Lie To Me

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Aiden pulls back from the kiss and looks at me breathlessly, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

'You have no idea how long I've wanted you to', I think to myself.

It's not raining as hard as it was a few minutes ago but the rain is still coming down in soft patterns.

"Why didn't you do it sooner?" I ask and he lets out a small laugh.

"Cause I didn't want to get slapped. You're not the kind of girl who would just kiss back because she's bored, you'd have to be feeling it to and I never knew if you were." he says honestly.

"So what changed your mind?" I ask as he walks towards the window.

His back is to me as he looks out into the darkness, "You have something about you Audrey. Something that lights up the room, the way you carry yourself confidently and keep your head held high. You have a sense of humor that kills me and you care for your siblings like a mother does her own children." he turns around to face me and I see raindrops dripping from the ends of his hair. He says softly, "You're able to do all of this while you fight a battle nobody even knows exists because it's a battle inside, with yourself. You're the strongest person I know and when you told me that, in that moment I knew I couldn't just stand back and hope you don't fall for someone else while I stand here loving everything about you. I guess I just hoped you felt the same way because I knew I couldn't wait any longer."

I stand there for a moment, processing what he just said.

My eyes look up into his soft, warm green ones.

Earlier at the wedding, I realized I felt something for Aiden. Something more than friendship and the thought of that scarred me. He's reckless, annoying, sometimes rude and obnoxious but at the same time he's cared for me in ways nobody else ever has. He's opened my eyes to realize there's more to this world than being the sad little girl who lost her parents. He's helped me have fun and smile more than I have in a while. Since the death of my parents he's been the one to help me through it the most, without even realizing it.

I smile at his confession, "Is Aiden Cage going soft?"

He laughs, "Let's go home, its getting pretty dark and chilly and I don't want you to get sick."

I climb down the ladder first and wait for him once I get to the bottom. 

Walking over to the homemade light switch, I take one last look before flipping it off and we make our way to his car.

He gives me a small smile and asks to please not get in yet. He walks around to the back of the car and when he comes back he's holding a rain coat.

I'm soaking wet so he probably doesn't want me getting in his car this way. He sets the jacket across my seat and nods giving me permission to get in.

He searches in the backseat for something he can sit on and holds up a pillowcase.

"Why is there a pillowcase in your car?"

He shrugs and climbs out of the backseat, "No idea, probably some dumb shit James was doing when I let him borrow my car yesterday but thank goodness he left it."

When he lays the pillowcase on his seat it only covers the seat and not the back. His shirt is soaked so the back of his seat will still get wet.

He swiftly takes off his black coat, leaving him in a thin white T-shirt.

"Sorry," he says before he begins undoing the buttons lined up his shirt.

I've seen him shirtless before and that was-

Suddenly he has enough buttons undone to where he can slip it over his head and that's exactly what he does.

He quickly pulls his shirt over his head and I'm stuck sitting there staring at him trying to look away.

He puts in extra effort to fold the shirt up as he stands in the rain outside the car. Raindrops drip down his toned chest and fall from the ends of his hair. As he moves his muscles flex and I clear my throat to try and eliminate some of the silence. 

He gets in the car and looks over at me with a warm smile causing my heart to melt before turning on the ignition and listening to the satisfying sound of the engine roaring to life. 

The radio is quiet so I turn it up a few decimals and recognize the song as Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi.

it's easy to say, but it's never the same 

I guess I kinda like the way you numbed all the pain

now the day bleeds, into nightfall, and you're not here, to get me through it all

I sing along quietly and tap to the rhythm on my thigh

I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug

I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved 

"You like that song?" he asks and I stop singing to turn and look at him.

"Yea, do you not?" I ask and he shrugs.

"It's alright."

He pulls into my driveway and I get out and lean down to tell him something before shutting the car door.

"Thanks for inviting me to the wedding."

He nods, "Thanks for being my date to it."

I give him a smile and close the car door before taking my shoes off and walking barefoot across my muddy yard. 

I walked in the woods but there was mostly leaves for me to step on, covering the dirt but my yard is practically a giant mud puddle.

When I get inside I toss my shoes down beside the door. 

Alex walks up with a water bottle in his hands and he starts laughing, "Who invited the Joker?"

I roll my eyes, "Could you please find me a towel?" I asks and gesture to my muddy feet.

He nods and walks into the bathroom under the staircase and comes back out seconds later with a big gray towel. 

"Thanks," I say as he tosses it to me.

He goes upstairs and when my feet are clean I make my way up there as well.

I go into the bathroom first to slip off my soaking wet dress and as I walk by the mirror I realize now what Alex was talking about when he referred to me as 'the joker'. 

My makeup is all running down my face from the rain and maybe a little bit from crying. 

If it looks like this now then that means Aiden saw it.

Well this is embarrassing. I have my first romantic moment with him and I looked like a freaking clown the whole time. 

I had my first romantic moment with Aiden, he kissed me.

I bring my hand up to touch my lips and I smile as I remember the way his lips felt against mine.

The smeared makeup is no longer a concern as I realize he wouldn't care about something as irrelevant as messed up makeup. 

I slip off my dress and jump in the shower, still smiling at the thought of all things Aiden.