Page 48 of Stuck with You
I was quiet as we drove back to Aiden’s house. My whole life had been halted when we went into lockdown, yet I felt like so much had happened in that short time. The last few days especially had been like riding on an emotional rollercoaster, and I was feeling more than ready to get off. I was sick of being scared for my parents and uncertain about the world. I just wanted this virus to be gone.
I hadn’t been all that excited about the prom, but after putting my dress on earlier, I felt a deep sense of loss that it wouldn’t be going ahead. I wanted a fun and frivolous night where my biggest problem would be whether I looked like an idiot on the dance floor. I wanted to look pretty and to have my parents smile when they saw me all dressed up. To have a night where I laughed and hugged my friends. It was stupid, but it felt like something had been stolen from me.
I let out a sigh as Aiden pulled into the driveway of his house. I doubted he could hear it over the music playing on the radio, but as he turned the ignition off, he faced me. “What’s wrong?”
Sometimes, he was unnervingly perceptive. I shrugged and glanced out the window at his house. “I’m just feeling a little down.”
He didn’t answer, and his silence made me feel like I should continue. “Is it selfish that I wish we could have had a prom?”
“Why would you think it’s selfish?”
“I don’t know.” I turned to him. “I guess because my parents are stranded and this virus is affecting people in terrible ways. I shouldn’t be sad I don’t get to wear a silly dress to a school dance.”
“Being sad about missing prom doesn’t mean you don’t care about your parents or people who are sick,” he replied. “The first thing you did when we were placed in lockdown was offer to help our neighbors with their groceries. You’ve done everything you can to obey social distancing rules and help stop spreading the virus. And I don’t think a minute has passed since you arrived here when you haven’t been worrying about your parents.”
“I still feel selfish.”
Aiden shook his head. “You’re one of the least selfish people I know,” he replied. “You’re allowed to be sad about missing things. It doesn’t take away from how much you care about everything else.”
I held his gaze for several seconds. There was a depth of emotion in the way Aiden was looking at me that was hard to ignore. He was staring at me like he truly believed what he was saying; like he cared about the way I felt and wanted to fix it. The guy staring at me now was the same one who had comforted me yesterday, and I was suddenly aware of just how close we were sitting together in the truck. The irritating tingles I felt whenever we were close had intensified and were rushing across my skin. I found the feel of them unnervingly pleasant though, and I quickly glanced away.
“I should really get my things inside,” I said, all too eager to get as far away from Aiden as possible. I jumped from the truck, and Aiden grabbed my duffel bag from the back seat.
“I can take that,” I said as he came around the truck with my bag in his hand.
He slung it over his shoulder though and smiled at me. “It’s fine. I’ve got it.”
“Right, okay.” I turned and hurried into the house.
I wasn’t sure why Aiden’s presence was making me feel so out of sorts. He still irritated the crap out of me. That certainly hadn’t changed. But it felt like the lines between us had blurred recently. I was starting to like the way he flirted with me, and his silly jokes made me smile. The more time I spent with him, the more I could see the kindness in his heart. Yes, he was still an arrogant player, but there was more to him than that, and I hated that he made me so confused.
Aiden followed me to my room and placed my bag inside the doorway.
“So, I’ve decided on the second part of my favor,” he said.
I folded my arms over my chest as he lifted his gaze to me. “You said bringing the dress here was your favor.”
“No, I said it was part of my favor.”
My stomach tensed with concern. There was a sense of eagerness in his eyes that had me worried. “That sounds like two favors.”
“No, it’s definitely one. Just like taking you to your house and bringing you home was one favor even though it had two parts.” His smile was cheeky, and I got the feeling there was no arguing my way out of this. He was clearly up to something, and normally, I would have felt suspicious about his intentions for me. Instead, I felt intrigued.
My eyes narrowed on him as I replied. “Okay, your reasoning might be totally flawed, but I’ll bite. What is the rest of this supposed two-part favor?”
His eyes lit with triumph. “I’m going to need you to put your prom dress back on.”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“Because I asked and it’s the second part of the favor.”
I’d only just taken the dress off. Why did I need to put it on again? “This is ridiculous,” I muttered.
“Just put it on and meet me downstairs in the living room once you’re ready.”
He disappeared out the door before I could question him further. He was making no sense, and his two-part favor seemed like a total waste. He was getting me to do something I’d already done earlier.
I blew out a breath and closed my bedroom door before I went to put the dress back on. If this was all he wanted for a favor, I might as well go through with it. If anything, it felt like I was getting off lightly.
