This can't be happening.
This can't be happening.
Isabella had gotten a call from Aiden's aunt, Nicole, informing her that Aiden had been taken to the ER because he wasn't breathing. Isabella ran down the hospital hallway, looking for his room number.
I can't lose him.
I can't fucking lose him!
Isabella stopped at his door, hesitant.
She opened the sliding door, looking into his room. Her gaze slowly turned to Nicole. The woman wept as she sat next to the bed. Then Isabella saw Aiden; the boy was lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
Her ears heard the heart monitor beeping, displaying his heart rate. Hospitals scared her because of all the machines, the hospital rooms, people crying, and the worst one of all—people dying.
She walked closer to the bed and noticed how pale his face looked.
"He stopped breathing and just passed out. I didn't know what to do." Nicole sobbed, lowering her head. "He won't wake up."
Isabella slowly went to the opposite side of the bed as tears streamed from her eyes. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him, looking at his face. She studied his thick eyebrows, well-defined, pointy nose, and now chapped lips and noticed his long, natural eyelashes touching his cheekbones.
Although she had known Aiden for a long time, she knew how charming he was. Deep down, Isabella knew he looked remarkable, but she never admitted it aloud.
He's the most handsome man I've ever met.
She caressed his cold cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb. She wished he could open his eyes.
"Aiden, if you can hear me, please wake up. Please don't leave us. You can't leave us like this. We love you so much." Isabella's lips quivered. "I love you."
Aiden's eyes twitched and his eyeballs moved around under his eyelids. He unsealed his eyes and turned his head towards the brown-eyed girl, the corners of his lips curling upward. He brought his hand up to his face, holding onto Isabella's hand.
"I love you, Angel. I never got to tell you how thankful I am that you've been with me from the beginning. You never gave up on me, and I'll always remember that. I'm so sorry . . ."
Aiden released a faint gasp as his hand dropped to the bed, his eyes slowly closing.
The heart monitor left a long, loud sound.
Isabella's eyes widened.
He flatlined.
Aiden's heart stopped beating.
"No!" Isabella cried. She pulled her hand away from his face and got off the bed, backing away, feeling everything getting smaller.
Isabella felt sick to her stomach. Then she heard sudden voices appearing in the room.
He's dead, Bella.
He's never coming back.
He finally left you.
You won't be able to see him again.
"No!" She slid her body against the wall and sat on the ground, crying her eyes out.
He can't be gone. He can't be gone.
He can't be dead! Please come back!
Please let him come back!
꧁ ༄ ꧂
"Bella. Bella, wake up!"
Isabella snapped her eyes open, breathing hard from her chest. She sat on the bed, looking at the bedsheets.
She was home.
But she was just at the hospital, and she saw Aiden.
Oh God, Aiden . . . he's dead.
She just saw him die right in front of her, hearing the heart monitor do its final four beeps before the monitor flatlined. The room felt like it was getting smaller. She couldn't get the images out of her head—they wouldn't go away.
I'll never see him again!
"Bella, are you okay?"
Her ears turned on when she heard a familiar voice beside her. She deliberately looked to the right, seeing her best friend.
"Aiden?"
"Are you okay?" Aiden asked anxiously.
"You're alive?" Isabella breathed, tears blurring her vision.
He stared at her with confusion. "Yeah, I'm alive—"
Isabella wrapped her arms around Aiden and hugged him, still breathing rapidly. "I thought y-you were dead. You were in the hospital a-and you just died on the bed," she whimpered.
Aiden was quiet for a few seconds. "No, I'm right here." He soothed Isabella's back when he wrapped his arms around her. "You just had a nightmare."
"It felt so real," she murmured.
He pulled away from Isabella and looked at her face carefully. "It's okay." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his face, letting her touch his cheek. Isabella felt his warm skin against her palm instead of the cold one she felt in her dream.
She let out a small laugh, knowing he was not a ghost or anything else.
She wiped the tears away from her cheeks.
"Sorry I freaked out," she managed to say.
"It's okay. I understand," he reassured her.
Isabella dropped her hand on her lap, thinking this wouldn't be the last nightmare she would have.
"Now!" Aiden clapped. "I thought we could do something fun today."
"Do what?" She chuckled, grateful for the subject change.
"You'll see. Get dressed and do everything you need to do so we can go." He stood up from the bed and beckoned with his hand, prompting her to get up.
"Okay." Isabella rushed out of bed and went to her closet, scanning through her clothes to find something for the hot weather outside.
"So, how was family game night?"
"It was fun. Except for when my dad was staring at my mom's ass all night, and I felt very uncomfortable." Isabella cringed.
"Oh, man." Aiden laughed. "They're awesome."
"Oh, yeah, it's awesome seeing your parents being gross while you're in the room," Isabella declared sarcastically, going through her jeans.
"Well, they do that out of love." He shrugged. "Hurry and get ready. I'll meet you downstairs," he stated before leaving the room.
Isabella shook her head and scoffed at Aiden's last comment. Out of love, my ass. She picked up her clothes from the hangers and walked to the bathroom to get ready.
꧁ ༄ ꧂
Isabella showered, got dressed, and fixed her hair in a high ponytail. Her clothes were simple: a black t-shirt, blue denim shorts, and white sneakers.
She grabbed her purse from the bedside table, left the room and headed downstairs. She heard Aiden's voice echoing throughout the living room.
"Yeah, we'll meet you in a bit. All right, later." Aiden hung up the phone when Isabella got to the last step.
"Who was that?"
He turned around and faced his friend. "Matthew. We're going to meet him right now."
"Oh, really? Where?" Isabella asked, excited. Aiden and Matthew must've gotten along when they hung out on Friday. They'd become friends instantly. Like him and Isabella, the boys were joined at the hip.
Now that Isabella would see Matthew with Aiden, she was happy that her best friend had someone to talk to besides her.
"Starbucks, he was feeling for coffee."
"Okay, cool."
Isabella and Aiden left her house and got into his car, and headed to Starbucks.
꧁ ༄ ꧂
The teens made it to the café. The bell chimed when they opened the door, letting the employees know they had customers.
Aiden looked around until his eyes landed on a table at the back of the café. "Look, there he is." He pointed to the furthest table at the end of the corner.
Isabella's eyes followed Aiden's finger and her gaze set on Matthew. He noticed them and waved his hand with a smile on his face.
The best friends strolled to the back table, sat across from Matthew, and the two boys did their fist bumps. "What's up, Matt?"
"I'm good, Cunningham." Matthew smiled. Then he turned in Isabella's direction. "Hey, Bella."
"Hi." She gave him a small wave.
"Since we're here. What do you want to drink? I'm paying," Aiden asked Matthew.
"I'll just have black coffee with milk and sugar."
"Okay, and I know what this booger wants. I'll be right back." He gestured to Isabella with his thumb and stood up, walking to the line behind numerous customers.
"He calls you booger too?" Matthew laughed.
"No, he's just being an ass," Isabella muttered, rolling her eyes.
Matthew chuckled, leaning his arms on the table. "I'm glad you and Aiden could come today."
"Hey, it's no problem," she replied. "We're not used to going out with other people."
"Well, you guys were the first people who talked to me." Matthew smiled.
It made Isabella proud that she made someone feel welcomed on their first day. "I'm thrilled we made your first day great."
Matthew nodded before clearing his throat. "So, I was thinking about something, and I want to ask if you're okay with it."
"What is it?" Isabella asked, giving him her full attention.
"I know we just met yesterday and everything, but do you want to . . . go out with me sometime?" he asked timidly.
Wait, Isabella thought. Is he asking me out on a date?
Isabella felt her heart beating fast. She had never been asked out before, so this was all new to her.
A boy asked her out.
"I know it's a weird question because we just met, but I want to get to know you better."
"Oh, well, I didn't think you'd want to go out with me like that." Isabella chuckled sheepishly.
"Why do you say that?"
"Guys never get a chance to know me, so I thought I would be better alone."
"I don't believe that. And I'm sure Aiden doesn't believe that either." Matthew pointed his finger at Aiden, who was next in line, getting their orders.
"I guess," Isabella said, shrugging.
What if she did go out with Matthew?
Her first date.
There was only one way to find out.
"You know what? I would love to go out with you sometime."
"That's great." He smiled. "How about next Friday at eight?"
"Sounds good." She smiled back.
"I'm back, finally." Aiden returned to the table with a cupholder of their drinks and rested it on the table.
"Thanks, man," Matthew said, grabbing his cup of coffee.
"Thanks." Isabella grabbed her cup of iced coffee that Aiden knew she liked to get.
"You're welcome." Aiden sat in his vacant seat next to Isabella and got his cup out of the cupholder. "So, what did I miss?"
"Nothing much." Matthew shrugged, smirking to himself while Isabella grinned about her date with the new guy next Friday.
Her first date ever.
"Okay, something's up here," Aiden stated, narrowing his eyes at them.
"Nothing's up." Matthew took a sip of his beverage, secretly smiling behind the cup.
"You guys are weird." Aiden shook his head.
The teenagers stayed at Starbucks for a few hours, talking about life and random things. Isabella left out the part about her going out with Matthew because she wanted to tell Aiden about it privately.
Hopefully, he would be okay with her going out with his new best friend.