After the stunt with Niall, I thought things would blow over. But everything just seemed to be getting much worse. No one could stop talking about Aidan and Niall’s supposed hook-up. Everyone kept telling me how stupid I was to still be with Aidan when it so clear that he and Niall had something going on. I trusted Aidan though and I stuck by his side. I wouldn’t let a few nasty rumors ruin Aidan and I’s relationship.
“I don’t know how you can have so much trust in him,” Michelle huffed over the phone. “I mean someone screenshot a conversation between them. It wasn’t exactly PG either.”
I sighed. It was clear Michelle didn’t believe Aidan. She was convinced that he had strayed. She constantly told me not that I shouldn’t trust him and that I should just break up with him. He apparently wasn’t worth all the headache.
“Aidan says he’s never as much as talked to him outside of school and you can tell it’s fake,” I retorted. “I text Aidan every day and that sounds nothing like him. Someone just wants us to break up is all that is and I’m not giving them that.”
“Who do you think is doing that? Jude?” Michelle retorted. “Huh?”
That was my best guess. I mean he had been MIA for a few days. What else was there to believe?
“Maybe,” I nodded. “The last time he and I talked, he told me Aidan would mess up our relationship and that he didn’t need to sabotage it. Pretty suspect right? Then he and Olivia conveniently break up and he’s MIA all of a sudden.”
Michelle even agreed as soon as I explained it to her. It sounded logical. I mean Jude had made it clear that he didn’t like Aidan. This could be his way of getting back at me for everything.
So as the rumors kept floating around, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Jude wasn’t around so I had no other choice but to confront Niall. He was a part of this whether he liked it or not. I caught him after his cheerleading practice, when I was waiting for Aidan to get out of basketball.
“We need to talk,” I said causing him to roll his eyes at me.
“Look Kyle,” he began. “Yes, I think Aidan is extremely hot. Yes I do fantasize about him from time to time. But I have nothing to do with those rumors and nothing to say to you. I mean maybe there not rumors after all.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, shoving him. “Shut the fuck up, Niall. We all know it’s a rumor. Aidan doesn’t like you. Hell he would have never talked to you if you didn’t have to do that project. So, get over it. All I care about is who is starting these rumors and I think you know who it is.”
“Most rumors are based on truth,” Niall retorted. “And a project? What project?”
I gripped my hands across my backpack. “The project for the class you guys are in. The lab report?”
“That’s rich,” Niall smirked. “That’s what he went with. We’re not even in science together.”
Niall pressed his lips tightly together, shaking his head. He gave me the finger before he walked off towards his car. Just before he hit the parking lot, he stopped and faced me. “Maybe if you put out a little more, Aidan wouldn’t be looking elsewhere.”
I bit down on my lip as soon as he said that. I could feel the blood rush to my face as his words echoed through my head. How did he know – I mean Aidan and I hadn’t had sex since I gave him my virginity. But that was only because he and I never had the opportunity again. I mean my parents were always home and they were keeping a close eye on me now that they found about him. We couldn’t exactly go to Aidan’s house either.
Niall was just screwing with me. I know he was. There had to be a science project, right? Aidan wouldn’t lie to me. I know he wouldn’t. Just as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist. I turned around only to get kissed on the lips by Aidan.
“Hey,” he smiled at me, those dimples of his appearing on his face. “I thought about you all practice.”
He slid his hand in mine as he and I walked towards his car. I couldn’t stop thinking about Niall. His stupid voice was replaying over and over again in my head like a broken record. I didn’t want to believe that Aidan would cheat on me, but the stacks were against him.
“Aidan, I want you to be completely honest with me,” I began as soon as he pulled into the driveway of my house. “Can you swear that to me?”
“Yes of course,” Aidan said shifting his car into park and focusing all of his attention on me.
I took a deep breath. “Did you have sex with Niall? Don’t answer right away. Be completely honest. I know there was no science project. You and Niall aren’t even in the same class.”
I glanced at those baby blue eyes of his as he ran his fingers through his hair, biting down on his lip. I could feel my stomach twist into knots as his hands gripped the steering wheel.
“We didn’t have sex,” Aidan finally answered taking his hands off the wheel. “We almost did. That is the truth.”
Almost? What did that even mean? Almost? How do you almost have sex? I could feel my heart sink as soon as he said it. I kind of wished I hadn’t asked.
“Almost? What does that even fucking mean?” I huffed as Aidan sighed.
“It means it didn’t happen,” Aidan retorted taking his hand in mine. “What do you want for me to go into detail?”
“Yes I do actually,” I muttered snatching my hand back. “Because I don’t get how you almost have sex with someone. Please explain.”
Aidan bit his lip, his eyes flickering onto mine. “Why does it matter, Kyle? It didn’t happen. I stopped it. He came onto me. It doesn’t exactly take much for me to get turned on you know that. I’m sorry. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t think it mattered. Nothing happened.”
I shook my head. “Nothing happened! You got turned on by another guy, Aidan. That’s what happened!”
“But we didn’t have sex,” Aidan argued. “Hell I didn’t even touch him.”
I grabbed my backpack and hopped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I couldn’t. It was making me sick to my stomach. Aidan stepped out of his car, following me to the door to the basement. I fumbled with my keys as he continued arguing with me.
“Come on! You can’t tell me that hasn't happened between you and Jude!” He retorted. “Kyle!”
“Not while we were together,” I huffed sliding my key into the door. “Go home, Aidan. I just want to be alone for a while.”
Aidan bit his lip, shaking his head at me. “Are you breaking up with me?”
His eyes searched for mine as I unlocked the door, slamming it shut behind me. I could hear him swearing underneath his breath as I tossed my backpack on the floor, before crashing onto my bed. I lied there for a minute, not moving a muscle, until I heard a knock at my backdoor. Aidan just wouldn’t give up.
“Aidan just leave me alone,” I shouted. I closed my eyes, but the knocking persisted. I groaned finally standing up. I opened the door to see Jude standing there.
“Not Aidan,” he chuckled as he walked inside without as much as an invitation. I closed the door behind him as he plopped onto my bed, a smirk drifting across his face.
“Jude I really just want to be alone right now,” I sighed. “What are you even doing here?”
“I actually came to get the homework I missed,” Jude replied his fingers sinking into that messy black hair of his. “I was waiting by your door, but then I heard you and Aidan arguing, so I hid in the bushes until he left. I didn’t want to be caught in the middle of whatever that was.”
I shook my head. “As if you don’t know about Niall and Aidan!”
“I don’t,” Jude admitted. “I’ve been sick for the past few days with the flu. What happened?”
“Well they almost had sex,” I retorted. “Almost! And I shouldn’t care because it didn’t actually happen! He’s fucking unbelievable! That makes no fucking sense! He had the nerve to say! The fucking nerve to say that it doesn’t take much to turn him on. Fuck him.”
I folded my arms across my chest, plopping onto my bed beside him. I actually felt better now that I had gotten it all out in the open. It felt good telling someone about it. Well, more like yelling at someone that wasn’t Aidan about it. I couldn’t believe I had been so naïve. I should have listened to Michelle. She had been right all along.
“You were right, Jude,” I retorted. “You didn’t need to screw our relationship up. Aidan could do that all by himself.”
“I’m sorry I said that,” Jude replied. “I was pissed at you when I said that. To be honest, I stepped over the line a lot of times with you just to piss Aidan off. You were right about everything. I was bitter about how everything ended up between us. I mean I am a much better pick and obviously much more attractive than Aidan, but you like him a lot. I know you do. I can see it in the way you look at him. I mean don’t get me wrong, you like me too, but not as much as you like him. I just want you to be happy, Kyle.”
I wrapped my arms around Jude, hugging him tightly. I knew Jude had a heart underneath that cold exterior of his. I was waiting for this for so long. Without even thinking, I kissed him on the lips catching him completely off guard. I pulled away after a moment or two, running my fingers through my hair as I cleared my throat.
“That’s all you’re getting,” I joked shoving Jude lightly. “So don’t push it.”
“I know! I know,” Jude grinned at me, extending a hand to me. “Friends?”
“Of course,” I said taking his hand in mine. Jude stood up from off my bed, walking towards the door. I followed him, letting him out.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Also, you should know Aidan has been driving around the block for the past five minutes,” he replied glancing out at the street. “You don’t have to forgive him, but I’d at least say something before he runs out of gas and gets stuck.”
I rolled my eyes as I walked Jude out towards his car. My eyes met Aidan’s as he pulled back into my driveway, shifting his car into park. He hopped out and made a beeline straight towards Jude. I stepped in the middle of them, stopping Aidan before he did anything stupid.
“What’s he doing here? Of course, the minute you and I get in an argument, he shows up,” Aidan growled.
“You should be thanking Jude actually,” I retorted folding my arms across my chest. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even be talking to you right now. I would have let you drive around until you ran out of gas.”
“Good-night,” Jude said walking towards his car. “You two obviously need some alone time.”
“So how much do you hate me?” Aidan asked shoving his hands into his pocket. “I would apologize again, but you probably don’t want to hear it.. I – I don’t want to mess this up. I’ll do anything. I’ll stay away from Niall. I’ll quit the basketball team. I’ll do whatever it takes. I just don’t want us to break up. I don’t want this to be over.”
“Me either,” I said glancing down at the ground. Aidan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, as he planted a kiss on my forehead. He leaned in to kiss me on the lips, but I turned away.
“I’m still mad,” I retorted.
“Punish me all you want I deserve it,” he said kissing me one more time on the forehead. “I have to get home, but I’ll see you tomorrow. And Kyle - he paued for a moment, his eyes meeting mine - I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said without any hesitation. He smiled at me, as he slid into his car, pulling out of my driveway shortly after. It was the first time he and I had ever said that we loved each other. Despite all of our arguing, he and I both meant it.