Aiden Matthews, Marley has decided a long time ago, was born in the spotlight. Under a shining, gleaming beacon that embodies him at all times. Said beacon which tends to attract the female population more than anything else.
It's his confident aura, the way he carries himself. His effortless, casual sense of self has others wanting to be close to him. Being acknowledged by Aiden Matthews was something of an accomplishment to be proud of, and gives validation to oneself. It's always been like that at Kingston High.
At Kingston, Aiden Matthews is the true cool level to pine after. He's the definition of unattainable hottie - and it wasn't a status he strived for, either. It was just Aiden being himself and leaving their peers - mostly the female demographic - starstruck and taken aback.
Marley can see why other girls flirt with her boyfriend so frequently. He screams successful future when most his age scream burnout, and doesn't have to speak a word to charm the pants (or panties) off of almost anyone.
He's the guy. The guy you want to be on the arm of at parties. The guy you want in the bedroom and the guy you want to introduce to your parents. The guy you want to follow into the future.
But, he's also Marley's guy.
Which means as much as she has an understanding as to why he's so sought after, it always leaves her mouth bitter and her expression soured like she'd just sucked the juice from a lemon - when she has the pleasure of witnessing it firsthand.
She does have to take small victories though; ever since she and Aiden started dating the population of pining girls has become a fluctuating number rather than a constant crowd. She's still been witness to one too many occurrences of the pesky nuisances at school, during lunch, and in the guys cabin but as much as Aiden flinches and dives away from them like their touch would poison him, they never seem to get the message.
Maybe it's the Victoria's Secret perfume they wear which seems to suffocate entire rooms of unsuspecting innocents.
"This is a way of life I'm going to have to accept, right?"
Gabby shot her a sideways glance, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie you'll probably like more?"
Marley nudged Gabby's shoulder with her own, rolling her eyes but quickly returning their steely gaze to the latest leech.
If her life were a video game she is now convinced it'd be called Attack of the Boyfriend Stealers: World War Groupie. In which the girls themselves have the power to shoot lasers out of their eyes with every withering, jealous-ridden glare sent Marley's way.
If that were the case, the video game would have to have unlimited lives because she'd surely have been incinerated to nothing by now.
It was Tuesday morning before class and after breakfast, in which she and Gabby decided to go for a short walk along the trails before the buses arrived at 8:15 for the school building. Leaving her boyfriend, aka a hot commodity around here is just asking for at least one girl to make their move.
It's usually the entire group that repels the girls away - Jason, Ryan, Brendan, Tristan, Bree, Kelly, Sarah, and now Leo - from Aiden because of, well, The Untouchables vibe that Jess and Larissa were referring to. They mind their own business, and have an aura that tells others to.
But, as surely as the sun rises and the world turns and the acceleration of gravity on any falling object is 9.8 meters per second squared — Aiden Matthews will always have fangirls.
Today's special is a tall, gorgeous brunette with hair in soft curls cascading down to her waist and flawless, casual makeup. She was dressed in tight jeans, heeled boots and an over the shoulder, sheer sweater which all worked to perfectly accentuate her model figure.
While Marley was dressed in her classic worn converse, a pair of black leggings, and a zip up Kingston High Math League hoodie. Her coffee brown hair was up in a bun on top of her head, annoying flyaways hanging around her cheeks that she can never quite tame. Her face bare apart from a small swipe of chapstick to keep her lips from drying out in this cooler weather. Her reading glasses were perched on her head - and she is entirely out of the league of the current gorgeous girl trying to superglue herself to her boyfriend.
Ouch.
The girls - Tristan, Sarah, Kelly and Bree - were nowhere in sight, and the guys were no help apart from snickering and side comments to each other. Aiden, bless his soul was doing his very best to dodge and block any and all attempts but this current leech was thirstier than a desert animal this morning.
Aiden was dressed as casually and attractively as always, wearing the hell out of a plain black Nike hoodie and sweats. A go-to outfit for someone who spent a solid number of hours on a concrete floor after being punched multiple times, but on a body like his, with his dark brown hair soft and tousled, blue eyes as captivating as always? Well, let's just say nobody would be at all surprised if Nike themselves showed up and asked to use him as a model.
The guys noticed Marley's approach first but kept quiet, as Aiden had turned his back to her in another desperate attempt at swatting off the girl's hand from his bicep. Marley felt more and more smug at every denied attempt because Aiden Matthews is seamless at everything, and being the best boyfriend is no exception.
She crept up behind him, her coffee in a paper mug still in her hands as she circled her arms around his torso and rested her cheek against his back. Aiden radiates heat and after spending a night in his arms she felt deprived even after such a short period of time.
"Hi," she hummed into his back before he was twisting in her hold. Behind him, the brunette stood flabbergasted at being blatantly ignored.
Aiden's eyes shone with adoration as theirs locked, proving with the way he was looking at her that no other girl - no matter how model-like - could ever take her place.
He cupped her cheeks and bent to peck her lips. She met him halfway, standing on her tip toes. Even though they did more than their fair share of kissing this morning, she can never get enough of even their simplest of ones. Warm. Sweet and loving and everything that makes her pulse quicken.
He kissed her nose, smiling when she wrinkled it. "Hi beautiful. Thanks for the hero moment."
She unwound her arms from around his waist to curl her hands around her coffee while he settled an arm over her shoulders, "Repelling the obsessed female population from Aiden Matthews is what I was born to do. Screw med school."
The brunette had flipped her hair over her shoulder, as is their species' way of retreating, and was currently stalking away down the path as if God commanded her to walk those heels at a hundred miles an hour.
Aiden's body rumbled against hers as he laughed, reaching a quick, sneaky hand out to undo her bun. Marley groaned as her hair fell. "I tied it for a reason, Aiden!"
"And I untied it for a reason." Was her boyfriends witty response as he slid the elastic on his wrist.
"-why you failed, Leo. You had my notes."
"Blondie your notes are illegible. How can you even read your own writing?"
"Times New Roman is illegible?"
Marley's focus on Aiden broke to instead witness her best friend with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow across from Leo, who appeared a few layers of defensive over sheepish.
"It wasn't...well..."
"You didn't read the notes I made you." She deadpanned with a shake of her head.
Marley remembered her conversation with Leo, where when she asked him if he needed Gabby, his response was 'more than I should.' She had been going over it in her head recently, but has already decided not to say anything to either Aiden or Gabby. She and Leo's conversation felt personal somehow. Private.
Leo confided in her about something he normally wouldn't to anyone, and she would respect that. There was also the fact that even though he and Aiden are friends again, if her boyfriend did find out that Leo approached her and asked to talk alone said friendship might be on thin ice all over again.
It was no secret that they spoke amongst the girls, but as far as Marley knows they haven't said anything either. When Gabby asked about it Marley was able to lie smoothly with the cover that he wanted to talk about Aiden.
So, it was all under wraps. She hoped it'd stay that way.
"What's that look?" Aiden's question had her eyes peeling away from where Leo was attempting to lie and deny his way out of the conclusion Gabby had come to - that he failed their most recent test because he didn't read the notes she gave him.
Marley knew about these notes, the ones Gabby gave him before he and Aiden fought and even before the club night. She suspects the only reason Gabby's talking to him about it is because someone told her he failed the test. Who, Marley isn't sure of.
"What look?" She asked, nuzzling into his warmth.
He tightened his arm around her shoulders, pressing his lips to her hair, "That look like you know something."
Her instinctual reaction was to freeze, her breathing momentarily halting. She cursed herself for that, because Aiden could feel it given he was pressed against her.
"Where's Ian?"
Nice one, Marley. Very discreet change of subject.
The busses rolled in which brought along the distraction of their peers leaving the mess hall, hovering and chatting around the clearing. But it wasn't enough for the ever so observant Aiden Matthews.
He hummed thoughtfully, allowing her to change the subject oddly enough. "Running errands."
She tilted her head up, locking eyes with his blue ones, "Errands?"
His slowly growing smile was enough of a clue as to what Ian was doing today while they were at school.
"Aiden..." she began cautiously, "He's shopping for you, isn't he?"
He just shrugged casually, unwinding his arm from her shoulders to take her bag as always, then taking her and hand and lacing their fingers together to lead them to a seat. She scrambled up beside him with eyes still narrowed on the side of his head.
"I could neither confirm nor deny that statement. But, he did want me to warn you about a few things for the Skype session on Thursday."
Marley frowned as he sat them down, "Should I be worried?" She asked anxiously, earning a soft smile as his arm rested over her shoulders again.
"No. But this is my mother's side of the family. The...eccentric Italian relatives. Ian mostly wanted to me to warn you about Nonna Gardinali."
"Gardinali?"
"My mother's maiden name." Aiden filled in her in quickly. It didn't pass her notice that he continued to speak as if to avoid the subject of her. "Anyway, she has this irrational fear of dying even though she's very healthy at seventy. Beyond her other quirks, which I'll let you see and hear for yourself," Aiden paused to shoot her a sympathetic smile, "She is actively involved in the next generation of Gardinali's."
Marley tilted her head in confusion, watching Aiden allow her to put it together. When she did, her eyes widened, "She's going to...she'll see me..."
"And go on a rant about the merits of being a teen mom? Absolutely."
Marley's cheeks flamed in embarrassment as she put her head in her hands. Aiden's body rumbled against hers, "She's determined to see great-grandchildren before she goes. She does have seven other grandchildren that she pesters too, if that helps. Though, they are all under twelve years old at the moment."
"Oh gods," Marley groaned, "Can I cancel?"
Aiden pressed his lips to her temple, "They're all looking foreword to seeing you. Some of my uncles think that I'm asexual because I've never introduced a girl to them before so I'd like to prove them wrong."
She shot her head up with furrowed brows. Aiden laughed at her pinched up expression, "My family's weird, bellisima. Just don't show fear, they can smell it."
"Bellisima?"
Aiden leaned in to hover his lips over hers, "Beautiful in Italian. La mia famiglia ti amerà. Cosa non è da amare?"
Marley found herself momentarily too dazed to ask for a translation, his smooth Italian making her head spin. "Yeah. Um. Translation?"
His blue eyes scanned over her expression heatedly, a slow smirk growing on his lips. He was seeing how his Italian affected her and the smug imbecile was enjoying it.
"You'll have to learn to live with the curiosity, spitfire. They'll be speaking a lot of Italian. I'll translate what I can and will ask them to keep you in the loop but you'll see for yourself that they tend to struggle with filtering what they say."
Marley sighed, "I'll be in a room full of Aiden's, won't I?"
He smirked, holding her closer, "What do you mean? I filter a lot of what I want to say." His blue eyes taking a leisurely scan over her body.
Marley's cheeks flushed while she shoved him with her elbow, "I'm wearing worn leggings and a baggy sweater, Matthews. Not my best look."
"I'd still bang you like a screen door in a hurricane, baby."
Marley choked on air, her eyes bugging out while Aiden laughed out loud at her reaction.
She punched his arm, while the safari vehicle jolted forward beneath them. "You're...Aiden you are something else."
He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Gabby turning on her torso from the seat in front of them. Leo was beside her, and she was attempting to help him finish the questions he didn't the night before. Gabby's pale complexion told Marley immediately that someone had already gone awry.
"Remind me to never, ever take even a sideways glance at Leo's phone screen. Ever. Again."
Leo snickered, shifting to rest an elbow on the back of his seat and address his best friend, "She saw Tiddy Double D's."
Marley raised a questioning eyebrow at her boyfriend rolling his eyes and throwing an arm over the seat behind her. He flickered his eyes to Gabby, "You know he's a tool."
Gabby crossed her arms, "Who is Tiddy...and why did I just see..."
"Her tits?" Leo responded nonchalantly, "Easy. I've got Tiddy Double D and Tiddy C on my Snapchat streaks. They send me nudes and in return I-"
"I don't want to know!" Gabby shouted, slamming her hand over Leo's smirking mouth. Marley's was hung open in horror.
"And you don't even have the decency to use their full names?" Gabby ripped her hand away, scooting as far towards the window as she could get with a wrinkled nose.
"I don't know their names." Leo earned two infuriated, offended looks. "So why not use my party trick?"
"Party trick?" Marley asked.
Aiden sighed loudly, "Leo has a gift for guessing...sizes."
Leo's green eyes trailed over to Gabby, lowering casually. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth, "Blondie I'd peg you for an 36A-"
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Gabby shouted, shoving his shoulder, her face red with humiliation.
Marley was angry for her best friend, yes, but also weirdly impressed at his accuracy.
Aiden leaned foreword in his seat to smack Leo on the back of the head. Hard. Leo yelped loudly while turning to face them. His green eyes flickered to Marley and lowered.
At the same time, Marley spun in her seat, and grabbed Aiden's fist in a palm, stopping it in mid-air. She placed her free hand on the centre of his hard chest. Aiden's blue eyes were lit up with a dark fire.
"Woah. It's scary how well your 34C girlfriend knows you by now."
He struggled to move his fist away from her. She held on, gripping his shirt in a fist.
"Did you really think," Aiden hissed lowly, "that eyeing up my fucking girlfriend would turn out well for you?"
"Aiden, stop. It's fine." Marley addressed him with a sigh.
"Totally platonic dude. No feelings. No offence Marley."
She dropped Aiden's fist knowing he wasn't going to use it with her hazel eyes fiercely glaring into his own. "Honestly Leo I just saved you from getting punched and I really don't know why."
"Exactly. Baby, one punch."
"No."
"Please."
"Nope."
Aiden huffed dramatically, tilting his head back over the seat, "You're so annoying sometimes."
Marley shot the side of his face a dry look before turning to Leo, "Maybe now you owe someone an apology?" She jutted her head towards her best friend, who was staring out the window with her arms crossed and her expression hard.
Leo followed Marley's line of sight, eyes widening, "Blondie. I love all boob sizes, alright? Nothing to be ashamed of. You're still a soft eight out of ten-"
"Seriously?!"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Marley and Gabby respectively cut him off at the same time. Aiden rubbed a hand over his face, "You're so clueless it's ridiculous."
"What?! She was offended-"
"That you were giving me a lookover!" Gabby huffed, "Leo I give you so many chances and put up with your BS and choose to look past the comments but you make it really hard for me to give you the benefit of the doubt sometimes. Do you want everyone to hate you? Is that your kink? Do you want me to give up on helping you?"
Marley's eyes flicked to Leo when Gabby turned back to the window again. His expression fell. His back turned away from Marley and Aiden, shoulders relaxing in a slump. His lips were pursed.
"I'm a...I'm a dumbass," he announced lamely after a few uncomfortable minutes.
Silence. Marley snorted. Gabby turned her head fractionally, squinting her eyes at him, "Was that your entire apology?"
Leo kept his eyes strictly away from her, "Yep."
Aiden looked impressed, which had Marley more and more amused. She reached over his lap to grab his water bottle from his bag, earning narrowed eyes, "You still don't have your own?"
"I do," she shrugged, opening the cap, "But I don't want to carry it."
"So you drink half of mine in one sitting, and then I have to fill it up on break-"
"Sounds like a you problem," she said sassily, before taking long gulps.
"-eyes to yourself and please stop testing my patience, Leo."
He lifted his hands in surrender playfully, but anyone with eyes could see the relief on his face. Gabby forgives him constantly, which is something Marley still doesn't quite understand.
Nevertheless, her boyfriend sees the best in him and likes what he sees, so she has to have faith that Leo is redeemable even though he proves time and again he's more than likely everything but.
"I was joking when I said you were...you're actually...well, hot...I guess what I'm trying to say is...that."
Gabby raised an eyebrow. She wasn't affected by what he had to say anymore, "I thought I was a soft eight? It's okay, Leo. I'm done being mad for now."
Marley was smiling widely watching Leo fumble and stutter, clearly uncomfortable trying to make it up to her.
"I was joking. About...you know what," Leo blurted.
Gabby's cheeks reddened. She turned away to hide them, "Well, you'd be a soft four if you were good at Biology."
She lightened the atmosphere successfully. Leo's famous, attractively crooked grin came back, "I'm a ten normally. Does that mean you prefer me stupid?"
Marley jumped when Aiden's hand pulled her in, his leg between her thighs. She shoved his chest lightly, her cheeks dark, "Aiden. Public."
"Sounds like a you problem." He mocked, his free hand cupping her neck to lower his lips to hers.
Marley fought up until the moment their lips touched, softening enough as their surroundings disappeared at the magic of his mouth. When his tongue massaged her own, wolf whistles around the bus coaxed her back to Earth again. She hid in his chest while he laughed.
"I hate you," she whined breathlessly.
"The guys two rows ahead were checking you out. Had to send a message."
Marley lifted her head tentatively and smacked his arm, "You're too paranoid. They probably weren't even looking. Why would they?"
Aiden studied her with heavy amusement. His fingers tangled in her hair, "Because you're a damn eleven without even having to try. Fun fact?" He leaned in until their breaths intermingled. His stunning blue eyes lowered to lock on her parted lips, "Your legs used to be my favourite. Your lips are my favourite now that I know what they can do. I think about them a lot. What I want to do with them."
Her face darkened until she was sure she had the likeness to a tomato. She shoved him off, "You're such a perv, Aiden!"
He smirked, "You love it. Admit it, Marley. As much as I fantasize about you, you fantasize about me more. Walking out of the water in swim shorts, bare chest glowing with water droplets, hair damp and messy, easy smile-"
"Take a chill pill, Baywatch featuring Magic Mike."
Almost as soon as the words flew out of her mouth, Bree turned towards her from the across the isle from them, eyes as wide as saucers, "You watched Magic Mike?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow, glancing between them, "Magic Mike?"
His query was loud enough for Ryan to overhear from where he was beside Kelly, who was thankfully immersed in her phone. He snorted, his grey eyes lit up in amusement, "I can picture Kelly deleting her album of her cats sooner than Marley Hoover watching a movie about male strippers."
Aiden's eyes tightened, "You watched other guys stripping on a stage?"
Marley shrunk with dark red cheeks, avoiding his gaze, "I-It was six months ago, okay! Mrs. Collins was watching it with a bunch of her girl friends over and Gabby and I may have snuck in..."
Ryan laughed loudly, which evoked Jason's resurrection from where he had been sleeping against the window, "You sound like a mutilated mule. What's funny?"
Marley was still shrunk in humiliation and Aiden was still angry.
"Marley watched Magic Mike."
Jason's eyebrows shot to his hairline, "Seriously? I haven't seen it but-"
"Channing Tatum in all his glory gives every girl the sweats, Matthews. Why don't you chill out?" Bree cut in to defend Marley quickly.
"You really don't have a right to be pissed anyway," Jason chimed in, "You're the one whose probably seen every girl's sports team at Kingston fully naked."
When Marley absorbed Jason's words, her mojo came back. She straightened her spine as revulsion hit her in waves, shoving Aiden's arm from around her, "Jason's right. You being angry is ridiculous, Aiden."
His jaw was tight, blue eyes stormy but with resignation. He was nothing more or less than grumpy now, "Fuck off, Letterman."
Marley's spark was now lit, everything about Aiden's behaviour pissing her off. She crossed her arms, turning in their bench to face him, "I watched not even the full movie of actors shirtless and you've probably had naked girls actually dance on you! Stupid kid thing, Aiden."
Marley tries not to dwell on Aiden's past too often, because there's nothing either of them can do to change it and she knows he's different now. But, even the typical soothing thoughts don't entirely stifle the ugly twisting in her stomach.
The girls he's used to are experienced, gorgeous, confident, and daring. They know how to flirt and comparing herself to them makes her feel about as small, insignificant and repulsive as a knat.
She slumped in her seat, shoving her sleeves over her hands. Staring down at the navy blue fabric reminded her of the bold words on the back of the sweater: Kingston High Math League, which might as well have said Out of Aiden Matthews' League.
Marley still has her insecurities, her doubtful moments despite everything she and Aiden have been through. And this is definitely one of them.
"Marley?"
She felt warm hands cup her cheeks and tilt her head up. Aiden's blue eyes bored into hers with calmness and regret, "You're right. Being angry was a stupid kid thing. I'm sorry."
She pulled herself out of his hold, hugging herself and avoiding his gaze, "There's nothing in my history for you to doubt yourself, Aiden. At all."
It was quiet for a few seconds. Aiden sighed from above her and scooted closer, once again cupping her cheeks. More firmly this time, given that she was weakly fighting him. His eyes were demanding and persuasive as they bored into hers, blue swirling and brilliant and beautiful.
"Never doubt yourself because that would break my heart, spitfire. My...past..." he paused, and she flinched which appeared to trouble him, "I would erase it all if I could." His smile was sad and defeated as he kissed her forehead. "My first kiss was against a brick wall outside at recess with a girl I had known for an hour. My first time was in the back of a pickup truck. Everything ever since had been shades of grey until you, Marley Hoover."
"You're the rainbow and even this..." he trailed off, his hand shifting to glide his fingers down the side of her neck. "And this," his lips brushed against hers, softly. Hardly existent but had managed to reach the tip of her toes. "Feels so..." He gained some distance to connect their gazes again, "You're electric, spitfire."
She was struggling to breathe, her head swimming at the onslaught of her physical and emotional connection with him. His woodsy, manly scent had taken over her lungs, knocking the wind out of her right alongside his eyes and his touch.
The bus had braked, conversation picking up again but none of it captured her attention when Aiden Matthews commanded it effortlessly. He's just as electric to her, the two of them always sparking in all of the most addicting and intense ways.
He slid out of his seat, grabbing their bags and holding out a hand for her to take. It was symbolic, in a way. It wasn't just a hand, it was a silent ask if he had managed to reassure her.
"I'm yours in every way I can be. I'm sorry if it doesn't feel like enough sometimes. All I can do is prove that my future has only ever belonged to one person. You."
His hand was there, warm, strong, and to her in that moment it felt as though it had never been anyone else's.
So Marley took it. There was no other option. She took hold of her rainbow, knowing beyond anything else that her world was grey without him anyway.
***
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Chapter 57... 👩💻🙊