Bonus Chapter 23.2: Justin the Saviour

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So without further ado, the chapter-

He shook his head with a smile before turning to Danny.

"You can spin it, dude." He tapped Danny on the back to which Danny squealed, pulling Aaron into a bone-crushing hug.

Justin sighed in a tired manner, his grey heated eyes set on Danny.

"Keep wasting precious time and I'll take it off you again." He threatened, bluntly. Danny let out a horrified squeal before snatching up the bottle and spinning it at the speed of light.

As if God was pulling the strings of the game, the bottle front landed, facing towards Aaron.

"Truth"

Danny smiled, clapping his hands like a circus seal.

"My turn to ask! My turn to ask!" He shouted, his eyes alit. And, yet again, the silence acted as a prompt and Danny spoke.

I should have known I would have regretted this

"Pick, Aaron. Avalon or Alexis?

Aaron's POV during truth and dare- Part 2

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Danny laughed, clapping his hands like a circus seal loudly beside him but it didn't deter his gaze.

"My turn to ask! My turn to ask!" He shouted, his eyes alit. And, yet again, the silence acted as a prompt. Surprisingly, not even Justin opposed and it was then that Danny spoke.

If Aaron had known before what Danny's question would be, he would have knocked his lights out long back.

"Pick, Aaron. Avalon or Alexis?

As soon as Danny's words had been said and processed, Aaron felt his whole body tense. He didn't even know why such a question made him have a reaction like that, but it did and he could only sit and look at Danny, floundering.

Danny, of course, paid no heed nor brain cell on this, merely smiling back excitedly. Aaron would have said something to him then, but then a sound arose and he looked instinctively to the source of it, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

In concern at Lexi coughing violently.

Just the sight of her frail body moving and tears in his eyes was enough to ignite the protective side within him. She had just had her treatment a while prior and was still on the road to recovery. The others didn't know this, but he did and it worried him. She was weak right now; vulnerable to illness and it worried him. He wished so duly that he could take the pain; the discomfort off her. He would if he could, but he was as helpless as she was. All he could do was watch as she coughed, feeling his heart jilt at the sight and then he leaned forward without though, placing a palm against her back to ease the coughing. Or, in the very least to let her know that he was there.

He soon realised he wasn't the only one thinking to do that.

He stiffened just as he saw the other hand touch her back, his eyes glancing up and it was then that he caught Justin's grey gaze. It was enough to make him retract and he pulled his hand back to his form, looking towards Justin with an indecipherable gaze.

It was indecipherable to even him for he didn't know what to feel at this point. On one hand, he felt relief that Lexi had someone other than him to care for her in this fragile state. She had someone to look out for her; it's all he could ever want. In the first couple of months of them being together, Aaron had been worried that Lexi and Justin would not be able to get along and he wished for them too. After all, they were two of his favorite people. He had wished for it, but now he was unsure as to whether he was happy that the wish had been fulfilled.

There was another part of him- a dark, foggy part that he couldn't even control and it was this side that caused the conflict in his mind. It was this part of him that held a certain displeasure for Lexi getting close to anyone else, especially Justin and he didn't know why. Perhaps, it was because Aaron never had anything good in his life; anyone to covet and, so, with Lexi, he wished to treasure her in ways that others could not. He wished to be someone that she could also covet. Perhaps also, it was the fact that it was Justin whom she was beginning to covet.

Aaron had known Justin for more than a decade now; he had watched him grow and blossom into the man he was today. Justin had always been so reasonable, but he had grown in ways that allowed him to become mature and compassionate, despite his cold front. He was a caring individual that stayed calm under pressure and entered problems with a logic that anyone would envy.

And, that's exactly what Aaron felt- envy.

He felt envy for how Justin was in comparison to him. He, who was always temperamental and impulsive, Justin served as his opposite and he envied that. Whilst he was getting into fights, Justin was the one cleaning up the mess to ensure he wouldn't get in trouble. When he was partying off his head, Justin ensured that his house would get clean afterwards so that his mother wouldn't throw a fit. Whilst Aaron made the most screwed up decisions with Lexi, it was Justin who came in to protect her. He was, in all ways, the order to Aaron's chaos; the stability to his wildness and it irked him. It irked him that Justin was like this- a perfect man with no faults and that this man was the one who was now right beside Lexi, helping her. It made him mad for he knew that, when compared to Justin, Aaron would never be the right choice. It was only Justin that would come out on top. The dark part within him felt a possessiveness like no other. He didn't want anyone taking her even if it meant they were the better choice. It was selfish but he could admit it.

Of course, none of this meant he hated Justin. In fact, he admired him like he admired no other. If anything, Justin had become the only good male role model in Aaron's life and, so, he would follow Justin's words as he would follow a parent's words. That was how much he respected him. And, he could understand why anyone would choose Justin. He was his best friend for a reason, but with Lexi it bothered him. It bothered him a lot. He would have sunk deeper into his forlorn thoughts had it not been for the sudden chirp of a voice beside him.

"Come on, Aaron. What's your answer?" Avalon spoke and he looked up to smiling eager eyes, suddenly remembering the situation at hand.

"Pick, Aaron. Avalon or Alexis?"

The words hit him like a truck once again and he wondered why. If anyone had asked him to pick between Justin and Danny, he would have laughed and said no. It was impossible when both of them held a place in his heart. They were both his close friends of course. He had known Danny his whole life, a whole decade longer than he had known Justin, but that didn't determine how much love he felt for each of them. It wasn't about quantity, it was about quality and he had the best with both of them.

Shouldn't this have been the same for Avalon and Lexi?

He looked first to Avalon and her smiling, green eyes. There was a time when he would look into those eyes for hours, listening to her talk as the day waged on. Every detail of her day, every word she spoke, he retained with a focus like no other. He had known her for as many years as he did Justin and there was many a memory they had together.

He then turned his gaze to Lexi who wasn't even looking at him; her eyes looking around the room and he wished she'd turn her doe eyes to him. He had known her for less than a year and, in that time, they had also shared their fair memories together. It was in her that he confided about his dad and it was her that had seen him in depths of his despair after his mother had passed.

Surely then, as with Danny and Justin, he should say no and pick no one. Surely, that would be his first inclination.

Then, why did only Lexi's name come to mind?

Why was it that, as soon as Danny had asked that question, her name nearly tumbled out of his mouth? He felt bad for it for they were now both in his life and, so, he should treasure them both, but he didn't.

He could only watch tersely as they looked to him with inquisitive eyes and he shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say that wouldn't show his embarrassing thoughts.

"Well, I-." He began but before he could finish, a voice interrupted him.

"This game is boring." Justin said bluntly and Aaron felt a relief in that moment as Justin walked to him, ushered him up and then they were leaving the room.

He could hear Danny whine as they left up the stairs, but no sound from the person he wanted to hear it from and then, finally, they were in his room.

"Grab your controller, let's play." Justin's blunt voice made him snap his gaze to where Justin was setting up the game and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched him.

"Why did you do that?" Aaron asked and Justin looked up at this, his dull gaze slicing through him. He knew that Justin knew what he was talking about and he also knew Justin was never one to beat around the bush, so he just watched as Justin sighed tiredly before looking back to the console.

"You wanted to pick Alexis, but didn't know how to do it, so now you don't have to." Was all Justin said and it still surprised Aaron how much Justin knew him despite the years they had together.

Justin's words put it into perspective and Aaron frowned at this, looking to the door curiously.

"How did you know I would pick Lexi?" He asked, wondering if he had been so obvious with his preference. Justin only scoffed, moving to grab his controller.

"Is that even a question?" He asked dryly and it was at these words that Aaron felt the sudden realisation. It was so sudden that it scared him so much so that he could only stand in stunned silence.

The realisation that no matter the day; no matter the circumstances, he would always pick Lexi over anyone in a heartbeat.

It would always be her.

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Hope you liked it guys! Let me know what you think!

Remember, I am uploading weekly now so please like and comment so I know whether you enjoy it or not.

Also, my other book has also been uploaded (it is also weekly) and is a fantasy romance. Check it out!

Let me know what bonus chapters you'd like to see in the comments.

Coming up for next week's chapter-

It was Avalon.

She smiled at me with a perfect row of teeth before jutting a hand out at me.

"You must be Alexis. I've heard so much about you!" She exclaimed before sticking her hand in mine. Reluctantly, I shook her hand and I couldn't help but curse at how friendly she was.

Why couldn't she be a bitch?

Clearing my throat, I forced myself to utter the question that was currently plaguing my mind.

"Oh, thank you. What are you doing here?" I asked, but the smile remained on my face. I didn't want her to know I was upset.

She smiled at my question and opened her mouth to respond, but a voice interrupted her. A voice that I had become too familiar to.

"I asked her to come."

Aaron- he walked towards the door I watched as she patted his arm, making him smile at her.

Aaron's POV on why he had invited Avalon over