(Fr)Enemies

Chapter Five

We found her at the park. She didn't have a car so we knew she wouldn't get far. The park was down the street from the house and she was sitting on a bench- looking out into the night.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Dorian said in a soft voice as he pulled open the back door causing the lights in the car to turn on.

"Okay. We'll wait for you guys." I said simply.

He closed the door and we watched silently as he walked to the table his sister sat on.

"So you can be nice." Aiden said not directly looking at me.

I rolled my eyes, a habit I needed to stop. "I'm not a fucking monster Aiden." True I had done some monstrous shit to him, but I had my reasons. I wasn't just a cold hearted bitch.

His hands flexed on the steering wheel. His expression remained impassive. "I didn't say that-"

"Then what are you saying?" I hadn't wanted to argue with him. I really wanted to just stick to pretending like our past had never happened. I just couldn't seem to help what came out of my mouth when I was around him.

"I'm saying I haven't seen you show some human decency in a while. It's a good look."

I crossed my arms. "You haven't seen me in a while, Aiden. And I didn't let you give me a ride so that we could fight. I've actually tried to be pretty cordial with you."

Believe it or not I had tried. I figured it was his house I was staying in so there was no reason for me to make things harder on him.

"No one's trying to fight with you Grace. It's not my fault if every comment I say rubs you the wrong way."

I turned to him now, my eyes glaring. "If you could manage to say something to me without an ounce of disdain in your voice then maybe your words wouldn't rub me the wrong way."

He scoffed, actually scoffed. "Maybe you just expect there to be some disdain in my voice. That sounds like a you problem, Grace."

I remember when we were in grade school, before I hit puberty and developed a little crush on him, Aiden and I used to physically fight. It happened all of the time. He'd say something to me and my vision would just go red.

That's what happened now.

I clenched my fist trying to slow my breathing, my eyes narrowed as I focused on him.  He looked so calm and collected like this conversation wasn't affecting him at all.

Summing up all of my calmness, I barely willed myself not to punch him in the nose. Instead I reached for the door handle.

When I opened the door, the lights in the car flashed on. Aiden didn't even turn to look at me. Instead he looked exhausted.

"I'm going to go make sure Dorian's calming her down." I said, my teeth clenched.

Aiden sighed. "Yeah, alright."

I stepped out of the car, mumbling curses under my breath as I walked up to where Dorian was talking to Maddy.

"Are you alright?" I asked looking at Maddy.

She turned to look at me, her cheeks going red. It was warm outside despite it being the middle of the night. She was dressed in an oversized Tshirt and a pair of sweatpants. She looked like a child who had gotten lost.

"I'm fine." She said in a soft voice. "I just wanted to get some air."

I sat next to her on the bench, tossing my arm around her. "You can't just go wandering around in the middle of the night. Definitely not in this area."

She didn't reply, instead she just turned her attention to the sky.

I leaned against her, brushing her hair to the side. "If you need to get some air, call me. I'll come pick you up. You know I have a car now."

Dorian rolled his eye. "Her friend has a car." He clarified.

I flicked him. "Call me. I'll come and get you. We'll go do something."

She nodded her head. "Sorry, for scaring you."

I squeezed her for a second before rising from the bench. "Just don't do it again. Now come on, let's get you guys home before wakes up."

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Aiden and I drove home in silence. He didn't play any music and he didn't attempt to talk to me. Fighting with Aiden was always annoying because he knew me too well. He knew exactly how to get on my nerves.

When he pulled up into the driveway I sighed.

I just needed an opening so that I could argue with him. He wouldn't budge.

Giving up, I opened the door. Once again the light washed over the car and Aiden turned to stare at me. I don't know what my expression was conveying, but his eyes darkened as he bit his lip.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was so soft that at first, I wasn't even sure if he was talking to me. I paused in the door frame narrowing my eyes.

"For what?" I asked in confusion. The fight had been stupid and he didn't really have anything to apologize for. Aiden wasn't known for apologizing just to move past a situation.

His expression didn't change. "For whatever the hell I did four years ago to make you hate me."

Shit. Right in the emotions.

"Aiden, I don't want to talk about this-"

"That's fine." He interrupted raising his hand. "I'm just apologizing because if I did something to hurt you all those years ago, if I misunderstood something or ignored you, I am sorry."

I sighed leaning back against the car seat. "You didn't."

I wanted to say more. I wanted to explain myself. But the words wouldn't come out so instead I smiled, hiding my true feelings once again.

Aiden smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. I was sure mine didn't reach my eyes either.

"Why don't we have a truce, Grace?" He said after a while.

I chuckled, shaking my head. Hell, what did I have to lose? I was tired of forcing an attitude all of the time anyways.

Living in his house and seeing him all of the time, it was obvious that eventually we were going to have this discussion.

"Why don't we?"