I stared at Gale for a few seconds my brain slowly processing his words. He was lying, he had to be because Aiden wouldn't get with someone else, not when we hadn't settled what was between us yet. I know that I was about to move on but I would have discussed it with Aiden first. A part of me broke and I knew I cared, but not because I was jealous, but over the fact that Aiden didn't have the respect to tell me the truth. I turned away from Gale not wanting him to see me hurt over someone else. He took his finger and rested it on my chin causing me to look at him.
"I understand you're upset, I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said" He forced a smile but he looked guilty.
"No, thank-you for telling me, I didn't even realise" Gale took my hand in his and pulled me towards him where I wrapped my arms around his waist and he enclosed me into his muscular figure. His skin was warm and I could smell his seductive scent that was tempting my senses. After a cuddle for several minutes, we released each other and strolled back to the beach shack hand in hand. We must have been gone for over an hour because when we opened the back door we noticed that Gale's aunt was stacking up the last of the chairs and sweeping the floor. After saying goodbye and promising to visit again we were back on the road home. I had barely said a word and I wasn't sure why, maybe because my mind was taken up with anger over Aiden's betrayal. Gale pulled up outside my house and I couldn't help but have a long stare in the direction of Aiden's house, hoping to see him in the window which obviously, he wasn't there.
When we reached my front door, Gale turned to face me and kissed my lips tenderly making me smile against his. I kissed him back and in a matter of seconds the kiss had deepened and I was gripping onto Gale's t-shirt like my life depended on it. When we parted I was out of breath and Gale's hand was firmly planted onto my back pulling me in closely, fitting into his body shape. I released his t-shirt and laughed as I worked at the creases I had made, he looked down and kissed my forehead before turning to leave. He looked over his shoulder where I was still watching him walk away.
"Call me if you need anything and I'll be right over" He smiled sensitively and drove away. It finally hit me, the loneliness, I was extremely tempted to race after the car down the road and plead for Gale to come back and stay but I didn't, simply because I wasn't keen on the idea of looking like a bedraggled animal chasing its prey. I sighed and opened the front door. As suspected the house was empty with a note on the side addressed to me.
'Gone Alex's house for the night, Daniel went to the gym will probably be home later'
-Charlie
I re-read the word gym, he was such a liar, Daniel would never go to the gym, he was probably only there to seek out the girls that wanted muscular men. I laughed at the thought of how Daniel would stick out like a sore thumb. He was skinny and pale while the usual gym attendees were built and tanned. Heading upstairs I had to breath slowly a few times to calm my nerves and also back away the nauseous feeling as I took out my phone and texted Aiden.
'Hey, can you come over, I need to talk to you'
He surprisingly texted back immediately.
'Uh-oh, be right over'
I walked over to the mirror and instead of seeing the emotional, worn-down freak I was expecting, the girl that looked back at me looked strong and stable. I could do this, I could clear my life up once and for all. The minutes I spent waiting I paced up and down my room until the expected knock interrupted me. I flew down the stairs and composed myself before opening the door to find Aiden standing at the door. I clenched my fists using all my will power not to punch him in the face. He stepped in and watched me carefully as I slowly closed the door, I considered leaving it open incase I wanted to throw him out but I had no chance of that at my size. He waited, neither of us saying a word.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Aiden perched on top of one of the kitchen stools and stared at me, I stood opposite him, still at the door with my arms crossed not wanting to make eye contact. I had no idea on what to say, how to put my thoughts into words, Aiden must have realised this because he stood and begun to walk towards me. Instinctively I took a step back and bumped into the door, I had no more room to back up into. He closed the distance as just as he was reaching out his hands to grab my body I ducked underneath his arms and popped up behind him. Aiden still had his hands positioned where my body had been and I began pacing again and he dropped them to his side. "What is it?" He urged and his eyebrows formed a frown and I was too angry at him to think it was sexy.
"Is it true?" I looked up at his face and for a moment I could have sworn I saw a sign of recognition as if he knew what I was talking about, then it disappeared, either I had misread the expression or he was covering it up.
"What?" He was playing dumb, he knew what I was talking about!
"You lied to me!" I yelled and his frown disappeared briefly in shock of me raising my voice but returned quickly enough. He stayed silent and studied me as I did to him.
"Peyton-"
"Shut up! I can't believe you did this, I trusted you!" I thought about it and wasn't sure if I had ever trusted him but it was a line they always seemed to shout in the movies and it appeared to work because Aiden looked expressionless. After I spent a few seconds calming myself down I forced the question out of my mind. "Who is she?" Aiden looked back up in alarm, probably because I had confirmed his thoughts that we were thinking of the same thing.
"I'm sorry" Was all he said.
"Tough, tell me" I wasn't overly upset, should I have been? My anger bubbled in my stomach though and I had to de-clench my fists every now and again.
"Casey" Aiden looked to the ground and I stopped in my tracks to stare at him, my mouth slightly apart. My heart dropped to the floor, I was in shock. Casey? The girl who I saw at the bus-stop forever ago and the one who was always jealous of me for being with Aiden? I closed my mouth and when Aiden didn't move or look at me I lost it. He didn't even have the courage to look me in the eye and say it. I thought I was the girl he loved but I wasn't, he used me and this was the last time, he was lucky if I ever spoke to him again.
I slowly walked over and Aiden carefully lifted his head, when I was close enough to bare, in one swift move I threw my arm round and punched him in the jaw, his face snapped to the side and his hands found his bruised jaw. I reached for the door handle and grabbed his shirt, pulling him out, he may have been stronger but he didn't resist, knowing he should leave. I slammed the door so hard behind him that it shook the house and stormed up to my room. Casey was a slut, someone who could get her hands on whoever and whenever. She had always wanted Aiden but I never thought she would get the satisfaction of ever having him, I was wrong, Aiden had fallen for her spell that many had before.
That wasn't the only thing that hurt, I could deal with him choosing Casey over me because I had elementally chosen Gale over him, what hurt the most is that he didn't fight for me, not even begging for me to be his best friend again, he just let me kick him out, almost happy that I wouldn't speak to him again even though he was the one in the wrong. I did the only thing I wanted to do, called Gale. He answered on the first ring.
"Hello" His voice was tender and seductive causing me to bite my lip.
"Hey, it's me, come over?" I smiled when he accepted the invite and would be here in little less than 10 minutes. I re-brushed my hair and fixe my clothes when there was a knock again. I rushed down the steps a smile on my face and threw the door open.
"Hey-" My smile fell when I saw it wasn't Gale in front of me but Aiden again.
"Can I explain?" Aiden whined, his jaw had already started to bruise making me feel somewhat satisfied.
"No" I said bluntly and tried to shut the door in his face but he kicked his foot in the way, trapping it open.
"Piss off!" I yelled and he pushed his way in, he was now standing in the middle of the room staring at me. "Get out!" I yelled again and he walked towards me, I didn't move, I was frozen in my space. When Aiden reached me his hands cupped my cheeks and he was pulling my face towards his. "Get off me!" I wriggled and he tried to connect our lips, I scratched at him but his grip was to strong, it felt like he was squeezing my jaw apart. I screamed and pushed him but he kept grabbing me back. I couldn't escape, my anger was taking over and I started thrashing my arms at him but he kept grabbing them and pressing them against him. "Aiden - get - off!" This time Aiden grabbed my hair, I drilled my eyes into his and he had tears streaming down his face as well as anger flashing at me. Just as I was willing to give up just so he would let go of me, Aiden's grip released and I was free.