Asterism

11. self-esteem

AFTER spending the next hour in the library coming up with a plan to help Aiden with his team, the next step was to get said boyfriend on board.

Marley admittedly felt a bit manipulative pulling out the big guns to accomplish this, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do when they're dating the caveman of the century.

Ellie was snickering so badly her face was red watching Marley stare herself down in the floor-length mirror of their dorm room, tugging down on the shortest red, satin shorts she owns, while trying to keep the matching tank top from showing the entirety of the red bralette she was wearing underneath it.

"Ellie." Marley warned, gritting her teeth.

"I'm sorry," the brunette giggled over her pillow, "I just never could've imagined in my wildest dreams that you would have a seduction outfit. I'm all for it girl, I'm gonna take my leave and let you work your magic because trust me, I've been there but this...this is just priceless."

Marley grabbed one of Ellie's pillows off the floor and whacked her giggling roommate with it weakly. "The joke is over, it's been ten minutes and I'm about ready to change into my sloth onesie if you don't stop it!" She warned, humiliated enough already. "And you created this plan, you want it to work so guess what, with Aiden Matthews this is how I make it work. Sans magic, by the way," Marley's blush deepened to the back of her neck at the thought of that. "Aiden is bringing enough pizza for you, too."

"Oh hellll no am I staying," Ellie hopped from her dorm bed and tied her hair up in a messy bun above her head before packing up her things. "I have an essay to do and I really don't feel like trying to stomach pizza with the sexual tension you two have going on. It's always like he's undressing you with his eyes and trust me, with this outfit he's going to literally undress you whether I'm here or I'm gone."

Marley's eyes widened a little bit as she looked back to the mirror again, stomach turning at Ellie's words. Were they true? "I'll change the shorts. Or keep the shorts and I'll wear a t-shirt."

"Now why on earth would you do that?" Ellie snorted. "When you have that Adonis as your man? Have your cake and eat it too."

Marley looked down at her fuzzy socks while pressing her lips together.

She wasn't about to tell Ellie that she and Aiden hadn't had sex. It wasn't something a girl like her would understand, but every time she and Aiden have broached that territory, Marley feels like an ice cold bucket of water is drenched over her at the million things she has to worry about, at the million parts of it she doesn't know, at the million reasons she's never loved herself a fraction as much as she loves him.

"Right." Marley swallowed, her voice almost silent now. "But...I don't think...now is the time for, that."

A knock at the door cut her off. Before Marley could blink again, Ellie was throwing her coat on, snatching her bag and winking back at her standing in the middle of her room like a deer in the headlights. "Good luck. Remember the plan...eventually."

She whipped open the door to reveal Aiden with pizza boxes in his hands, passing by him and only making the situation more of a train wreck by saying, "Nice seeing you as always hottie. Leave a sock on the door and I won't come back until it's gone. I owe you guys one. Have fun!"

Ellie slammed the door behind her in a whirlwind, leaving Marley alone with him. Aiden turned away from the closed door, setting the two pizza boxes down as he looked up at her. "What's up with..." Aiden trailed off, his eyes widening at her outfit.

Marley folded her arms over her chest, more to keep her heart from jumping right out from behind her ribcage, "Hi," she rushed out. "I'm hungry. For pizza. Can we eat, please?"