The room was dead silent. I was still on top of him—Aiden, my crush, my obsession, the guy I'd been thinking about nonstop for weeks. His face was right there, so close I could see every faint freckle, every blink of his lashes. His stupid perfect pink lips were just there, like they were taunting me.
My brain was short-circuiting.
Kiss him. Just kiss him already.
But what if I did... and he didn't want it? What if I ruined everything?
I was just about to pull away, to save whatever was left of my pride, when Aiden smirked.
"You enjoying the view?"
My brain glitched.
Did he really just—?
That bastard was using my line on me. Teasing. Again.
I scrambled to get off him, face burning with panic—but then he grabbed me. Pulled me back down. And kissed me.
Holy shit.
It was fast, firm, no hesitation. The kind of kiss that hits your nerves like electricity. He was stronger than he looked, and way more confident than I expected. I tried to resist—just for a second—but my body betrayed me completely.
I kissed him back.
And god, it was good. Intense. Messy. Hungry. Like every unsaid word, every stolen glance, every bottled-up feeling was pouring out through our lips.
We pulled apart for half a second, gasping for air, foreheads pressed together—then we went right back in, desperate for more.
His hands slid up under my shirt, fingers grazing my back—and I swear to God, my whole body nearly convulsed. I moaned into his mouth before I could stop myself. Aiden was a damn good kisser.
But I wasn't going to be the only one losing my mind.
I leaned in deeper, ran my fingers through his still-damp hair, kissed him like I'd been starving for it—which, to be fair, I kind of had. His lips were soft but commanding, and the way he moved—like he'd done this a hundred times—lit a fire inside me I didn't know I had.
We were spiraling fast. Our bodies were tangled, hands roaming, breath heavy, lips swollen—
And then my phone rang.
Loud. Obnoxious. Reality-slapping.
We both froze. Aiden pulled back slightly, breathing hard, his eyes still locked on mine. I groaned, letting my head drop to his chest.
"Fuck. Why now?" I muttered against his skin.
Of course the universe would cockblock me the second things got good.
"You might want to answer that," Aiden said, voice calm but with something hidden underneath.
My face was still buried in his chest. It felt safe there. Too damn safe.
"What if I don't want to?" I muttered, not moving.
"Don't be an asshole," he said.
His voice cut through my haze. I raised my head, finally forcing myself to look at him. His face was blank—no trace of the playful smirk from earlier, no glimmer of what just happened between us. Just… calm. Cold. Collected.
How the fuck does he do that?
We were just practically glued to each other on the floor like horny idiots, and now he's acting like he just turned off the TV.
Why am I the only one here feeling like I just got hit by an emotional truck?
I dragged myself off him and reached for my phone on the table. Theo. Of course it was him. I hissed in frustration, my fingers curling around the device, tempted to launch it across the room.
"Aren't you gonna call back?" Aiden asked, his voice maddeningly even. "What if it's important?"
"It's not. I promise," I snapped, colder than I meant to.
He stood, adjusting his shirt and picking up his towel again. "Or you just don't want me to hear the conversation," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I get it."
Then he walked off, towel slung over his shoulder, disappearing into the next room. His words lingered longer than he did.
I get it.
He didn't. He couldn't.
Sighing, I gave in and called back—mainly because he was right, but also because the idea of Aiden hearing Theo's voice made my stomach twist. The line clicked.
But it wasn't Theo.
"Baby, you need to come home now. It's important," said Julie—my aunt, her voice urgent and soft at once.
The fire in my chest cooled. My breath caught. Julie never said things like that unless something was really wrong.
Just then, Aiden walked back in, his black hair now pulled back into a perfect bun. Like something out of a goddamn K-drama.
I sighed, feeling the weight of everything press down on my shoulders. I wanted to say something, explain, stay—but all I could manage was, "Hey…"
He looked at me, read the expression instantly. "You got somewhere to be," he said, already taking a step back.
I nodded.
"Cool," he replied. Just that. "See you later, I guess."
"Yeah." I grabbed my stuff slowly, dragging it out, reluctant to leave. My legs moved toward the door, but my eyes didn't. I turned to get one last glimpse of him—and he smiled.
"Thanks for coming over," he said. "It was nice."
God. That smile. I wanted to run back and wrap my arms around him, tell him I didn't want to leave, ask what the kiss meant—ask what he meant.
But instead, I said, "Thanks for inviting me. See you tomorrow?"
"Sure."
I stepped out, the door closing behind me like a final sigh. My hand went straight to my lips—still a little swollen, still tingling from him. I rubbed them absentmindedly as I walked to my car, clinging to every sensation, every look, every moment we shared. They felt precious now. Fragile.
I slipped into the driver's seat, fingers trembling slightly as I started the engine. The weight in my chest returned.
What the hell is so important Julie wants to see me now? It wasn't like her to call me out of the blue like that.
And why the hell is she with Theo?
I sighed hard, putting the car in drive, a storm of thoughts circling in my head.
And behind all of it—Aiden.
Always Aiden.