Chapter 20
We make it home before the shop closes, so I'm the only one at home. I run upstairs to get my phone, and it's dead so I plug it up, and when it turns on it starts to buzz like crazy. I can't see any missed calls, but I have six texts from Aiden, and one text from Ross. I read Ross' first because I've already talked to Aiden.
Hey, call me once your home please. Preferably before you talk to Aiden.
That's weird. I wonder what it means. I don't hesitate once I read it.
"Hey." he answers the phone. "Hey. What's up?" I anxiously ask him. "Did you have a good time?"
"Yes, but I totally forgot to gut hit Conner, but I did throw food in his face!"
"What! Even better!" he laughs, then suddenly gets quiet again.
"Hey, I wanted to talk to you." then he goes silent like he's asking my permission to speak. "Okay." I say really slowly. "Friday night we were all partying at Zach's, and Aiden was there." he's talking slowly, and it's beginning to really bother me. "And?" I ask him.
"Well Sophie and I went with some of her friends from the junior class, and I saw one of the girls kiss Aiden." my stomach drops.
"Did he kiss her back?" I'm slow at responding. "Yes." I don't want to believe him. My stomach drops, and I can feel the wetness start to fall from my eyes. "Are you sure Ross?"
"Yes. I wasn't going to tell you, but it just really pissed me off. You deserve better Mora."
"Ross, Aiden and I are not in a relationship." It's true, even though it hurts to say it.
"Okay maybe not, but seriously, it's not cool. He's just leading you on Mora." I can tell Ross is getting mad just talking about him.
"Yeah, I understand. Well thank you for letting me know." It's all I can mutter right now. I don't feel like talking anymore.
"Are you okay Mor?" he's concerned.
"Yes. Let's hang out in the next couple days." I just want to change the subject.
"Okay. Hey, don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." he's trying to soften the blow.
"Sure thing."
After I get off the phone with him, I just lay there wondering what I should do. I could call him, but it's not my right really. He's not my boyfriend. I can't tell him who to hangout with or even who to kiss, but then again he was mad that I didn't answer his calls, and that I was hanging out with another guy. At least that's the feelings I got from him. So I decided to call him.
"Hello." he answers after one ring. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know I made it home." I don't know if I want to talk to him about it over the phone.
"Did you have a good time?"
"Yes. I actually had a really good time with my mom."
"Awesome! I'm glad you opened up to her some." he says, and it just seems so contradicting. I need to open up coming from a guy who's afraid to have a girlfriend, or maybe he just wants his cake and eat it too. Maybe he can't help but be a player. I thought I was different but maybe I'm not. I just need to know. "Hey, my dad won't be home for another three hours. Do you want to come by for a little bit?"
"Yeah, okay. Give me twenty, and I'll be there."
"Okay."
Before he gets here I take a quick shower and put on some joggers, with a large grey t-shirt with our high school logo on it. I go outside just in my ankle socks with my hair still wet. I'm too annoyed with Aiden right now to try and dress up cute.
I'm only sitting outside for about five minutes when he pulls into the driveway. He looks at me strangely. "Hey Mora." he comes to sit next to me on the steps. "Hey." He can read my face which is why I think he chose not to hug me.
"Is everything okay?" he asks and swallows hard. I'm sure he knows what's coming next. "Aiden, I'm about to be truly honest with you, and before you say anything let me finish okay." and he nods slowly "Okay."
"I like you. I like you a lot." He goes to talk, but I stop him. "I think I made it clear that I would like more with you, if I didn't I'm sorry but I do, and when I hear that you are at parties kissing other girls, you could see why I would get my feelings hurt. My feelings are not a joke Aiden. You can't just go kissing girls and expect me not to react. I understand now that I'm just like all the other girls, but there's one thing you have wrong... I'm not okay with being some side piece, and I think it's just best that this thing, whatever it is that we have ends. I'm just over it." I hold back my tears, because I don't want to give him any satisfaction. I'm not going to be one of those girls. I wait for some response, but he just sits there and I can see anger go over his face.
"So did Ross tell you that?" he asks, and he's totally missing the point and it's pissing me off.
"It doesn't matter who told me Aiden. Listen, there's no reason for you to be mad, after all I'm not your girlfriend. I can't tell you who to hangout with or who you can kiss, and you can't tell me. I'm just saying that I thought of you differently, and I just don't want to do this anymore. My feelings were more invested, and now that I know how you really feel, I'm just over it." My eyes start to tear, and he can see I'm upset.
"You're just over it? Really Mora?" he's still angry.
"Aiden, what did you expect. You just thought we could hangout and you confess your feelings for me, and we make out and then I'll just be okay with you making out with other girls? Are you serious?"
"Mora, I'm sorry but I did not kiss that girl, she kissed me." he claims, and his face starts to dim.
"That's not what Ross said." I admit to him, and he's annoyed. "Well Ross is a liar. She kissed me, and for a second yeah I let her but then I pushed her away. Mora, I was wrong the other day when you were at my house. I just didn't realize it until this weekend. I saw those pictures of you and that guy, and you weren't talking to me, and I lost my mind over it." he's rubbing the back of his neck again. Now I know he does that anytime he's upset or nervous. "When she kissed me, I was still pissed at you. Not really you, but I was pissed that you were four hours away with a guy that I didn't know. I was jealous okay. I wanted to prove something to myself I guess. I needed to tell myself that you were like any other girl, but you aren't. Right after I kissed that girl I felt like shit." Now I'm sitting there anxious and confused as he continues. "I like you Mora, alot. I'm sorry I was confused, and an idiot. I want you, and only you, and I want you to only want me." He pulls my hands into his, and his face is flushed. He looks almost afraid of my response.
"You didn't kiss her back? Just please don't lie to me Aiden." I just want the truth.
"I did, but not how Ross said it. It was for a second, then I realized it was wrong and I pushed her away. I promise that's the truth, and I wish Ross would mind his own business and focus on his own girlfriend instead of mine." He just called me his girlfriend, and I can't help but grin a little. It's like everything that happened was forgotten all in that moment.
"Girlfriend? Should I be afraid to ask again?" I know this time it's different but I choose to tease him anyway.
"No. Mora, I don't want anyone but you, and I want you to be the last person I talk to every day, and I don't know, I just want to know everything about you. I'm so comfortable around you. I was just being a dick. I thought you could be like any other girl, but you aren't, and never can be. I'm sorry for even putting you into that category." he's cooled down, and I scoot up on his lap, and he holds me in place.
"No more kissing girls that aren't me." I smile at him. "Are you kidding Mora, never." he kisses me, and I can feel his mouth turning up in a smile.
"You're my first boyfriend." I admit to him, and he raises his eyebrows. "I am?"
"Yes." and we start to kiss again.