Chapter 35: Unlikely Allies
Aiden’s POV
She snapped out of whatever imagination she had conjured and looked at me, confused.
“Sorry about that; I zoned out.”
“Is everything okay?” I didn’t mean to pry, but I had always seen her as the rude yet strong and confident seductress she could be sometimes. I couldn’t think of one moment where I had seen Alessa sad except for when she did get something she wanted or was about to get scolded, and it was always just a little pout.
Just now, something about the way she zoned out and said she wanted to die gave me the impression that there were things to her that I had never considered.
Could she actually not be as shallow as I thought she was?
“Everything is fine.” She flashed her regular bright smile, but this time it didn’t quite fool me, but I was going to let the discussion end there.
“Also, thanks for caring about Hayley; offering to die for someone is pretty heroic-a bit stupid, but heroic.”
She laughed, and I did too.
“You’d do the same for her, wouldn’t you?.”
“In heartbreak.” I said it without thinking.
“What if it was for me?” Her laughing tone subsided, and she sounded serious.
The atmosphere suddenly became stiff. I looked at her, and I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer her back.
I didn’t want to give false hope, and I also didn’t want to hurt her feelings anymore than I had already done.
“If I could save you, I would; that’s what friends do.”
She fakes a weak smile and goes back to what she was reading.
I went back to watching Hayley sleep; that had definitely gone sideways quickly.
“Alessa if…” I don’t know what came over me that made me keep talking, but I was thankful she cut me off before I said something really stupid.
“Don’t; please, just don’t. I’m trying to just breathe through all this without breaking down.” Her eyes lifted up, and they were partially teary; she was about to cry.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She got up and left.
I held Hayley’s hand and rested my head on the bed beside it. For now, all I wanted to think about was her.
“Aiden!”
A semi-anxious voice screamed my name, and I jerked up, rubbing my eyes. That was a very horrible way to wake someone up, screaming their name like there’s a building on fire.
“What is it?” I answered, irritated.
When I looked up, I was met with Rachel’s upset face, and Dad was standing beside her. The sun’s rays seeped beautifully through the curtains; it was already morning.
Her eyes went to my fingers, which were entangled with Hayley’s. I could help but scoff. That was why she was about to flare up, really?.
“Honey, calm down; he’s just holding her hand for support.” Dad tried to placate her anger, and frankly, I didn’t bother saying anything because I didn’t care.
“Support? She’s asleep, not in a coma. Aiden, give your sister some space.”
Hayley woke up from all the noise and looked at all our faces, and I guess she fit the pieces together and realized what all the ruckus was about.
“Mum, please, we’re in a hospital, and you’re making a scene.”
“I’m making a scene? You should have thought about that before.”
“Rachel!” Dad seemed to be getting angry as well.This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
“What?”
“She’s right, we’re not the only ones in this hospital, so stop making such a scene. You can always do this at home.” He said that, and that seemed to do the trick.
Mom zipped her lips, and we finally had some peace and quiet.
“We’re leaving; you two should get ready.”
“What about Alessa? Have you seen her today?” I asked when I didn’t notice any sign of Alessa.
“No, the nurses said she left a little upset last night.”
“Oh okay.” I felt a pang of guilt hit me.
“Meet us at the front desk.” He added before taking mom out the door with him. They did leave the door open; I guess that was their way of making sure nothing would happen between us.
“Sorry about that.” Hayley apologized
“About what?”
“My mom, she’s being difficult.”
“It’s not your fault she raged in here like the Hulk.”
That made Hayley laugh. I got to see that beautiful smile after so long; it made me miss her, specifically having my lips merged with hers.
“What happened to Alessa?”
“Nothing, just her being her, I guess. She’s probably fine.” I lied and went to pack up the bags. I didn’t want to have to explain anything to Hayley, and I didn’t want her to misinterpret anything.
We got home, and we both ran into our rooms before mom could give us a sermon again.
Thankfully, she just let us be and went about her own business.
I waited till I heard her and my dad talking in the kitchen, then I snuck into Hayley’s room.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” She said laughing.
“Shush.” I put a finger to her lips and closed the door.
“You’re dead if she catches you; you know that, right?”
“Well, I just have to make sure she doesn’t.” I teased her, then went over to her and kissed her.
“How are you feeling?” I sat next to her.
“A bit better.”
I kissed her again, and she giggled playfully.
“A bit better, almost there.”
I laughed at her sly attempt at asking me to keep kissing her and laid her down on the bed.
I paused, not wanting to overstep, and looked into her eyes.
“I was really scared when you didn’t make it back to Kieran’s on time.” And truthfully, I was scared out of my mind. If not for my dad, I would have gone back to go get you.
“Aww, someone was worried about me.” She reached for me and kissed me again.
I used my elbows to keep my weight off her even though I was on top of her, and it was taking a lot of willpower not to have a full-on make-out session.
“Are you just going to keep staring at me or what?” She said it in a sensual whisper.
“You’ve gotten… hotter. How did that happen?”
I felt bad for how badly I wanted to rip the clothes off her, but I tried to hide the thirst in me.
She pouted and tilted her head to the side in a way that made her look so innocent and hot at the same time.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I was thinking of something else to say when I felt her hand on my belt buckle and then glided down till she had my member in her grip.
The act was over. I was hard as heck, and I was pretty sure she could tell. A sly smile formed on her face, and I felt even more blood rush downward.
She rubbed her hand against my jeans slowly, moving up and then down, all the while maintaining eye contact with me.
“I guess all those books really paid off.” I teased and cupped her right breast with one hand.
She was trying to tease me, and lucky for her, two can play at that game. I gave it a light squeeze, and she gasped.
I smiled at the reaction.
“Strip.”