My heart never stops pounding.
"Now what?" I ask Aiden. "You didn't even eat anything, dude."
"You didn't either. Besides, I have this." He shows me the burger in his hand, still packed.
"I did." I don't tell him that I'm still hungry, though.
"Well, we should get going. Its late."
Liar. I know for a fact that he eats a lot more than one burger. I don't press though. Call me selfish, but I want to leave this place as soon as possible. He can brew himself a midnight snack. Come to think of it, I should not be thinking about Aiden like this, he literally just saved me from a confrontation with a person I'd rather stay away from. I remind myself to thank him later.
----
We walk to our houses in silence. I don't know about Aiden, but I do not have the energy to talk about what just happened. So I focus on other things, like my mom. I wonder if she's at home or if she's working after hours, again.
And if she is... I'd be home alone.
Which is fine, of course. Yep.
Totally.
"So... I'll see you tomorrow?" Aiden asks. I just nod, afraid I might say something I'm not supposed to, and we turn to walk towards our own houses. My footsteps echo in the dark. Loud, yet muffled by the sounds of my still pounding heart. I've never felt like this before—pure, unfiltered fear. I push it into the depths of my mind, hoping it wouldn't surface again.
But before I can walk further, I turn around, one last time. Aiden hasn't moved at all. I frown, silently asking him why he's just standing.
"I'm waiting for you to get home. Who knows, you might faint halfway through." Aiden half shouts, smiling a little.
"My house is literally right here. But thanks." I roll my eyes, smiling despite myself.
"You're welcome." He does a mock bow and turns towards his house. But as he starts walking, I feel a sense of unease, like I'm all alone on this street. Its almost... frightening. And now I do not want to be alone in my house, especially at this hour, because I know I'm not going to be able to fall asleep so soon.
I can't believe I'm about to do this.
I sprint towards Aiden, calling out his name. He stops and looks back, startled.
I halt before I could crash into him, and he looks at me questioningly, raising his eyebrows.
"Ok. So..." I seriously cannot believe I'm about to say this. "Is it okay if I temporarily stay at your house?" Aiden raises his eyebrows, confused.
"Why?"
"I... don't wanna be home alone." I didn't want to admit it, but here we are. He stays silent for a few seconds, probably contemplating his response.
And then he smirks.
"Only if you make me something to eat."
I roll my eyes, smiling faintly.
"What makes you think I won't poison the food?" I tease.
"I'd make you eat it first." he replies, still smirking.
And just like that, the knot in my stomach loosens. Even if it doesn't disappear completely, its something. Our date was a blur, at least the second half of it. The arrival of Brandon at the Diner shook me more than it should have, and I am glad I have someone with me at this hour—even if its Aiden— especially if I was going to be alone for the rest of the night.
Aiden beckons me to follow him, and I do. We walk to his house, the cold air stinging my face. I try not to shiver, but the fact that I am wearing denim shorts is not helping.
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