turn.
"Sorry," Theo mumbled.
"Better puke it all out now," Aidan advised. As if sensing her disgust, he offered her a smile. "Stay here. We'll be back."
As he helped her brother move to the bushes where Theo proceeded to vomit again, she was surprised by Aidan's helpfulness. She didn't think most guys would be as kind but Aidan stood beside Theo, patting his back and joking around to make Theo feel better while his friend continued to throw up. After what felt like forever, both returned to the car and Aidan helped Theo onto the back seat before joining her at the front.
"You alright?" Aidan asked.
Sage started driving. "Just feeling icky. I can't stand vomit."
"Whereas I love it."
His dry humour brought a smile to her face.
"What was with the hissy fit inside?"
Glancing at the rear-view mirror to find Theo fast asleep, she shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't tell me Tish was gonna be there."
"Jealous?"
She sent him an irritated glare. "Why didn't you ask Cat to drive you guys home?"
"She wasn't there. Must be out with her new boyfriend or something."
With the way his jaw clenched, it was obvious he was still bothered by Cat dating other people, which only frustrated Sage more. What the hell did he want from her if he was still hung up on her sister? "Next time don't bother calling me. You're rich, you can afford an Uber."
"Why you acting like such a bitch?"
"Because that's who I am. Thought you'd realised that by now."
"What's really bugging you?"
"I just told you!"
"A lie, obviously."
She was too furious to respond, the air thick with tension. After a while, Sage regretted snapping at him; she didn't want to reveal how much his relationship with Cat really bothered her. Knowing Aidan, he would use that information to get under her skin.
Aidan leaned back in his seat, still partially turned towards her, and the close proximity between them was starting to play havoc with her thoughts. She was keenly aware of his eyes lingering on her, studying her with an intensity that was nerve wracking, but she forced herself not to react and concentrate on the road ahead.
His voice was smooth as velvet when he finally spoke again. "Nice dress."
"It's not mine."
"Whose is it?"
"A friend's. Why?"
"I want to buy it."
"You don't have the figure to pull off a cocktail dress."
"But you do."
There was no physical contact yet it felt like there was barely any space separating them. Her heart started pounding in her chest.
"I would get it for you," he murmured.
"Yeah well, what I really need is a cardigan. I had to leave the other one behind."
"A cardigan? Fuck that!"
Despite her resolve to be cold, she couldn't help chuckling at his offended tone.
"I want you less covered, not more."
"Shut up."
She refused to look at him, but could still see his amused smirk from the corner of her eye. Fortunately, they reached home shortly after.
Minutes later, Theo was snoring softly in his bed. In his ensuite bathroom, she washed her hands while Aidan stood behind, drying his own. "You think he's going to be okay?" she asked.
"One hell of a hangover tomorrow, but he'll be fine."
Turning off the valve, Sage glanced up at the mirror to find Aidan fixated on her reflection. His piercing gaze languidly roved over her breasts, consuming her with a hunger that was disconcerting. She swallowed an audible breath and proceeded to wipe her hands, telling herself to ignore him. That resolve, however, quickly melted once their eyes locked in the mirror and he swaggered closer until standing behind her.
"Who did you go out with tonight?"
As much as she wanted to avert her gaze and break the intoxicating hold he had over her, it was impossible. "A friend."
"That Monty guy?"
"His name is Marcus."
"Fine. Marcus. Did you go out with him?"
She contemplated lying and telling him 'yes', but instinctively knew that would hurt Aidan. "I was with David."
"That guy you're always hanging out with in school?"
"Let me guess. You don't like him."
"I didn't say that. He seems alright."
"He is."
A playful smirk shaped his lips. "And he'd rather fuck me than you. He obviously has good taste."
She rolled her eyes while simultaneously fighting the smile that threatened to spill over. "Goodnight, loser." She spun around to leave the room when he blocked her path in one swift motion.
"Wait."
He was standing entirely too close, his darkened eyes fully concentrated on her and an unusually solemn expression marking his features. Intoxicated by him, unable to think or breathe, she trembled in his embrace when he cradled her face.
"Hey, it's okay," he consoled in a soothing tone.
The knot in her stomach tightened further while his thumbs stroked her skin ever so gently. She wondered if it was anxiety that flickered in his eyes, the hazel flecks slowly transitioning into green. The thought of him being nervous was touching for some reason.
Reacting instinctively, she reached up to kiss him. Her lips closed over his, suckling him, tasting him, while her fingers curved around the back of his head. Warm and sweet, he tasted like licorice, and she wanted more.
When he remained unresponsive, she worried about being too bold. Maybe he really wasn't interested in her, and she had just made an ass out of herself. Suddenly, his mouth came alive under her touch, responding to her with a ferocity that left her breathless. He stroked her tongue with his own, exploring the contours of her mouth, while his hands scanned her back, pressing her tightly against his body.
"Aidan, you in here?"
He jumped away instantly upon hearing Cat's voice, his face flushed with guilt and eyes panic-stricken. By the time her sister entered the bathroom, however, he had recovered enough to ensure there was enough distance between them so as not to arouse any suspicions.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Cat asked, hostility flaring in her eyes when she noticed Sage.
"She gave us a ride home," he replied, maintaining a deliberately casual tone.
Too busy focusing on Cat, he didn't look at her once; Sage couldn't believe how easy it was for him to pretend nothing had just happened between them. Hurt and furious, she stormed past him but not before pausing beside Cat. "I'm not a fucking chauffeur. Go get your boyfriend yourself the next time he's hammered."
She rushed out of Theo's room, slamming the door behind her.
To be continued...
Chapter Text
Cold water from the shower rained on Sage's skin, doing nothing to cool her temper. The humiliating moment from earlier flashed through her mind, and she chastised herself once again for her stupidity. Why did she kiss Aidan? Aidan, of all people! Most of the time she didn't even like him. As for the kiss itself, well, she didn't want to think about it, not at all, not the way his mouth had devoured hers, or how his hands caressed her back. And she absolutely did not want to remember the guilt marring his face after Cat walked in on them. Unfortunately, that image was etched into Sage's brain. One second they had been swept up in each other, the next he was pulling away like they had just been caught doing something wrong. That moment made it clear things weren't completely over between Aidan and her sister, and that infuriated Sage. Why the hell was he flirting with her if he still had feelings for Cat? He had a reputation for being a player, but Sage had assumed their friendship would prevent him from treating her like she was another piece of ass. Obviously, that wasn't the case.
Shortly after Sage slipped into a terry-cloth robe and exited the en-suite bathroom, stopping midstride at the sight of Aidan lounging on her bed, his back perched against the headboard, long legs on display along the mattress. Carefree, relaxed, like he was dropping by for a casual visit.
As soon as they locked gazes, he sat up straight. Eyes darkening, brows furrowed together, he appeared as tense as she felt. The air was taut with volatile energy, ready to explode any second. "What do you want?" she demanded.
He rose to his feet, shuffling his weight from one leg to another. "We need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Really? That's how you want to play this? Like nothing happened between us?"
"Nothing did."
"Look, you took me by surprise. And then Cat came in and I just... I didn't want to throw us in her face like that without talking to her first. You get that, don't you?"
"I don’t want to hear your bullshit.”
"Then what the fuck do you want to do?" he snapped. "Make-out?"
A furious blush spread across her cheeks. "Get out!" She held his stare despite cringing with embarrassment on the inside. Like hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her.
"No."
"You're an ass, you know that?"
"Isn't that what you like about me?"
"Don't flatter yourself!"
"You kissed me, remember?"
"Because I felt sorry for you!"
"Stop lying to yourself."
Something in her wanted to hurt Aidan, wipe out that cocky glint in his eyes and make him feel the same kind of humiliation she had experienced earlier. "No, I'm really not," she taunted, approaching him. "You're just so pathetic with how needy you are. Any girl even looks at you and you're all over them like a dog in heat."
Her words had the desired effect. His eyes hardened, and he levelled her with a hostile glare. "Is that why you were practically ready to fuck me before?"
"Get over yourself. I'm not one of your skanks."
"You would have been on your knees and sucking me off if I hadn't stopped you." A cruel sneer crossed his face. "But even I have my limits. Blow job or not, I would never do that to Cat."
"Fuck you!"
"Not now. Maybe another time when you're not being such a bitch."
"Next time your father decides to teach you a lesson, don't come crying to me. Go to someone who actually gives a damn about you. If you can find someone that is."
The words rushed out before she could stop herself, and she was instantly filled with regret at the wounded expression on his face. The horrid words made her want to retch, she couldn't imagine how he must have been feeling. "I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching out to comfort him but he pushed her hands away.
"Don't touch me."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. Any of it."
He didn't respond, rushing past her and out of the room. The door shut behind him, the noise reverberating throughout the room.
For a long time she sat on the edge of the bed, frozen, berating herself for what just happened. Her mother had always warned her to think before speaking when she was angry, but this was the first time Sage realised the consequences of her own temper. Regardless of what was happening between them, she had no business throwing what his father did in Aidan's face. He was trapped in a difficult situation and needed friends, and instead of being in his corner she had reminded him of how alone he was. Reaching for the phone, she called him. He didn't pick up. Several tries later, she texted him.
"Aidan, I'm sorry. Please call me so we can talk."
After an hour she finally fell asleep, still waiting for him to return her messages.
There was no response.
*****
The following Monday Sage was retrieving a textbook from her locker when Aidan's laughter reached her ears. Surrounded by friends, he was goofing around and behaving like his normal self. This morning he had made a point of looking right through her when their paths crossed in the hallway, pretending she didn't exist. His refusal to be alone with her left her with no choice. If she wanted to make him listen, she had to do it here.
With hesitant steps she approached him, her stomach trembling, the nervousness increasing tenfold once he finally met her gaze. For a brief moment she caught a glimpse of the Aidan she had come to know, the vulnerable part of him hidden beneath a veneer of snark and arrogance. However that look was quickly replaced by his usual smug mask. As she drew closer, the subtle arch of his eyebrow revealed his surprise by her nearing proximity while the stubborn lift of his chin dared her to continue. It wasn't until she was inches apart that the furious glint in his eyes returned with a vengeance.
"Can I talk to you?"
He levelled her with a hostile stare, leaning back against his locker. "Not interested."
"Don't be a jerk, please. Can we just talk somewhere quiet?"
"No."
Suddenly one of his friends, Tim, came up from behind and threw his arm around Sage. "Be careful, bro. Think she's trying to recruit you into being a Jihadi." He turned to her, gesturing lewdly with his tongue. "Hey Sage, I'll bomb whoever you want if you suck my cock."
She shrugged his arm away, disgusted. "I've heard there isn't much to suck, little Timmy."
Tim lunged at her, ready to strike, but Aidan pulled him back, shoving him hard against the locker. "Calm the fuck down, dude!" He glanced at his other two friends. "Get him out of here!"
Thanks to the altercation they were now the center of attention, but Sage was determined to ignore the hushed whispers. She kept her gaze trained on Aidan even though his remained on Tim who was still swearing at her while being dragged away.
"Are you okay?" Aidan asked after a brief pause.
The concern in his tone contradicted the hostility on his face, but she was relieved that he still cared. "I'm fine."
Once his hazel eyes settled upon her, the atmosphere between them grew more strained. Despite finally having the chance to apologize to him, she found herself remaining silent for fear of making things worse.
"You need to watch what you say to people," he said.
Irritation shot through her upon realising he was blaming her for Tim's behaviour. "You need to make better friends."
"The ones I have now are just fine."
"They're assholes."
"Maybe. But at least they don't lie about who they are. With them what you see is what you get."
"When have I lied to you?"
"When you pretended to give a shit about me."
"I do care, Aidan."
"No, what you feel is pity for me. Your words, not mine."
"Oh, and you've never said anything you don't mean?"
Jaw clenched, he glared at her coldly. "Cat was right about you. You are a fucking bitch."
She flinched at his harsh words, her insides threatening to crumble, but she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her break. Especially Aidan. "You're right. I am. Thanks for reminding me." Before he could hurl any more insults at her, she walked away.
***
At lunch time Sage headed towards the small shady area behind the soccer field. Hardly anyone went there, and she'd be far away from prying eyes – even those of her friends who were dying to find out what happened in the hallway earlier. Frankly, it was easier to be alone. Unfortunately she found Marcus sitting in her desired spot, smoking a spliff.
"Hey," he greeted with a smile.
"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was going to be here."
"No big deal. You can stay if you want."
"It's okay." She was about to walk away when his words stopped her in her tracks.
"Hey, I heard you were offering free blow jobs in the hallway this morning. Is that true?"
"Are you kidding me? Is that what they're saying happened?"
"I heard it from two people. So it must be true."
"If I was really giving blow jobs why would Tim almost punch me? He'd probably be screaming with joy."
"True."
"Fucking idiots! I hate the people here so much."
Marcus smiled. "I know the feeling." Raising his hand, he offered her the blunt he was holding. "Here. I think you need this more than I do."
She shook her head 'no'.
"Didn't realise you were so uptight," he teased.
"Knowing my luck, they're watching us right now to catch me red-handed and expel me."
"Paranoid much?"
"Yeah well, I can't help it."
"Getting expelled isn't that bad, maybe your parents will ship you off to a different school then. That's what mine always do."
"My mother is dead and I live with a family that can't stand me. If I do something to embarrass them, they'll kick me out."
"Sucks to be you."
"Tell me about it," she muttered, taking a seat next to him.
Over the next half hour as he talked incessantly about all kinds of topics, she found herself drawn to his breezy attitude. Although he was often gossiped about, he really didn't care what anyone else thought. She admired that about him. Her own hard facade was simply a mask, but in Marcus's case he really was immune to everyone else's opinion. If only she was built that way, maybe Aidan's words wouldn't sting and she wouldn't be hurting this much. It was her fault, really, for letting herself believe they had become friends. It simply wasn't possible for them to forge any kind of friendship when they were so different from each other. In a way, it was a good thing the fight occurred when it did; it opened her eyes to the reality of their situation.
Refusing to dwell on Aidan any longer, she gave herself a mental shake and focused her attention back on Marcus.
***
In English class the next day, things went from bad to worse. Sage was concentrating on the reading assignment when loud voices drew her attention to the conversation between Cat and Tish.
"I really like that necklace, Tish. It has a vintage feel to it."
"If by vintage you mean tacky and cheap."
Wondering why Tish would bother to wear something she didn't seem to like, Sage glanced up at the redhead and spotted the necklace around her neck. It was a thin silver chain, held together with a small safety pin. In the center was a white-gold infinity pendant. The very same necklace Layal wore every day and had bequeathed to Sage before passing away. She never wore the necklace as it served as a constant reminder of the loss of her mother. Instead, she had stored it away in a small box and kept it on the vanity table. And now, somehow, Tish had managed to get her hands on it. Sage was overcome with hot, potent rage at the sight of something she loved so dearly wrapped around Tish's neck. "That's my necklace! How the hell did you get it?"
"Excuse me," Tish replied in a snotty tone. "My maid gave this to me on my birthday."
"You're lying! You're fucking lying!"
"Ms. Alvi, watch your language or you'll be paying a visit to the principal's office."
Oblivious to the teacher's words, Sage was fixated on the snickering glances exchanged between Tish and Cat. "Give it back to me, Tish. Or I swear to God you’ll be sorry."
"Are you threatening me? That's what your people always do, right?"
"Give it back!" Sage screamed, tears streaming down her face.
"Make me," Tish smirked.
Blinded by fury, Sage stood up and rushed towards Tish.
In the next second, a vicious fight broke out between the two.
Chapter Text
Sitting in the emergency room of their local hospital, Sage listened meekly as the nurse who bandaged her fractured finger recited instructions on how to take care of it. Although the finger still hurt, it paled in comparison to the ache growing rapidly in her chest. The last thing she possessed of her mother’s was now gone, lost in the hands of a spiteful, vindictive bitch and there was nothing Sage could do to change that. The loss was unbearable, eliciting such anger that she wanted to scream and puke at the same time.
Thomas Woods was usually calm and in control. However, he was pacing back and forth at the moment, forehead furrowed with impatience. As soon as the nurse left them alone, he turned to her. “You broke that girl’s nose!”
“She deserved it.”
“The principal wanted to suspend you for a week but I negotiated down to three days. Believe me, that was not easy. Luckily the Summerfields are more reasonable people. They’ve agreed not to press charges as long as I pay for Tish’s surgery. And you’ll have to apologize to her, of course.”
“No! No way in hell am I doing that. She stole my mother’s necklace-”
“You’re mistaken. Her father assured me that he bought it for her personally last week.”
“She’s lying! In class she said her maid gave it to her.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure you’ve simply misplaced yours. It’s probably in the pool house somewhere.”
“How can you say that?” she cried. “I know that necklace! Mom wore it for as long as I could remember. Couple of years ago one of the links in the chain broke and mom used a safety pin to hold it together. You think it’s a coincidence Tish’s necklace is broken in the same way? And the infinity pendant is scratched up. Why would Tish’s look that way if it’s supposed to be brand new?”
A strange expression crossed Thomas’s face, he pondered in silence for several seconds. He seemed to be lost in thought, and Sage started to wonder if he was coming around to accepting the truth. Otherwise, he would have dismissed her concerns already.
“Even if what you’re saying is true, that doesn’t excuse your behaviour.”
Her heart sank.
“Besides, there’s nothing we can do now. It would be inconsiderate to drag this matter on when we really need to put all this unpleasantness behind us. If you want, I’ll buy you another necklace.” He turned his back to her. “I’ll go see the doctor about getting you released.”
Thomas walked out of the room, leaving her alone. Bewildered, she wondered how her father could possibly think a new necklace was enough to replace the significant memories attached to the one Tish stole. All sorts of questions about her father began to flash through her mind. Did he really think buying a present would be enough to assuage her concerns? Was he really that superficial? How could her mom, a sweet, generous, wonderful woman fall in love with someone as callous as Thomas?
Struck by the image of Layal during happier times with that necklace around her neck, Sage was once again reminded of everything she had lost. Tears of despair welled in her eyes. She wanted to scream so loudly that her father would be forced to acknowledge her instead of brushing her aside whenever she became too inconvenient to deal with.
“Sage?”
She looked up to find Aidan rushing towards her. As he closed the distance between them, the dam inside her burst. Tears expelled down her cheeks. Upon reaching her he cradled her face, dropping a tender kiss on her forehead. “Ssshh, it’s okay. You’re okay.” Hugging her carefully so as not to touch her wounded finger, he consoled her, murmuring soothing words until she finally stopped sobbing.
Encased in his arms, she felt safe, protected. No longer alone.
When he pulled back to examine her finger, his face hardened with anger. “I’m going to kill that bitch.”
“She has my mom’s necklace, Aidan.”
Confusion gleamed in his eyes. “What necklace? What are you talking about?”
“She or Cat, one of them, stole my mother’s necklace from my room and now Tish has it!”
“Are you sure? Maybe you just lost it or something.”
The tenuous grip on her emotions dissolved as soon as she was confronted with his skepticism. With Thomas and everyone else, their suspicions weren’t exactly a surprise; they had the lowest opinion of her. But Aidan, despite their recent fight, was supposed to be different. He had encouraged her to be strong, to keep being herself, yet now he doubted her as well; it felt so much worse to be betrayed by Aidan than Thomas. “You think I’m lying too? That I’m making this shit up?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m only asking-”
“Get the hell out!” she raged, pushing him away with her good hand. “I should have known you’d be like everyone else.”
“Aidan? What are you doing here?” Thomas stood by the door, glancing back and forth between her and Aidan.
“Ah, I just-”
“He stopped by to tell me to leave Tish alone, but he shouldn’t have bothered.” She levelled Aidan with a hostile stare. “You and your asshole buddies can go fuck yourself.”
“Sage!” Thomas snapped. “Please watch your language. Do you really want people to hear you speak like that?” He walked over to the chair in the corner and picked up her schoolbag. “I’ve signed your release papers. Let’s go home.” Glancing once again at Aidan, Thomas offered him a polite smile. “Tish is in room five if you’d like to see her.”
Aidan remained silent, his gaze boring into Sage. Embarrassed about her earlier breakdown, especially considering he didn’t even believe her, she was determined not to fall apart in front of him again. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need anyone. Head held high, she walked past Aidan and followed her father out of the hospital.
*****
As soon as Thomas pulled the car into the garage, Sage was ready to make her escape into the pool house. The ride from the hospital had been fraught with tension and despite Thomas’s efforts to make small talk – as if pretending everything was okay was going to make her forget what he did – she’d remained silent. Her father, like everybody else, believed her to be a liar. It wasn’t surprising, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Not that it mattered. None of it did. Because these people, these pretentious, rich, arrogant fuckwads, weren’t important. They were simply part of a difficult phase in her life that she had to overcome. It was only a few more months until she graduated and then she’d be out of here, away from all these hypocrites.
About to open the car door, she paused when Thomas spoke her name. Biological parent or not, he was like the rest of them, which meant she didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Refusing to meet his gaze, she stared straight ahead at the garage wall. “What?”
“I know you wouldn’t have attacked the Summerfield girl unless you really believed that necklace was yours.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is… I believe you. I think she was intentionally trying to provoke you.”
Shocked, she turned towards him. His eyes were heavy with regret, making him appear older than his age. “You believe me?”
“Yes.”
Relief surged through her, she exhaled a sharp breath. “I know I haven’t made things easy, and I keep getting in shit since I came to live with you, but I promise to be better. Just please help me get the necklace back, and I won’t get into any more fights. I swear.”
He averted his eyes away to focus on the steering wheel in front of him. The minutes ticked away. She waited with bated breath for him to answer. Eventually growing desperate, she reached out and touched his arm. “Please, Dad.” It was the first time she had called him that. “Please do this for me.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
In the next minute he was gone, leaving her alone in the car. Broken-hearted once again.
***
After wondering for months why she hadn’t been able to grieve Layal properly, the answer finally dawned on Sage. Keeping her emotions at bay had been her mind’s way of protecting herself from the honest truth that she was really, truly alone in this world. Never would she see that wonderful, warm smile on Layal’s face again. When she was in trouble Layal wouldn’t be there to hug her and tell her everything would work out. When she graduated from high school, her mom wouldn’t be part of the crowd, cheering with pride like she’d done during the grade eight ceremony. Forget graduation, her mom would never again be a witness to any of the future milestones in her life.
The numbness which had blanketed Sage for months dissolved in an instant, leaving her filled with rage. She was furious at her mom for dying and leaving her alone, her father for not caring, at the world because there was no one left to offer her unconditional love and support. She was an orphan and it wasn’t fair.
Just as quickly the anger had attacked, it left, except now she was enveloped in anguish. It spread through her like poison, into every vein and crevice inside, until her body shook with the sheer force of it. The only way to lessen the despair was to finally give into it, stop fighting it, and let it overtake her.
Falling to her knees on the floor of the poolhouse, she wept for the family she once had and would never have again.
***
Almost an hour passed before Sage stood up and reached for the phone on her bed. It had been vibrating with notifications for the past half hour. Guessing it was David trying to reach her, she checked the messages. With the exception of one text from David, they were all from Aidan, along with the two calls she had missed earlier.
“I know you’re pissed. I’m sorry. Can we talk? Call me. Please.”
They were all variations of the same message, pleading with her to contact him. Swiping some of her tears, she dialed Aidan’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“Sage?” His voice was frantic with worry. “I screwed up, and I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to talk to me-”
“It’s fine, Aidan. I should be the one apologizing.”
There was stunned silence on his end. “What?”
She sniffled, tears streaking down her cheeks again. “When you came to check on me, I totally overreacted. I was a bitch to you.” Taking a seat on one corner of the bed, she stared down at her broken finger. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not calling for an apology! I’m worried about you.”
Although Aidan sounded irritated, she realised that was simply his way of dealing with stress. Fact was he had reached out to her even though they had been arguing earlier and she’d been horrible to him, proving there was genuine kindness lurking underneath that asshole exterior of his. He’d put aside his pride and anger when she needed him, which was a lot more than what Thomas was willing to do. “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
The vulnerability in his voice brought a small smile to her face. “Yeah, I am. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Liar.”
A soft chuckle escaped her throat.
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head or something?” he teased. “Because you seem a lot different than the girl I usually talk to.”
“What, I’m not as bitchy?”
“You said it.”
There was a brief bout of silence next, free of any awkward tension, like two close friends who were simply content to be with each other.
“But don’t change too much, okay?” he spoke again after a while. “I don’t think I can handle you being so nice. It freaks me out.”
“Okay.”
“Besides, you look hot when you’re mad and bitching me out.”
She should have gotten used to his flirting by now but it still affected her, making her anxious around him. Was she supposed to ignore him or flirt back?
“Sage?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll make Tish pay for what she did to you.”
The cold, hard determination in him almost frightened her. What if he did something crazy and was caught? If his father was dragged into this mess as a result, there was no doubt he would take his frustrations out on Aidan. There was no way she was willing to chance that. “I don’t want you involved in this.”
“Why? Because you think I don’t have your back? That I’m her friend?”
“No, because you’re mine. And I don’t want to risk getting you in trouble.” The silence between them was deafening, causing her to worry. “Promise me you’ll stay out of it, Aidan.”
“No.”
“Promise me!”
“Fine. But only if you do me a favour in return.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’ve been sitting by the pool for like an hour and it’s freezing out here. Can you let me in?”
Quickly marching to the window, she peaked outside. Although it was dark, she spotted a figure sitting on a lounge chair a few feet away. He waved his phone at her, the bright, blue moving screen looking alien-like in the darkness. “When did you get here?”
“I told you, about an hour ago. I followed you guys from the hospital.”
“Why didn’t you come in?”
“Because you were pissed, but I also didn’t want to leave you alone,” he replied. “Don’t worry, no one saw me and I parked my car a block over.” He stood up, taking slow strides towards the pool house. “Not to be a drag or anything, but I’m freezing my ass off here.”
Ending the call, she walked to the door and opened it. The chill in the air struck her skin but it paled in comparison to the warmth that surged through her once Aidan met her gaze. Holding her stare, he swaggered over until he stood directly in front of her with only a few inches separating them. Her heart pounded in her chest, with such fierceness at one point she worried it was going to jump out of her body.
Chapter Text
Ending the call, Sage walked to the door and opened it. The sharp chill of the cold air struck her skin but it paled in comparison to the warmth that surged through her once Aidan met her gaze. Holding her stare, he swaggered over until he stood directly in front of her with only a few inches separating them. Her heart pounded in her chest, with such fierceness at one point she worried it was going to jump out of her body.
“Hi,” he murmured, his eyes appearing more hazel than green under the light that streamed from her room.
“Hi.”
“I brought you dinner. I wasn’t sure if you were hungry.”
She hadn’t even noticed the takeout bag in his hands until he mentioned it. “Thanks.”
He offered a lazy, slow-as-molasses smile in response, reminding her why so many girls in school were nuts over him.
“Don’t thank me yet. The burger’s cold by now.”
“Yeah, but it’s the thought that counts.”
Aidan didn’t touch her but she was keenly aware of his close proximity, the way his golden gaze roved over her face, and how she only had to move her fingers ever so slightly to brush his skin.
“Has anyone ever told you how ridiculous you look when you’ve been bawling your eyes out?”
She returned his smile. “Yeah, this one guy. I killed him right after.”
“Poor guy.”
“No big loss. He was a jerk.”
“Not like me, right?”
A sharp breath escaped her lungs when Aidan stroked her cheeks, first right then left, caressing her tears away. Transfixed by him, she trembled as he slid his hand down her arm and gently held her wounded hand in his own.
“When I’m with you, I feel safe,” he said with an uncharacteristic earnestness which touched something deep inside of her. “Like no matter what happens, I’ll be okay as long as you’re with me.”
Sage didn’t know what to say.
“That’s not normal, right?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you feel the same way about me?”
Feeling panicked all of a sudden, she remained silent while her brain scurried to find the right response. In an effort to distract herself from his scrutinising gaze, she settled her attention on their intertwined fingers. Their physical connection, the protective way he squeezed her hand seemed to magically soothe her frayed nerves.
The truth was she felt wild and reckless around him. Always excited, never numb. From the very beginning he had provoked her temper and forced her to engage when all she’d wanted was to fade into the background. “No, you don’t make me feel safe."
It wasn’t until he tried to pull away did it register how her words must have hurt him. Covering their joined hands with her palm, she clung to him. "Aidan, what I meant was…” Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, her chest tightened with anxiety. She took a deep breath before looking up at him. “When I’m with you, I feel like I’m about to jump off a cliff any second, like I’m high on adrenaline all the time or something. My heart won’t stop racing. Does that make sense?”
The veil of pain lifted from his face, and he graced her with a small, teasing smile. “No, not really. But nothing makes sense around you so I’m used to it.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Can I come in now? I’m freezing.”
She gripped his jacket and pulled him inside.
***
Something unexpected rippled through Sage, a need so fierce and primal she was desperate to lose herself in Aidan completely. Throwing aside the take-out bag he was holding, she closed her mouth over his, kissing him, devouring him, pushing him against the door and grinding her body against his while he groaned in response, grabbing the back of her hair in a firm grip. Her body throbbed with a potent ache, her brain screamed for oxygen, but she didn’t care, couldn’t care, because the only sensation that mattered, that she could process, was the demanding thrust of his tongue inside her.
They didn’t move in sync, not like they did in movies, instead there was a constant push and pull between them. Elbow against chest, teeth against tongue, neither gentle nor tender, just a fierce necessity to possess the other.
While she reached underneath his t-shirt to roam her hands across his skin, he groped her ass and pulled her towards him with a hold so tight she almost lost her breath.
Being with him was unlike anything she’d experienced before, a kind of euphoria she’d heard about but never believed in – until now. Senses heightened, heart racing, she was keenly aware of every single spot his body was in contact with hers. Especially the feel of his erection against her stomach.
Clasping the back of his head with her damaged hand, she used the other to stroke down his chest until stopping just above the zipper on his jeans. Her fingernails raked over the fabric, teasing him.
He tore his mouth away, growling in frustration. “Fuck!”
Panting for air, eyes glazed with desire, his gaze remained fixated on her. As if daring her to continue. Sage started to unzip him when his hand suddenly covered her own, forcing her to stop.
“Don’t,” he ordered breathlessly.
“Why?”
Leaning his head back, he glanced up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. “Just don’t think this is a good idea right now.”
She smirked. “Who cares if it’s not?” She moved her fingers over his zipper again, but this time Aidan forcibly gripped her shoulders and angled her away.
“Stop. You don’t have to do this.”
“Ah, but I think I have to. You bought me dinner, so I need to put out.” Flashing an eager smile, she pressed up against him. “Did you bring condoms with you?”
“Sage, stop!”
The acerbic bite in his tone snapped her out of her happy bubble, and she finally removed her hands from his body. Why did he have to ruin this for her? All she wanted was to escape the loneliness, maybe even replace the horrible memories from today with something more pleasant, but Aidan obviously wasn’t in the mood to co-operate. She wondered if this was a game to him. That maybe he enjoyed the chase but the moment she was ready to give in, he was no longer interested. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He didn’t respond, instead watching her, unmoving, with an intensity that unnerved her. “Stop staring at me like that!”
“So you’re fine with me fucking you but not looking at you?”
“Why are you making this so hard?”
“Why? Because I don’t want to be some random dude you fuck just because you’re having a bad day!” he yelled, barely able to contain the anger in his voice. “It’s not me you want right now, anyone would do. Anyone. You know how that makes me feel?”
Stunned by his words, she remained frozen in place. Did he really think she was just using him? How could he not realize how important this was? It’s not like she went around throwing herself at just anyone! Before Aidan, there had been only one guy she dated and the one time they’d come close to having sex, her mom had come home early, turning the night into one of the most embarrassing moments in Sage’s life. After that she hadn’t been eager to repeat the experience, until tonight. “I thought that you wanted this, that maybe you liked me?”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Confused and embarrassed, she turned her back to him. With her palm she tried to swipe the taste of him from her swollen lips but it was pointless; his touch seemed to be permanently imprinted on her, reminding her of how much she wanted him. Desperate to put some distance between them, she walked over to the bed and took a seat in the farthest corner away from him. “I think you should go.”
“I’m not going anywhere.“
Sage watched with caution as he approached her, the usual swagger missing from his step.
"Look, I get it.” Tone ridden with hesitancy, he sat down beside her. “You’ve been through hell today, and yeah, sex is a great distraction. It can make you forget bad shit for a while, but those problems always come back. Trust me on that. I’ve done a lot of stupid things I regret.” His gaze dropped to her hands and he shrugged his shoulders, trying very hard to feign a casual demeanor. “And I don’t want to be a mistake to you, Sage.”
She slipped her hand in between his, stroking his skin with her thumb.
Aidan’s honey-coloured gaze travelled up her arm and to her face, delicious and languid in its heat, spreading warmth through her entire body and filling her with the same frenzy from moments ago. Swallowing audibly, she willed herself to fight through the ecstasy that flooded over her. As much as she wanted to sleep with him, now wasn’t the time. Of course her resolve waned considerably when he shifted closer, dropping a tender kiss before resting his chin on her shoulder. His soft breath tickled her cheek when he spoke next, making her smile and shudder at the same time.
“Can I stay here tonight?”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
His eyes twinkled with mischief once again, easing some of the tension between them. “And you’re not going to try to fuck me during the night?”
She burst out laughing. “I’m not making any promises.”
“Good. I like to live dangerously.”
A tender smile shaped her lips, she bumped into him affectionately. “Aidan?”
“Sage?” he mimicked her voice.
“You know what I think?”
“No. Tell me what you think.”
She fixed her stare at him, studying the complex pool of hazel and green in his eyes which brimmed with affection for her. “I think I really, really like you, when you’re not being an asshole.”
“Bet you like me even more when I am,” he declared cockily.
She shook her head ‘no’ but he wasn’t buying it, grinning at her instead, until she gave into his contagious charm. “You can pretend to be a jackass as much as you want, Aidan, but you’re a softie inside. A total sap. Can’t convince me otherwise.”
He raised her hand to his lips, leaving a silken kiss on her.
“Next thing I know you’re gonna start calling me Prince Charming.”
“Nah, you’re not that pretty.”
“Liar.” The smile on his face curved into a smirk. “I’m very pretty. Maybe even prettier than you.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “You need the good looks more than I do.”
“Why is that?”
“'cause you don’t have anything else going for you.”
“Ouch!” he yelped.
She couldn’t stop giggling at his fake pout, laughing even harder as he started to tickle her. “Stop it, Aidan!” she squealed.
“Not until you say you’re sorry.”
“Keep dreaming, jackass!”
His playful assault went on until she reluctantly gave in. “Fine, fine, I’m sorry!” she screamed. Finally he stopped, instead hovering over her on the bed now while she caught her breath. They didn’t say anything for a long while, just observing each other. She weaved her fingers through the soft strands of his hair, tucking in the longer ones behind his ear. “Thanks.”
Aidan lay his head on the pillow beside her, throwing one of his arms over her chest in a protective embrace.
“For what?”
“For checking up on me, calling me, being here. Everything, I guess.”
“You’d do the same for me. You have, even when I was a dick.”
She shifted her attention from Aidan to the ceiling above. Remembering how badly Thomas had disappointed her earlier, a heavy sigh escaped her lips. “It really hit me tonight that my mom’s gone. Forever. I’m never going to see her again. And Thomas, well… he’s a stranger.”
Aidan didn’t speak nor offer any false comfort while she vented her frustrations. He simply listened, which she appreciated.
“Tell me about her,” he said after a while.
“My mom? Why?”
“I don’t know. She sounds awesome,” he said, almost shyly. “And maybe I’m hoping talking about her will distract you enough so you won’t notice when I cop a feel.”
“Says the guy who wouldn’t give in when I was trying to seduce him.”
“Yeah, I know. What the fuck was I thinking?” he sighed.
“You lost your chance, buddy.”
Leaning in closer, he grazed her lips ever so gently. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he lingered near her, his breath humming against her skin. A part of her hoped he would make a move again, but she had to settle for a kiss on the nose instead.
“So tell me about the time your mom caught you making out with a chick at a slumber party,” he said.
“That never happened.”
“Yeah well, let’s pretend it did. Give me the details, and make it sexy.”
Rolling her eyes at his incorrigible smile, she looped her arms around him and started sharing some of her memories – the real ones.
*****
Later that night she was at the brink of sleep when Aidan’s tongue traced the shell of her ear, waking her up instantly. “Hey, you asleep?” Aidan murmured in her ear.
“No, not really.”
“How come?”
“Because you keep talking and waking me up,” she retorted.
“Good.”
Sage smiled into the pillow, shivering internally as his breath hummed against the back of her neck. With his body snuggling her from behind and arm thrown over her waist, they were locked in an intimate embrace, leaving her keenly aware of every part of him that was in contact with her. Once again she scooted towards him, and a frustrated groan escaped his mouth.
“Stop doing that,” he bit out.
“What?”
“You know what!”
She turned around to face him, catching him by surprise. Although dark, there was enough light scattering into the room from outside, casting intermittent shadows across his face. He appeared almost distressed, caught between heaven and hell, making her wonder what he would look like when he did lose complete control. Leaning closer, she smoothed her fingers over his bottom lip with a slow, languid touch, caressing him in the way she’d always wanted.
His body turned rigid with tension, his voice hoarse. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
She didn’t respond, breathing in the subtle scent of him. They simply watched each other, her hands lingering on his lips, his on the curve of her waist. There was something astonishingly beautiful about him that had nothing to do with his looks. Not that he wasn’t hot, he was, but what she liked was his inner sweetness and vulnerability, that he was able to be open and trusting despite the horrific circumstances which he struggled with every day – something she was incapable of herself. His gestures were thoughtful in a way that was unexpected, like bringing her dinner tonight and cleaning up after they were done eating, or reaching out to her when she needed him even though he had every reason to still be angry at her.
Suddenly he closed his mouth over her fingers, sucking the digits, his tongue caressing her in a sensuous manner she never experienced before. Her heart started racing in her chest, beating so loudly she wondered if he could hear it. Their eyes were locked on each other, legs tangled together, making this moment between them even more intense. Instinctively her hips swayed closer to him as he continued to tease her with his tongue. Something crazy was slowly being unleashed within her, the strange feeling frightening in its wildness. Every nerve in her body was heightened and inexplicably aware of his mouth on her, aching for more. “Aidan?”
He stilled, his eyes boring into her. “Yeah?”
Unsure of what to say, she remained silent. He’d already turned her down earlier, and she felt too insecure to ask him again.
“What do you want, Sage?”
Her eyes dropped to his lips. “I don’t know.”
Settling his body partially on top of her, he nestled his face in the hollow crook of her neck. His tongue and teeth nipped at her skin, sucking on her gently. Feeling overwhelmed by the tumultuous emotions, she closed her eyes. Her breaths came out in shallow spurts, becoming more labored as his hand roved slowly over her right breast. The t-shirt she was wearing did nothing to protect her from the heat of his touch, instead causing more friction when he caught her nipple between his fingers, rubbing it gently, tweaking it until it became a hardened nub in his grip. Her hips arched up, and she wrapped her legs around his thighs.
He’d been hard for a while but now she felt his erection digging into her thighs, straining for release.
“I think about you when I jerk off. How you look naked, if your nipples are pink, or brown, small or big,” he murmured. “What you taste like.”
She kept her eyes shut, blushing at the stark sexuality of his words even as her body writhed under him.
“I think about your tits.” Aidan pulled her t-shirt up, exposing her breasts, the cool air a welcome respite from the warmth that was quickly spreading over her. He didn’t speak for several minutes, making her wonder if he was disappointed with her body in reality; if that was the case, she couldn’t bear to look at him.
“Your beautiful, fucking tits.” He licked the skin between her breasts. “Perfect.” He flicked his tongue over her, lavishing her nipples with attention, and she cried out with pleasure, digging her fingers into his scalp.
“I think about being inside you.”
His hands caressed down her body, and she almost jumped up when his fingers stroked her intimately over her panties. White-hot desire coursed through her, rushing to the very sensitive spot he was now teasing.
“How good your pussy would feel…” He slipped his fingers past the fabric and teased her folds gently, as if testing her. “Warm… soft… wet.” His voice was deep and velvety in her ears, melting her insides into hot liquid.
“Aidan!” she moaned when he slid his fingers inside her slick wetness, first the index followed by the middle, stroking her, taunting her, curving into her while his thumb flicked over her clit.
“You feel so fucking good,” he said almost reverently, nipping her chin. “Open your eyes, Sage,” he urged, the raw urgency in his tone matching the pressure that was quickly building inside her. “I want you to look at me when you come.”
Although it was more difficult than she’d anticipated, she forced herself to hold his gaze, taking in the pure hunger in his glazed eyes as her hips rocked against his fingers. She had never felt this excited before, a kind of potent arousal that demanded to be fulfilled. It was foreign to her, almost frightening, but she found herself comforted by the gentleness in Aidan’s eyes. She wasn’t the only one going through this journey, he was there beside her, protecting her, guiding her as she discovered this new side of herself.
A man possessed, he sped up his rhythm, still watching her with a piercing stare. “I fantasize about your mouth on my cock, what you’d look like when you’re sucking me off.”
A heated blush spread across her cheeks.
“Would you do that for me, Sage?” A nervous expression crossed his features. “Maybe once? If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again…”
She may not have been all that experienced but Sage knew damn well it wasn’t easy for any guy, let alone Aidan if his reputation was accurate, to offer an out when it came to blow jobs. The fact that he cared enough to do so touched her deeply, probably even more than any other romantic gesture he could have made. She cradled his face in her hands and gazed into his eyes. “I’ll suck you off, Aidan. I promise.” Stunned by her boldness, he paused, and her body protested in response. “Don’t stop,” she urged.
He started working her again, and she was soon caught up in pleasure, gyrating against his touch.
“Fuck!”
The frustration in his voice cut through the haze she was in, and with some awkward maneuvering she reached below to unzip his jeans. Wrapping her undamaged hand around his slick cock, she started to pump him slowly while he continued to thrust his fingers inside her.
When the first ripple of an orgasm struck, it left her breathless with the sheer force of it. This was an entirely new sensation for her, one that rocked her entire universe, and she was lost, overcome by it all as the waves of pleasure crashed over her. She barely even noticed when he came in her hand seconds later.
Eyes closed, body fluid and boneless with exhilaration, she slowly returned to reality. Until his lips grazed hers, probing the contours of her mouth gently with his tongue, and she was captivated by him all over again.
Chapter Text
They stayed up for hours, fooling around, talking and laughing until the sun came up bringing with it the inevitable blanket of slumber which Sage refused to give into. She had experienced the full gamut of emotions tonight, from the depths of despair to the highs of sheer ecstasy, and Aidan had been with her throughout it all. The last few hours had been surreal and strange in its newness, she didn’t want it to ever end.
Aidan yawned behind her, clutching her tighter, his breath tickling the hairs on the back of her neck.
“Sleepy?”
“Nope,” he yawned again.
She smiled to herself. “Can I ask you something?”
“Nope.”
“Do you know any other words?”
“Nope.” He nuzzled her neck.
Turning around, she tapped his nose gently with her index finger. “How many girls have you slept with?”
A heavy sigh escaped him, revealing his exasperation. “Do we really have to talk about this?”
“Yeah, I want to know.”
“Girls always say that but they don’t really want to know.”
“I’m not like other girls,” she huffed, offended by the generalisation.
He cocked his eyebrow. “No, you’re really not.” Charming smile in place, he tilted forward to drop a soft peck on her lips.
“So.” She levelled him with a keen gaze. “Tell me.”
“Not going to make it easy for you. You have to guess.”
“How am I supposed to do that?
"Your problem, babe. Not mine.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Ten.”
“Really? That’s it?”
She attempted to push him away but he grabbed her hand instead, placing it over his chest. There was no way she could stay angry, especially when he coddled her with a playful smirk. Drawing lazy circles on his skin, she returned his smile. “Was I even a little close?” she asked.
“Maybe.”
“That’s a lot of girls, you know.”
“I know.” A pensive expression crossed his face. “And no, you weren’t close.”
“Is it less?” she asked hopefully.
“What if it’s more?”
“That.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Would freak me out.” She smoothed her finger over his furrowed forehead. “But, whatever, I’ll deal.”
“Two,” he replied. “And a half, I guess. That’s it. That’s the number.”
“What the hell is a half?”
"Shut up.”
Chuckling, he tried to kiss her again but she placed her palm over his mouth, blocking his attempts. “Who were they?”
“Well…” he hesitated for a moment, swallowing audibly. “Cat. But you already knew that.”
Obviously. Her half-sister was always the elephant in the room with them.
“And this other chick at soccer camp before her.”
“Really? That’s it?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You sound disappointed.”
“No, just surprised. I was expecting way more after everything I heard.”
“Because gossip is never wrong, right?”
He had a point, especially considering all the rumours about her. “Yeah, you’re right,” she sighed.
“But that doesn’t mean I want you going around telling people the truth.”
“Why?” she grinned. “‘cause you want the girls to keep thinking you’re a player?”
“Damn right.”
“Maybe I will tell them the truth.”
He shot her a warning glance. “Don’t. You. Dare.”
“Or what?” she asked, jutting her chin out in defiance.
“Or.” He granted her an evil smirk. “You’ll regret it.”
“Whatever.”
Suddenly he started to tickle her. As she giggled and struggled against him, breathless and panting for air, he pinned her underneath, bestowing a smug smirk as he hovered above. “Say you’re sorry!”
“Fine, fine!” she squealed. “I’m sorry!”
At last he stopped, pressing himself down on her and peppering her jaw with soft, wet kisses as she caught her breath. Running her fingers through his hair, she left a tender kiss on his forehead. “You still haven’t told me about the half.”
It was a while before he spoke, his face nestled in the crook of her neck. “After Cat and I broke up, I just wanted to forget everything. Got wasted at a party, hooked up with this girl. Everything was going down the way it was supposed to until she saw the scars and freaked out.”
Despite his attempts at being nonchalant, the pain he felt was obvious. She wished there was some way she could erase all that anguish in him, make him realise he was worth so much more than the wounds that marked him, but the only reassurance she could give was a gentle hug. “You must have been really trashed to hook up with someone like that. She sounds like a fucking idiot.”
His gaze wavered from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes again. “You think so?”
“Well, you do have really horrible taste in girls.”
“Must be why I like you.”
“I’m the exception, jackass.”
“If you say so, jackass,” he retorted, mimicking her voice.
She smacked him lightly. So as not to crush her with his weight, he slid half his body off of her, resting his head on her shoulder. No longer having the energy to stay awake, Sage reluctantly closed her eyes and gave into the fatigue that soon took over. Shortly after, with Aidan’s arms tucked around her and his soft breath humming in her ears, she fell asleep.
*****
It was almost three in the afternoon when Sage woke up. Yawning, she stretched out her arms and felt a twinge of soreness between her legs, a sensation that was new to her. Remaining in place, she thought back to everything that happened last night and a slow blush heated her cheeks. A part of her expected to feel regret, maybe even embarrassment about how uninhibited she’d acted with Aidan, but there was nothing of that sort. Instead, a smile formed across her face, growing wider when she noticed the note he had left beside her.
Hey babe, went to school. Didn’t want to wake you up. I’ll see you tonight.
– Jackass
School wasn’t something she had to worry about for the next three days, thanks to the suspension that was handed down to her as punishment. Reminded of the fight and the reason she had attacked Tish in the first place, Sage threw the blanket aside and slid off the bed, determined to scour every inch of this place to find if anything else was missing.
A short time later while still in the midst of searching she was interrupted by a knock on the door. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was close to six . Expecting Aidan, she practically ran to the door and swung it open only to find Theo waiting for her on the other side. From his crooked brows and anxious stance, it was obvious he was nervous. “Theo, what’s up?”
He gave her a small smile. “Just came to check up on you. See how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
“Do you mind if I come in? I need to talk to you about something.”
“Um, sure.”
She stepped aside, and watched hesitantly as Theo entered her room. This was the first time her half-brother had come into this space, and it felt awkward and intrusive, so very different than whenever Aidan or even David were here.
Sticking his hands in his pocket, Theo turned to face her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What’s going on between you and Aidan?”
Stunned, she stood frozen in place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, I’m not an idiot. I saw Aidan sneaking out of here in the morning.”
Embarrassed, Sage averted her gaze.
“Look, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I know it hasn’t been easy for you here, but if Cat finds out you’re fucking around with her ex-boyfriend it’s only going to make things worse.”
Anger swept over Sage. Who the hell was he to lecture her on her behaviour when Cat had made her life a living hell ever since she moved in with them?
“Before we found out about you, my parents never fought, never argued… and that’s all they do now. I know it’s not your fault, I get that, but Cat… she sees you as the problem and messing with you makes her feel better.”
“Yeah well, I’m tired of being her punching bag.”
“I know. I don’t blame you. But it will get worse if Cat finds out about you guys. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Sage swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Or maybe that’s why you’re messing around with Aidan, to get back at Cat. Is that it?”
“No! That’s not what I’m doing.”
“I hope so, because he doesn’t deserve that.” Theo fixed his blue eyes on her, studying her intently. “I know he comes across like an asshole, and most of the time he is, but that doesn’t mean you can use him or treat him like shit.”
“I’m not the one hurting him.” She wondered if Theo would acknowledge the horrible truth they both knew about Aidan, but he didn’t.
“Good. Because Cat did, and I don’t want you doing the same to him.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that.
Theo’s gaze brimmed with concern when he spoke again. “Be careful.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Thanks.”
He left shortly after, leaving her alone to ponder his words.
*****
It was almost midnight when Aidan turned up at her place with an apologetic smile and regretful eyes, crawling into bed beside her after she let him in.
“Sorry. I was going to come over earlier but I had soccer practice and my mom was nagging me to spend time with her,” he said, tucking his arm around her waist.
She scanned her hand along his back. “It’s okay.”
“I’ll talk to Cat tomorrow, tell her what’s going on.”
Her hand stilled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Tension surged through him, which was never a good sign. “Why, you had your fun? You’re done with me now?”
Sitting up, she turned to glare at him. “Did I say that?”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Furious, he sat up alongside her. “Fine. Tell me why you don’t want me to say anything.”
“She and her friends are already making my life a living hell as it is. If they find out about us, it’s only going to get worse.”
“You think I’ll let them hurt you?”
“What are you going to do? Watch over me 24/7?”
“I can try.”
“That’s not what I want!” Spotting the frustration on his face, she realised fighting with Aidan wasn’t going to solve anything. She had to take a different approach. Taking a deep breath, she reached out to hold his hand. “I want to be with you, I do, but if others find out, it’ll fuck things up even more for me.”
“And you think keeping us a secret will solve that for you?” He raised his right eyebrow in disbelief. “Come on, you don’t really believe that.”
“Just do this for me, please?” she urged, squeezing his hand.
“How long?”
“I don’t know…”
A resigned sigh escaped his lips, his gaze finally softened. “Okay, I won’t say anything. For now.”
She offered him a relieved smile. “Thanks.”
“Stop talking already.” Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her closer and latched his mouth onto hers.
She didn’t know what the future held for them, but for now, they were here, together, and that’s all that mattered.
***
Later that week Sage knocked on the door before entering her father’s private den. Considering he spent most of his time actively avoiding her, she was curious to know why he had summoned her for a meeting. “You wanted to see me?”
Thomas greeted her with a polite smile. “I did. Have a seat.”
Sitting across from him, she watched as he shifted in his chair. He appeared restless, which was unusual for him.
“How’s your hand?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.”
“I hope you haven’t been too bored sitting at home.”
“I know how to keep busy.”
Clearing his throat, he grabbed the bottle of scotch that sat on one corner of his desk and poured himself a drink. “I wanted to discuss something with you.”
“What?”
He took a sip of the liquid before pulling out a stack of brochures from one of the drawers below. At first glance, they seemed to be booklets for vacation resorts. Upon closer inspection, however, she realised they were pamphlets of boarding schools.
“I know you haven’t had an easy time at Belleville.”
The reason for this meeting finally sank in. “You want to send me away.”
“You make it sound like I’m forcing you to go to prison.”
“Aren’t you?”
He picked up one of the brochures and flipped through the pages. “Have you seen some of these places? Take this one, for example. It’s in Hawaii. Excellent location, great academic program, and they offer amazing extracurricular activities. Here. Take a look.”
She didn’t take the pamphlet he offered, instead glaring at him. “Why did you even bring me here? If you were planning to ship me off to a boarding school anyway, I could have just stayed home in Chicago. Why put me through all this?”
“I swore to Layal I would take care of you, and I believed you could be happy here. But it didn’t exactly work out the way I hoped.” His blue eyes bore into her. “I want things to be easier for you.”
The genuine emotion on his face surprised her,she was used to Thomas being distant.
“A fresh start might be exactly what you need.”
“It’s not that easy.”
It was a while before Thomas broke the ensuing silence. “I thought you would be pleased to leave Belleville.”
How was she supposed to explain her reasons when she had a hard time believing them herself? Loneliness had taken over her life after Layal’s death, making her feel alone and isolated in this strange new place, until Aidan forced his way into her heart, forging a connection so intimate it left her reeling.
Although Aidan could be frustrating at times, often deliberately provoking her just to get a rise out of her, and possessed a dark side which freaked her out at times, there was also a sweetness to him that made her heart ache. He was unlike anyone she had known before, strong but vulnerable, funny, loyal, and rivetingly beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with his looks. Her friends often lamented about how hot Aidan was, but on account of his vicious treatment of her earlier she hadn’t been attracted to him. After getting to know him, however, she wanted him with an intensity that was almost terrifying. Just the thought of him made her stomach flutter, set her heart racing. He left her breathless with excitement, filled her with hope, and when she was with him she didn’t think about her mom as much – a fact she still felt guilty about.
“Will you at least think about it?”
Thomas’s voice brought her out of her reverie. “I will.” She was about to leave when her father reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a tiny jewelry box.
“This is for you.”
Hesitation surged through her about accepting a gift from him, it seemed too familiar a gesture, but seeing the unexpected gleam of excitement in his eyes she was reluctant to disappoint him. She opened the box. Lying inside was a replica of her mother’s stolen necklace.
“I hope you like it,” Thomas said.
Sage glanced up at him. “How did you know to get the same one?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I never wore it after I moved here. You couldn’t have known what it looked like.”
“You described it to me at the hospital. Besides, it’s an infinity symbol. They all look the same.”
“No, they don’t. They might be similar but there are differences. But this one is exactly like mom’s.” Although Layal never revealed who had given her the necklace, Sage had always known it was very special to her mom. Often a soft smile would cross Layal’s face when she played with it, reminiscing about happier moments. Until now Sage had assumed it was probably a keepsake from her grandparents, but now a sinking realisation set in. “Was it you? Were you the one who gave her the necklace?”
When Thomas finally answered, his voice was cold once again. “Yes.”
Her face crumbled. “I can’t believe this. You knew I wasn’t lying, but you still accused me of imagining things. When I begged you for help, you did nothing!” Her tone quivered as she stood up to confront him. “How could you do that? How could you be so pathetic?”
“Do not speak to me like that. I am your father, Sage.”
“No, you’re not!” She threw the box back at him. “You’re nothing to me.”
Tears streaming down her face, she ran out of his office.
*****
Sage grabbed a backpack from her closet and started filling it with clothes, not even bothering to look at the items as she stuffed them in the bag. There was a lump stuck in her throat but she refused to give into the tears lest they slowed her down.
Disgust washed over her when she thought back to her conversation with Thomas. All this time she had been desperate to believe she was the product of a casual fling between Layal and Thomas, a lie that was much easier to accept than the realisation her mom had genuinely loved a weak, unworthy coward incapable of fighting for anything he believed in. Layal had held onto that necklace even after Thomas had abandoned her, even after loving him had cost Layal her whole family. She raised Sage alone, with no support from her family or Thomas while he had simply moved on with his life. Like her mom hadn’t mattered at all.
Sage couldn’t stay here, not anymore. She couldn’t bear to look at the pathetic man who had destroyed her mother’s life.
Moving at a fast speed, she was almost done packing when the phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she froze. It was Aidan calling.
Aidan.
Fuck.
He was at the school dance right now, same one she wasn’t allowed to attend thanks to her suspension from Belleville. He was supposed to come over after the dance but she forgot all about him.
As the phone continued to ring, she sat back on the bed, clutching the cell to her chest. How was she supposed to tell him she was getting ready to leave, leave this place, this city, leave him? And could she really do that, now that some of the angry fog had lifted and she had a chance to think about it? But no, she had to. She had to, because staying here would be a betrayal to her mom.
After a few minutes, she sent him a text:
“On my way to the airport. Will text you once I get there. Meet me in an hour?”
As expected, he started calling her after receiving the message but she didn’t pick up. Grabbing her bag, she turned off the lights and left the pool house.
*****
It was a little after midnight and the airport was practically deserted. The flight to Chicago wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow; Sage figured she could stay here till then. Aidan would be here in half an hour, the thought of which filled her with dread, but she resolved to stay strong. It had to be done. There was no other choice. Besides, she needed to give him the car keys or Thomas and his family would assume she had stolen one of their cars.
She was staring off into space several minutes later when Aidan sat down next to her. At first there was silence between them, with her gaze deliberately focused on the floor and his boring into her. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Leaving,” he repeated the word. “Why?”
“Because I realized how much of an asshole Thomas is tonight, and I just can’t stay here anymore.”
She expected him to yell, scream, maybe even blow up at her. He did nothing. When she finally turned to look at him he had leaned forward and was staring straight ahead, still dressed in the suit he wore to the dance.
“You’re all that I think about,” he said after a while. “What you’re doing, how you’re feeling, if you’re okay, if you’re thinking about me too. You’re in my head every minute that I’m awake and I can’t get you out. I’ve tried, but I just can’t.”
She reached out to hold his hand but he waved it away, still refusing to look at her.
“I’ve never felt like this before and I fucking hate it! But I can’t help it.”
“Aidan, stop.”
“I tried to fight it, you know. Told myself I just wanted to fuck you, nothing more, that it was a stupid crush, that you were a bitch, that the only reason I was even interested was to get back at Cat. Every reason I could think of, I used it to not feel anything for you… but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop.”
“This isn’t about you. I wish I could stay-”
“Here I am, a fucking idiot, chasing after you, making plans on what we’re going to do after high school, all this time believing you felt the same way about me. But I was deluding myself, wasn’t I?”
He finally met her gaze and her chest tightened in response. His eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears, filled with anguish and hostility. “You’re the most important person in my life but I mean so little to you that you couldn’t even bother to talk to me about taking off for good?”
“It’s not like that. I do care about you!” she insisted, grabbing his arm.
“Just not enough to stay.” His lips twisted into a cruel sneer. “You want to run? Fine. Go. Fuck off. But I hope you’re fucking miserable for the rest of your life.”
He stood up. Before she could stop him, he started walking away. Grabbing her backpack, she hurried after him as he strode out of the airport and towards the parking lot. “Aidan, wait!”
He refused to slow down his pace.
“Aidan, stop! Please. Let me explain.”
Almost at his car, Sage had to fling her backpack at him to finally get his attention. He stopped moving, giving her just enough time to catch up to him, only to have him circle around in one quick motion and catch her off-balance. “What?” he demanded angrily, clutching her arms. “What do you want from me? You wanted to leave, so go! Why are you torturing me now?”
He towered over her, furious, angrier than she had ever seen him before. She desperately wanted to comfort him, explain to him that he was wrong and did matter to her, but she knew he wasn’t in the mood to listen. Not right now.
“What? What the hell do you want?” he gritted through clenched teeth.
Curling her fingers around his head so he can’t escape, she closed her mouth over his, determined to show him how much she cared. Her lips moved over his, possessive and demanding, kissing him with a depth of passion that surprised her.
One minute she was the one in control, the next Aidan had her trapped against the side of his car, his mouth roving over hers. A guttural moan escaped his lips, echoing her own frustrations.
She wanted to touch him, feel him, press her hands on his bare body and taste every inch of his skin. He was hers, the one who mattered more than anyone else, and maybe he didn’t believe it but she would convince him of it until there was no doubt left in his mind.
His body was hard against hers, his breath labored as he traced his lips along her jawline, nipping her skin, his one hand slipping between her legs while the other clutched her hair. Just as frantically, she pulled apart his jacket. Some of the buttons dropped to the ground, making a soft thud noise. Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Aidan took a step back, his arms still on either side of her as he panted for air, his eyes piercing into her.
“Don’t,” she whispered, trying to pull him closer. “Don’t stop.”
“You’re trying to fuck with my head again. I’m not going to let you do that to me.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!”
“Then what is this?” he bit out, his hazel eyes filled with hatred. “'Thanks for being a sucker, guess I’ll let you pop my cherry? Or is this more of a goodbye fuck?”
“Stop it!” she screamed, her temper finally getting the best of her. “I should have talked to you, I know, but I can’t stay at that house, not after knowing that bastard ruined my mother’s life.” Tears gathered in her eyes as the words slipped out in a mad rush. “My grandparents kicked her out, they were Muslim and she had shamed them by getting pregnant. She was alone, she had no one to turn to, because of him! But she was still in love with Thomas! In love with him! He was the one who gave her that damn necklace and she held onto it like it was the most precious thing in the world. He was a guy who fucked her, dumped her, and then went back to his regular life and she still pined after him. How the hell am I supposed to live with him knowing that? Tell me!”
The angry expression on Aidan’s face softened.
“He hurt my mom so much,” she cried. “I can’t stay with him.”
“Sage, you don’t what happened between them. You’re just filling in the blanks the way you think things went down. For all you know, she dumped him.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Neither do you! None of us do, because whatever happened was between them. The only thing that matters is that she wanted you to live with him in the end. That was what she wanted. So why are you fighting her last wishes?”
“Because I…” Her voice crumbled. “I feel like I’m betraying her.”
“Why?” He cradled her face. “Because you’re alive? Because you’re moving on with your life? Don’t you think she would have wanted that for you?”
“I guess. Maybe.”
“She’s gone, Sage. But you’re still here. Stop choosing her, choose yourself.” He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice dropping to a tender whisper. “Choose me. Choose us. Please.”
Tears streamed down her face. He kissed them away, kissed her until she was a quivering mess, clinging to him.
Soon her brain was screaming for oxygen while her body desperately wanted more, but the reality of their current location – the frickin’ parking lot – sank in, drawing her out of the moment. “Aidan, stop.”
He didn’t say anything, tracing his mouth along her skin before his lips settled on the corner of where her neck and shoulders met. As he suckled the very sensitive spot, every nerve in her body came alive, her senses now heightened and tingling with delicious anticipation over what was to come next.
“Stop?” he murmured, peppering wet kisses up to her ear. His voice was a hoarse whisper, consumed with need, lust, yet also cockiness – the very qualities in him she found both attractive and frustrating. “Is that what you really want?”
“Someone might see us.”
“In that case.” His hand smoothed around the nape of her neck, his lips roving over hers with a feather-light touch, while the other unzipped her jeans. She shuddered against him, groaning into his mouth, as he delved beneath her panties, teasing her until he discovered the taut nub and rubbed his fingers over her clitoris with just the right amount of pressure to drive her crazy with desire. “Let’s give them a real show.”
The cool, balmy air did nothing to ease the sudden rush of heat that spread through her like wildfire. She writhed under his touch, aching for more as he caressed her, soon slipping his fingers into her wetness, thrusting them inside her, all the while whispering in her ear how much he wanted to taste her, fuck her. He said things that made her toes curl, did things that caused her knees to buckle, and she clung to him tighter. The feel of his warm skin under her touch was the only thing that kept her anchored to reality, and she didn’t ease her grip -couldn’t, really – because, without him, she would be lost.
He brought her to the brink of ecstasy, but before she could give into the sensation fully, his fingers paused, taunting her with the promise of heaven that was so tantalisingly within reach. Her eyes flew open, heady with desire, staring up at him with confusion.
“Swear you won’t leave me again.”
The vulnerability in his eyes gave her pause, evoking feelings of guilt, but then coherency sank in, bringing with it the realisation he was trying to manipulate her at a tender moment. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
“Guess that’s a no?”
“I can’t believe you-” His fingers grazed over her clit again, stroking her ever so delicately, and the angry response died on her lips, instead turning into a guttural moan. “Aidan!”
He teased and taunted her, never quiet, always whispering, his voice as much of a turn-on as his hands, promising to do things to her that excited her and also made her blush – if she swore never to leave him again. Soon there was a subtle shift in his tone as he breathed she would never have to suck him off, or do anything to return the favour, that it would always be about getting her off and never about himself, that he would blow her mind in ways she couldn’t even imagine, but only if she never left him.
Although caught up in a haze of erotic pleasure, the insecurity laced in his words was a knife that cut through the fog, dragging her back to reality. “Aidan, stop. Please.”
He pulled his hand away. “What’s wrong?”
It took a few seconds for her to catch her breath before she was able to speak, and even then she had no idea how to voice her concerns. “Do you think I’m only with you because you’re good at… this?”
“At what?” A sexy smirk crossed his face. “Getting you off?”
She blushed. “Yeah.”
“Hey, it’s a god-given talent. Don’t over-think it, just enjoy it.”
Forcing herself to pull away – not an easy thing to do when he was nuzzling her neck – she stared into his eyes. “Come on. I’m trying to talk to you here.”
His jaw clenched in frustration. “As long as you’re with me, I don’t fucking care about why.”
“Really? It wouldn’t bother you if it’s only because of sex?”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
“Oh okay. Thank God you said that because I have to tell you I can’t stand you most of the time. You annoy the fuck out of me, and I think you’re a fucking pussy.” She faked a bright smile at him. “But I don’t have to fake giving a shit about you anymore now that I know you’ll get me off whenever I want. I can just close my eyes and pretend you’re someone else.”
His eyes filled with venom and hurt, he stepped closer, trapping her against the car. “Fuck you!”
“See? You do care. You should care.” She placed her hand on his chest, over the spot where his heart resided. “Yeah you get me hot, and I’m dying to sleep with you, but that’s not enough for me, Aidan.”
“Then what the hell do you want?”
“You. I want you, but not because you’re a human vibrator. I want you because you’re sweet when I don’t expect you to be, you’re nice when I don’t deserve it, and you make me laugh when everything in my life is falling apart. Even when I’m pissed off and hell-bent on making things worse, you don’t give up on me.”
“I never will.” A shadow of a smile flirted across his face. “Tell me more about how awesome I am.”
“Oh, great. That ego of yours is going to be massive now.”
“Can you blame me? According to you, I’m pretty fucking perfect.”
“Not even close. Did I mention you can be a real asshole sometimes? And a stubborn jackass?”
He smirked “You’re only saying that because I don’t let you walk all over me. If I did you would have been bored as fuck and probably dumped me by now already.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “I should have just kept my mouth shut and not said anything.”
“Come on, don’t be a suck. Tell me more about why you want to be with me.”
“Nope, not going to say anything else.”
“Please,” he cajoled her with an eager smile. “Just one more reason, that’s it. And I won’t bring it up again.”
“You promise?”
“Yeah, yeah, I swear.”
Unable to resist his charming smile, she reached up to cup his face and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. “After my mom died I felt so alone, but then you came along and everything changed. You’re my best friend and I think… I think I’m falling in love with you.”
He stilled in her arms, shocked, stunned by her words as much as she was. Up until this moment she hadn’t even realised that was how she felt, but now the truth was out there and there was no denying it
BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 5 Sun 26 Mar 2023 11:44PM UTC
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Queen_haQ on Chapter 5 Mon 27 Mar 2023 01:26AM UTC
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BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 6 Tue 28 Mar 2023 02:23PM UTC
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Queen_haQ on Chapter 6 Tue 28 Mar 2023 09:16PM UTC
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BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 8 Sun 02 Apr 2023 10:57AM UTC
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Queen_haQ on Chapter 8 Fri 14 Apr 2023 03:48AM UTC
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BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 9 Wed 19 Apr 2023 10:00PM UTC
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BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 9 Tue 23 May 2023 12:23PM UTC
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Queen_haQ on Chapter 9 Wed 24 May 2023 04:34AM UTC
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BlueBirdX10 on Chapter 10 Wed 24 May 2023 10:48PM UTC
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Queen_haQ on Chapter 10 Thu 25 May 2023 08:09PM UTC
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