So much love last chapter! thank you all for your votes and comments💕. Cabin Fever is at #146 in 'sequel', #898 in 'fiction', #89 in 'teenagers' and...well...
#88 in 'player' lmao. That one is all Leo.
Enjoy Chapter 61❤️
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A half-playful smile was on his lips as he pecked hers, "I love it. Thank you, baby."
Marley huffed in satisfaction, turning back to her desk to work on another one. In front of them, Leo turned around with a flat look.
"She's given you seven of them. Are you going to do that 'thank you' shit every time because Jesus Christ-"
"Shut up, Leo!" Gabby was the one to interrupt before Aiden could. She was sitting beside him, trying to go through his failed test with him at supposedly Mrs. Weiss' pleading.
Their teacher offered Gabby extra credit for helping Leo stay afloat in this class which honestly, gives Leo zero right to judge anyone else at the moment.
It was lunch time, which would normally mean they would be in the mess hall but Gabby asked Marley - or more like begged her - to stay behind too, so she wouldn't be alone with him. Mrs. Weiss left for lunch but offered to get the four of them coffee and bagels as a thank you for helping Leo.
Because doing so really does deserve multiple awards for patience, generosity, and perseverance.
Aiden stayed behind too, but he and Marley were obviously bored. While he played with strands of her pink hair he was clearly still getting used to, Marley had a large stack of letter size paper and scissors in her right hand to make paper snowflakes. In the span of twenty minutes she had made seven of them, more intricate every time.
After she was finished, she would hand them to Aiden, writing his name with a heart on the back.
"I'm grateful for everything Marley gives me," Aiden shot back with a smile, his eyes not leaving Marley as she pressed her tongue to her Cupid's bow, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in focus on a difficult cut in the paper.
"Lovesick-ow!" Leo hissed when Aiden kicked the back of his knee from under their desks.
"Leo. Focus." Gabby droned tiredly, waving a hand at the textbook and pages of writing between them.
He finally turned in his chair, back hunched over and a soft, annoyed groan leaving his lips that Gabby shot a disapproving look towards. She began to speak again, pointing her pencil at various diagrams she made to help him understand the lessons better.
Marley has no idea how her best friend has the energy to deal with Leo Kahn, not many people can say they have the super-patience to do that.
"This is your official heads up," Aiden began with four words that really do terrify Marley, "that one of your Christmas gifts is going to be arriving right after school."
Marley's scissors clattered to her desk loudly. She turned her torso to give Aiden all of her attention, crossing her arms over her chest with narrowed eyes, "Arriving?"
He was grinning excitedly, staring down at the screen of the phone he quickly switched off and hid at her scrutiny, "Trust me, you're gonna love them."
"Them?" Marley buried her head in her hands, sighing loudly to expel some of her frustration. A reminder of how he's already spoiled her was cool silver against her left cheek. "You know us girls are going shopping after school!"
"Already took care of that." Aiden was still smiling when she dropped her hands, "I asked them for an hour they're more than willing to give, because they're excited too."
Marley's head shot to the back of her best friends'. She kicked Gabby's shoe, who in turn spun her torso around, an equally as wide smile on her face.
"Whatever this is," Marley began, throwing her hands up, "you know about it?! What about best friend code?!"
Aiden laughed, pressing a kiss to her temple, "It's a surprise, spitfire. Why would she ruin that?"
Gabby pointed at Aiden to second the opinion, "Just go with it Marley. If that's possible for you."
The both of them snickered, so Marley tossed her pencil at Gabby and elbowed Aiden in the abdomen.
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By the time two pm rolled around, Marley was downright petrified.
The entire group was present, loitering around the clearing in front of the mess hall with excited chatter and giggles - especially from the girls. Aiden's smile hadn't disappeared for hours, and it was clear by now that Marley was the only one out of the loop.
She shoved herself out of his hold, again, turning to glare at him with her arms crossed over her chest protectively, "Please tell me what's going on! I'm genuinely scared now, Aiden."
He rolled his eyes, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back into his body. This time, he slipped her gloves off her hands, shoving them into his pockets. She narrowed her eyes with a pout. "I'll keep them warm until I won't have to anymore." Was his vague as hell response.
He curled her hands up in his own, pressing his parted lips against her knuckles, warm breath brushing across the skin, "Trust," he soothed gently, "because I'm a little offended right now."
His eyes flickered up to lock on hers, molten blue lit up in amusement. Marley melted under his gaze, snuggling into his warmth.
It was times like this, small, shy moments where her abandonment issues creep in. Where she feels as though this pure, amazing, feel-good thing was going to disappear out from under her. Poof. Gone. Before she can chase it. Before she can attempt at convincing it to stay.
She wiggled her hands out of his to curl them tightly around his jacket. Marley pressed herself as closely as possible, burying her nose into his shoulder, willing the bad feelings away with all her might. Aiden wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.
But even with his embrace. His words. His ring on her finger. Sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes nothing will ever be enough. Not when she knows how easy it is for the things she loves to slip away. To leave her alone.
The rumbling of an engine captured her attention, momentarily distracting her from her dark thoughts. Marley lifted her head and stared down the driveway, watching a large red truck, towing a white trailer slowly wheel into the clearing. Their curious peers had filtered into the clearing, but all moved multiple steps backwards to accomodate the truck's turn and reverse.
Once the exit door of the trailer was facing Marley and Aiden, the engine stopped and the middle-aged, male driver lumbred out with a tired, but enthused smile. It was once the truck was turned off that Marley could hear distant thumping.
Aiden slid a hand around Marley's waist, holding her to his side as the man approached. Her wide hazel eyes darted between the two of them as their distance closed.
"Aiden?"
"That's me." her boyfriend smiled, the two of them reaching out to shake hands, "Thanks for coming."
The man shot him a friendly smile, redirecting his gaze to Marley.
"You're Marley?"
She nodded mutely, still too thrown off to form words.
"I'm Paul, and," he paused, turning his focus back to Aiden, "this is a suprise, right?"
Aiden's head was turned to watch the side of Marley's confused expression, "She has no idea what's going on." he chuckled.
Paul laughed, "Well, you're in for a treat. Your boyfriend here requested something very special from the North Pole, and luckily, they were able to deliver a few friends."
Marley was less and less certain of everything and everyone the more Paul spoke, especially when he pulled out a small leather strap with four golden bells attached to it, holding it out for her to take. Jingle Bells?
Marley blinked repeatedly, "Um...what's..." She trailed off, taking the bells nonetheless.
Paul and Aiden shared another amused look. Paul bent with his hands on his knees to address her. When he moved, the wind shifted, and he smelled oddly enough like he'd just stepped off of a farm.
"Close your eyes. Keep 'em closed. When I say go, I want you to ring the bells. Remember not to be afraid. They're very friendly."
They're?
"Aiden," Marley panicked, watching Paul turn his back and walk towards the trailer, "what is this? What is in that trailer?"
He clicked his tongue, pressing his front against her back to cover her eyes with his gloved hands. He bent to lower his lips to her ear. She could feel his smirk, "For someone on genius level you're awfully clueless today."
She huffed, about to rebuttal when the clinking of metal and the whine of rusted hinges captured her full attention. Marley froze in place, hearing muted thumping and...huffing? Heavy breathing and the sound of Paul murmuring under his breath confused her on so many levels.
A few seconds later, gasps of shock and raised, excited voices could be heard in every direction. Sarah 'awe'd' loudly in the background. At this point, Marley was more curious than worried. She wiggled in Aiden's hold in anticipation.
"Go!"
Marley hesitantly shook the bells in her hand, hearing the thumping become more and more prominent by the second. The breathing was heavier. She shrieked when she felt a slew of warm air and wet slobber across her hands and the bells she was holding.
Aiden lifted his hands from her eyes.
Marley blinked the bright afternoon into focus. Once. Twice. Staring back at the two sets of black, beady eyes in front of her belonging to slender, furry bodies with large antlers, bushy tails, and red harnesses.
Reindeer.
Aiden suprised her with freaking reindeer.
"Blitzen is the female on the right, and Comet is the male on the left. They're a happily married couple." Paul introduced.
Marley was in a state of shock, frozen solid, deadlocked on the two animals nuzzling their noses on her hands, eyes soulful and happy.
"Marley," Aiden coaxed gently, his hand covering her own to take the bells away, "you're okay. They're friendly."
"They're reindeer," Marley blurted stupidly, earing the cutest head tilts as if to say, no shit, idiot.
Paul laughed, "And reindeer love carrots." At his words, their attention was redirected to him, like they knew where his hand was going when he dove into his pocket.
He pulled out two long orange carrots, holding them up away from the eager animals and towards Marley and Aiden.
She managed to find her limb function again, grabbing the carrot Blitzen nosed her for eagerly. Beside her, Aiden held out his carrot to Comet, who was chomping happily.
Blitzen managed to grab onto the carrot she was holding, but that was all happening outside of her focus. Aiden knelt to pet Comet, the both of them comically turning their heads to look at Marley and Blitzen respectively.
"We've got cute girls, huh?" Aiden smiled teasingly, locking eyes with her. Comet huffed at him. Aiden nodded in false agreement, "Yeah, we definitely did score."
Marley dove for Aiden, crashing into his hold and catching him off guard. He landed on his back, oomphing while Marley hovered over him, her pink hair brushing over him. She cupped his cheeks, staring into his eyes and attempting to convey everything she was feeling that there were no words for.
Love. Appreciation. Aiden was giving her the best Christmas a girl could ask for in ways she never would've imagined possible, when she had spent the majority of her life resenting the holidays.
He's changing it for her. Just like he changed the rest of her life.
Aiden smiled tenderly, reading the emotions in her eyes as if she were a book, because he has become fluent in her language. He knows. He understands. Deep down, everything. And he loves her anyway.
He slid his hands up and down the sides of her waist, "I know, spitfire. I know."
And then the reindeer were shoving their noses in her face.
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"It's official, I'm jealous."
"Sarah, you've always been jealous," Bree laughed, "it's not anything new."
She turned her torso from the passenger seat, "He rented her reindeer. I mean, come on. Reindeer."
Marley blushed from the backseat, but at the moment was too busy scrolling through the photos of she, Aiden, their friends and the reindeer that were on her cellphone to come up with a rebuttal.
"I wonder if it runs in the family..." Sarah trailed off thoughtfully.
That caught Marley's attention. She set her phone down with a sigh, "Sarah, I've told you this before. Eli isn't-"
"A good person right now. He's got to work on himself. Yada yada." She waved a hand dismissively, "I'm no angel, either."
Marley pressed her lips together against the truth about Eli. She didn't want to drag him through the mud for no reason, but Sarah still hasn't gotten over his mere existence in the world. The redhead seems determined to get to know Eli Matthews better and as much as he deserves someone one day, today is definitely not that day.
He has a lot of growing up to do.
"You've dealt with enough immaturity. Leo. Why can't you just be single and happy?" Tristan demanded, shooting Sarah a dry look.
"I can be single and happy. I don't want to be single and happy."
A collective round of aggravated sighs erupted from the car.
Sarah, Tristan, Kelly, Bree, Gabby and Marley were currently on route to the mall for Christmas gifts.
Marley finally conjured up some semblance of a gift idea for Aiden, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up if the store couldn't do what she envisioned. Ian was covered, Marley was going to order something from the same store that he would love. She already has two ideas for Gabby.
Not that Ian and Gabby were the challenge. It was all Aiden. Marley stretched out her left hand, twisting it and watching the diamond on her finger reflect against the light. If only it was just the ring, or just the reindeer, or just the figure skates.
But he's Aiden Matthews, and he is notorious for not playing by the rules. The rules that one gift would've been fine, would've been nice. Not three before Christmas, and probably more then Marley will want to know about on Christmas.
"Oh, and I found the perfect gift for the guys." Tristan's announcement had everyone's heads popping up from where they were busy on their phones.
When she paused for dramatic effect, Bree kicked her shin and she yelped, "Jesus! It's a gun range! Ow woman!"
"You know I hate dramatic pauses more than when Jason hogs the covers and trust me, I do more than just kick him for that."
Gabby snorted from next to Marley, "You want to give Leo Kahn access to a weapon which can cause bodily harm to himself and/or others?"
Marley giggled at that. Tristan shot Gabby a bored look, "It's a good idea, and it's only sixty five dollars split between us, which is a deal for five guys. They get two hours to shoot the guns at the targets in an arena and they'll have an instructor. If anyone else has a better idea..."
Marley already knew her vote would go to the gun range. It's a great idea, and the guys will have fun with it, "Aiden can keep him in line," Marley paused, adding, "probably," as an afterthought.
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There are many things Marley can deem dangerous: alongside automatic weapons in Trumps' America and Aiden's fangirls, holiday shoppers are lethal. The mall was crowded with hundreds of bustling bodies, oddly enough the Mom's in strollers proving to pack more of a crowd-wading punch than their overweight towers for husbands.
The hallways outside of the stores themselves were more crowded than anything — there was a whole section of the mall almost impossible to move through because of a Bath & Body Works candle sale. But, despite the crowds, Sarah's often random bursts into song, and Kelly's continuous rants about whether or not to buy Ryan a gift (spoiler alert — she decided to treat both her boyfriend and herself with a trip to Victoria's Secret), the girls actually managed to cover serious ground.
When Gabby left the group to go to the bathroom, Marley made a quick trip to buy her best friend a gift she'd love. She purchased Noah a detached gift of various candy. What made Marley's day was when all five girls were let in on Aiden's Christmas gift as she ordered it from the store — they were beyond certain that he would love it. It was sentimental, thoughtful, and exactly up his alley.
The girls lugged their heavy bags to the Uber after a dinner at the cafeteria with tired legs. Even Sarah was too tired to take over the aux chord and sing-along to a loud, car-shaking song. Instead, she chose slow music with the volume low. As Saturday Nights by Khalid played over the speakers, Marley laid her head on Gabby's shoulder and watch the traffic buzz by against the dark night.
It was quiet. Peaceful. But as she has learned time and time again, that tends to be broken in the life of Marley Hoover.
When her phone vibrated in her back pocket, Marley assumed it was Aiden checking in. Instead, the name Detective Bryan flashed across the screen. Before she could have a full blown panic attack, she reassured herself calmly that it could be a perfectly casual call. To ask her how she's doing. Tell her about his son Christopher, update her on her house.
Instead, it was much, much worse.
"Hey, Bryan."
"Marley." he rushed out, his tone shaky enough to have her back going ramrod straight. From beside her, Gabby turned her torso to give Marley all of her attention. "Are you sitting down?"
Marley's heart was racing fast enough to be fatal, she was sure of it, "It...yes, Bryan! Tell me what's going on! Is it my father?!"
Her shout was loud enough to have the girls silencing in front of her, but she couldn't see anything beyond the blurriness in her vision. The world was tilting around her, her throat squeezing to prevent any entrance of air.
Bryan inhaled sharply into the phone.
"Yes...he's, he's just been taken into the ER for emergency surgery. He was beaten within an inch of his life."
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Next chapter...coming Saturday 12:00am EST. See u there🥰❤️