The Bet That Broke Me ~ Book•1 ✔️ (this book is currently being rewritten)

The Bet That Broke Me: Chapter Nineteen

I guess everyone including myself knew that this was supposed to happen eventually. This was reality after all. I was Alison and he was Aiden. And the girl by his side was the reality check that I needed. Hailey's voice clashed with my own as I recalled her comments about Aiden using me. This was a fools mistake that I had tried to hard to avoid.

Just when I had managed to put an end to my tears, they watered my cheeks again. What sucked the most is that I had lost and it was a fools game. "Who is that?" The girl worked her way closer to the door frame but I refused to look down at her. Aiden watched still confused.

"What are you doing here?" His hand that held the door slowly left the wood to meet my hand. It only met air. Thin air met my face as I turned away from him so that I was looking anywhere but him. Apparently the scene hadn't registered to him. Aiden made no effort to explain himself.

Should I have expected him to tumble over his feet and choke on his words as he chased me to my truck? Because I knew he wouldn't. My hands wrapped subconsciously around my waist as the lump in my throat tripled in size. "Ali?"

Finally managing to turn my head back I stared up at the face that was making my stomach churn and then down to the girl, "I came to see you, but it looks like you're busy." My words came out harsh but not as much as I wished. I was weak and my voice proved it. I wanted my words to me venomous but my soft nature prevented it.

Maybe something clicked because he finally looked down to the girl and then to me. "This is my sister Cassie."

The girls arm bent up as her hand swayed back and forth, "Hi."

Without knowing what to do, they both watch as I laughed to myself while wiping my tears. "Ali, what is wrong?" My body shook in the chill air and from my previous held back sobs. I was waiting for Aiden to pull me into him and for his arms to wrap around me, leaving no escape routes. I wanted him to touch me. He didn't.

The awkward moment stretched into forever as no one made an effort to invite me in or send me away so we all stood trying to figure out what to say. "I'll leave you two alone. Maybe we can properly meet each other in the morning?" Cassie didn't smile but held a genuine tone that was enough to convince me that she was trying to be.

Both Aiden and I watched as his sister climbed the stairway leaving me to fend for myself. "I didn't know she was your sister." My head fell forward with my feet in sight.

I waited for him to get mad for me assuming so low of him. "I wouldn't cheat on you." He didn't.

With the warmth I had been waiting for, he pulled my head against his chest. There was nothing to say at the moment and honestly I just wanted to soak every second up.

Some how he had managed to move our bodies backwards so that we were standing in the foyer behind the closed door. Guilt washed over my face like a sea sickness as his hands cupped the lines of my jaw, "You know that right?"

I knew it. I just didn't feel it.

Aiden's restless eyes scanned mine waiting for me a response while his thumbs rubbed soft circles on my cheeks.

He was nervous and watching him look at me like that only made the situation worse. It was intimidation mixed with sadness but also guilt, similar to the look on my own face. As if he was guilty about this situation when I had been the one to accuse him of breaking our trust.

The idea of me being hurt or mad because of him bothered him even though he tried his hardest not to show it. I saw the way his teeth chewed the inside of his cheeks as I looked up at him and every now and then how his jaw would clench from him thinking too hard.

He was finally showing his emotions and I wasn't going to let anyone or anything prevent him from doing so.

I decided that I would tell him whatever was needed to keep him this way. So with my head reaching up to his- I whispered a very faint, "Yes."

The skin of his lips parted slightly and I could tell he was going to talk but I took it an an invitation for a kiss, knowing he wouldn't stop me.

Kissing him made the world stop spinning but not like in the movies. All my problems didn't disappear- they were still there and as important as ever but when my lips were close to his, it made them seem smaller. I still had to deal with them eventually but as long as our lips touched, we were in that moment without life throwing shit in our faces.

As we held each other closer we made our way to the black leather couch on his living room. The path there was blinded and backwards as we both stumbles, bodies tangled together with our eyes closed. In fact, I think Aiden even tripped over the white coffee table that came up to his mid-calve. Whatever it was caused me to giggle for the short amount of time he took to throw out a slew of quick cusses.

"Are you laughing at me?" My eyes peeked open to Aiden's with his lips still dangerously close to mine.

Another laugh filled the space around us as I shook my head trying to keep myself from continuing. A breathless scoff blew around me as his hands lowered to my hip. Where Aiden's  hands gripped my hip bones. "You are laughing."

"No, I'm not."

I was and it was hilarious. Aiden's face was flustered and as much as I wanted to continue our previous session, this was a moment I couldn't ignore. "You minx!" Before I could even defend myself my back met the sofa cushions.

Aiden hovered on top of me- close enough to feel his breath but far enough that I couldn't reach up for a kiss without our heads meeting. This was a dangerous situation but somehow I managed to love every second of it. Time was a weird thing. Earlier my night was horrible and now here with Aiden, the night didn't seem so dark. Everything changes so suddenly. That was something I had an experience with. My parents death was sudden and unexpected and time was the biggest suspect. I never wanted that to happen again.

Lying her with Aiden's beautiful smile inches from my own, was something I never wanted to lose. No matter how much time goes by or what changes in those periods, I knew that I would always want to be with him. Here in this moment, I realize that it will end eventually but there's always more.

"Ali," I watched as his eyes trailed over my impatient lips.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you come here tonight?"

It was an explanation that I owed him. All the details made me cautious and I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to share them all, but I did seek him out as a form of comfort and I owed him something. While I did feel obligated to give him an explanation, I also wanted to talk with him about it.

And I would, just not at this moment.

Right now, with his hand trapping my hands above my head and the other supporting his weight, I had only one thing to tell him.

"I love you, Aiden."