A/N: So I've just realized now that I've never *officially* asked for a review on the series as a whole. CWTHAW & Cabin Fever!
Now I'm curious! For those who have read this far, what are your thoughts on:
Marley and Aiden as a couple?
The storyline/plots?
Marley?
Aiden?
Their friends?
The camp?
My writing?
Other?
Why you've decided to continue with the series not only after the first book but many chapters into the second?
I'd love to read some outside feedback so comment away!!
-
Leo slipped past Marley, who was frozen in shock.
Leo Kahn and Gabby Collins.
Leo. Kahn. And. Gabby. Collins.
Kissing. K I S S I N G.
"Holy...holy...oh my gods" Marley breathed out in shock, running her hands through her hair.
But remembering how entirely in a rush Gabby was to get away from him, Marley immediately turned on her heel so she could see where they were going. She caught a glimpse of Leo's head of white blonde hair in the open front doorway, quickly dashing through people on shaky legs before she could lose sight of them further.
In the distance, as she passed their lane lounge, she heard Aiden call her name in confusion, but at this point, she didn't even care. Shoving open the first glass door and then the second, she burst outside and glanced around the parking lot wildly.
"-just stop for a second, okay?"
"I don't want to talk about it, leave me alone."
"Don't do that. You're gonna fucking go back to him?"
"He won't break my heart."
"I-"
Marley burst into the alley between the two buildings on the right side of the bowling alley, seeing Gabby and Leo standing about five feet away from each other, the former with her arms crossed and the latter reaching out to her with a pleading expression.
They both turned their heads just as another set of footsteps echoed behind Marley.
"Marley what the fu-shit," Aiden breathed as he took in the scene from behind her, putting the pieces together a lot quicker than Marley did.
Leo's eyes lit up with rage as he zeroed in on Marley, "What is this, a fucking show? Go back inside. This has nothing to with you."
Aiden strode up beside her, "Don't talk to her like that. Let Gabby walk away if that's what she wants."
Leo didn't at all appear to want to surrender, "Did I fucking stutter, Marley?"
Aiden's fists balled, and Marley quickly placed a hand on his arm to stop him from moving forward, "I mean it, Kahn."
"Leo! Stop it! I don't want to be alone with you! Okay?!" Gabby shouted, turning on her heel to go back the way they came.
Marley quickly released Aiden to follow after Gabby but froze at what she heard next.
"You went to fucking jail and were dealing with shit, and she wasn't there for you. She kissed another guy, and you're following her to Brown. You're a fucking idiot, man."
Marley whirled around with an aching heart, for a second too still to intervene when Aiden strode up to Leo. They stood toe to toe.
"Talk another word of shit about my girlfriend, and I'm gone," Aiden growled.
She watched with wide, disbelieving eyes as the best friends stood in front of each other, huffing and puffing. It was tense silence, as Aiden waited for Leo to back down and choose friendship over being petty because he's hurt.
But Leo's gaze had turned dark and cold, narrowed on Aiden's with a stiff body.
She hoped and prayed that Leo would back away. That he wouldn't say another word. Because they're brothers and because they've been close since they were kids. They've seen thick and thin together, and after everything with Violet, Leo was there for him. They share a room, and Leo is the only other person Aiden is close to besides her and Ian.
"Don't make him choose, Leo," Marley blurted in a pleading voice that had Aiden's shoulders relaxing instinctively, "Don't do this to him."
His eyes flickered past Aiden to her. Blank. Emotionless. "You ruined his future."
Aiden couldn't even be angry. He just stumbled backwards, his fists loosening and his entire stature defeated. Because fighting him, in a way, would be saying that there's a chance for them to pick each other back up and be friends again.
Walking away is the real punch in the face. Walking away is the beating.
Marley felt an insane amount of sadness for Aiden as he stumbled away as if he'd been shot, but she couldn't see his face, only his back. Leo's expression morphed from emotionless to crumpled to angry all at once.
Watching them pull away from each other was like watching a fire blow out. Extinguish. Something that had blazed for so long had just turned to coal and ash and darkness.
Marley wanted to tell Aiden to forgive him, that she forgives him - to choose them both. But she knows Aiden well. To him, Leo is someone else who betrayed him. Hurting her was hurting him. The words stung and offended Aiden as much as they did Marley.
There was no going back from this, and the three of them knew it.
Then he was turning around and storming up to Marley, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. His was shaking, and she could see the side angle of his face was pale and angry and sad and everything betrayed and hurt.
He led them across the parking lot to the car, and she followed behind him silently. Marley was at a loss. She didn't know what to do. If she lost Gabby, she would have no idea how to cope.
Aiden's expression was stone as he walked her to the passenger side and opened the door for her, pausing for a second, before crouching.
She was confused momentarily before she realized that she was still wearing her bowling shoes. Aiden untied the laces and slipped them off, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone in the car.
Marley curled her knees up to her chest, eyes stinging.
"You ruined his future."
Did she?
Marley stared out the window with Leo's words on repeat until the door opened a few minutes later.
Aiden crouched in the same position as before, loosening her legs and slipping her converse on her feet, tying her laces, and standing to hand her, her purse before he was closing the door again and circling to the driver's seat.
She felt shaky and cold as he sat back down, watching him start the car robotically and pull away from the lot.
"Aiden," she began quietly, her heart in her throat, "what if I did ruin you-"
"Don't," he cut her off brutally, shifting gears clumsily which is unlike him.
"Leo is your best friend," she whispered, watching his expression change to...some kind of sadness. Grief. But that disappeared quickly.
"That doesn't matter," he replied quietly. "If he can't respect a person I love, he's not my best friend anymore."
She sucked in a breath. Marley didn't want this for him. She didn't want him to lose someone so close to him. Aiden doesn't deserve to lose anyone else.
"He was just upset about Gabby. He didn't mean it-"
"Yeah he did." his voice now sounded tired. So tired that she placed a hand over his on the gear shift after he changed gears, her entire being aching.
He flipped his hand and intertwined their fingers, turning his head to lock eyes with her for a few seconds.
"I warned him. He knew exactly what would happen if he kept talking shit about you. But he still did. He made his choice, Marley, and I made mine."
-
"We need to consider the idea that maybe talking to Larissa and Jess is a good way to find out about Dalton's party."
Marley leaned up on her elbows at Tristan's words. That was a difficult task though, given that Aiden was laid beside her in her bed, his arm across her torso, leg swung over her waist, hand playing with her hair.
This was what he wanted when she asked him what he needed from her. Cuddling with no questions - well, he didn't say that out loud, he just dragged her to her bed and climbed in beside her with an aura that screamed 'don't ask.' So she would humour him for as long as he needs her to.
Gabby and Aiden both seemed to be in the same boat right now - playing the avoiding game. The difference is, Gabby is in her bunk above, furiously working through her logic book without so much as looking up once.
Marley focused on Tristan, who had been working on the biology homework on the floor but leaned back on her hands with a thoughtful expression.
Kelly rolled over from the top bunk, "They're gossip leeches, I think if they knew the truth they'd probably spread it around."
"Guys we have to consider that ignorance may be the best option. Conner has done nothing to us since arriving here that would show he's involved in some gang situation. If we start prodding and trying to get involved it may do more harm than good," Marley replied calmly.
"I'll beat him up if you want," Aiden mumbled into her shirt, hand curling around her waist to pull her closer.
She ran a hand through his mussed hair, "I think we'll pass on that plan."
"What about the cop guy that you know?" Tristan asked Marley, referring to Bryan.
"He went home after he visited me at the-he went home yesterday. He's got a high profile case to deal with right now."
The girls didn't seem perturbed by her stutter, which she was thankful for. Outside of Bryan, Aiden and Gabby, nobody knew about her breakdown and hospital visit, and she wanted to keep it that way.
"Could you still tell him? Maybe he can do like...a background check or something."
Aiden shifted from beside her, feeling around the blankets until he found her phone, his thumb on her Touch ID before he was surfing the internet with an apparent purpose. She sighed and looked back towards Tristan.
"Well, I guess I could but..."
"Perfect," Kelly interrupted quickly, "now do your work, Tris, you've been at it for an hour, and it's already after seven."
"Screw off, mom," Tristan snapped back, clearly frustrated by something.
"Need help?" Marley asked, her elbows getting sore, so she laid back down again.
"I understand it I'm just tired of fucking Bio. It's all we do. I miss math."
"No you don't," Kelly said from the top bunk.
Marley watched Tristan furrow her eyebrows, deep in thought before she was scrunching up her nose in disgust, "Yeah, on second thought I don't."
Just as she finished speaking, the door opened to reveal Jason and Ryan.
They searched until they landed on Marley, both of them focusing on Aiden, who was now playing Candy Crush - probably having discovered her five-page game folder.
All he has is Words with Friends, so she's sure he's mind blown.
When the guys entered the room, Aiden didn't even look up.
"Look we don't know what went on, but Kahn is-"
"If you're here about Leo turn around and walk out," Aiden interrupted with an even, no-nonsense voice.
Marley ran her hand through his hair to calm him again, but he didn't look away from his game.
She gave Jason a knowing look, and he exhaled through parted lips, nudging Ryan who rubbed a hand over his grey eyes before turning to walk out of the room. She was worried about Leo, but she trusted Jason to take care of it.
Sarah shoved herself into their room past Jason, her phone in her hands, dressed in her light pink pyjamas, curly red hair in wild disarray and blue eyes bright with life.
"Guys! Guess freaking what?!"
Sarah had become such a ball of light in the sombre atmosphere that Marley felt it hit her so hard that these last few weeks have been nothing but drama and lies and hurting.
Tristan dropped her pencil back down on her textbook, "If this is another shit storm can we have a chance to breathe first?"
So Marley wasn't the only one who was tired of everything lately, then.
Sarah shook her head over and over, "This is great news! After all the bullshit these last few weeks I was thinking about what we could do for fun, and I found the perfect thing - tomorrow night."
Kelly sat up. Interest peaked, "How reckless and stupid are we talking?"
Sarah grinned wildly, "Beyond reckless and incredibly stupid."
"I'm down. Screw yoga," Tristan replied immediately, while Marley frowned.
Aiden dropped her phone and sat up on his elbows, interested too.
"What is it?" Marley asked impatiently.
Sarah squealed out loud, unable to contain her excitement, waggling her phone in their direction.
"I just got confirmation that it's happening. Tomorrow night an all-ages nightclub called 'DNR' is hosting its grand opening."
***