your body is a weapon → brad simpson | ✓

thirty eight

"You're comfy?" Aiden asks me as I sit down on a bench in his back garden. He had told me it's strictly off limits now, so that we were alone. I didn't know where to begin.

I'm so mesmerised by the fact that he's here, that I'm looking at him, after so long. He still looks like the same Aiden I knew three years ago.

"Yeah, I'm comfy," I nod, holding on to the mug full with green tea that he had made for me. When I walked next to him to come outside, I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Good," he nods slowly, and I take a sip of my drink. It's just the right temperature. "How've you been, then? It's been a while."

I smile sadly. "I've been getting better, a lot happened since you just. . . left."

"I know," he sighs. "I didn't want to just leave, I promise. But stuff happened and my family moved so quickly. One minute I knew I was living in Birmingham and the next I lived in Manchester. I've only recently moved here, but I'm barely ever home. I'm always doing work."

Work. As in organising a gang and keeping everyone in check.

"A goodbye would've been nice," I tell him, thinking back to how heartbroken I was to suddenly not have my best friend in my life anymore. "A text explaining you're not gonna be back for a while. Something."

"I'm not gonna sit here and justify what I did," he says. "I should've said goodbye, I should've explained and told you something. But I didn't want to bring you into this gang life. Ever."

I nod slightly, my eyes flickering from his eyes to the garden ahead. It was taken care of beautifully and I know he got someone to do it for him.

"I didn't just leave you," he promises me and I look over. "I can explain everything you want, Jamie. I can tell you every little detail about why I left if you really want, I have nothing to hide now. I bet you've already figured out that I'm in charge here."

"It isn't hard to tell."

I know he could tell I was annoyed at him. His face was hurt every time I spoke with sarcasm dripping in my voice and I felt bad.

I sigh. "I'm sorry, I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel right now. Relieved? Happy? Annoyed? I don't know. But I want to hear you out, maybe not right now, though. After all, you have a dinner party you need to be at."

"One that you shouldn't be at," he says, pursing his lips. "I'm going to have to have a word with Brad about inviting people outside the gang to my dinner parties."

"Don't have a go at him. I told him I wanted to come," I lie. I don't want Brad getting in trouble at all, so lying to Aiden isn't a problem for me.

He narrows his eyes suspiciously at me before nodding. "Okay, fine. But I want you going home tonight, sometimes these dinners can get heated and I don't want you seeing something you can't handle."

I don't want to go, I'm not a baby. But, I also don't want to know what he's talking about when he says it gets 'heated'.

"Okay, I'll find Brad," I say and he nods. We stand up and I discard the tea to the side. I wasn't really thirsty anyway.

We walk in through the patio doors and instantly, eyes are upon us. I bet none of them could guess that we used to be the bestest of friends, practically twins. They probably think I'm one of side pieces or an accessory for the night.

I find Tristan, James and Connor after I separate quickly from Aiden. I didn't like the looks I was getting—some of jealousy from the girls and some of hunger from the men. It made me uncomfortable.