Changed Hearts

Chapter 3: “Don’t Catch Feelings, George

George’s POV

I swear my heart didn’t calm down until I got back to class, and even then, I wasn’t really in class.

My body was there, sure. But my mind was completely gone. Lost somewhere between “You were my favorite person” and “I miss you, stink stink.”

Ugh. Stink stink.

The boy really called me that.

I spent the entire English period doodling hearts and random nonsense in my notebook and Devon noticed. Of course he did.

After class, he linked arms with me as we walked to our lockers.

“You were gone for like ten minutes and came back looking like you just walked off a romcom set,” he said, grinning way too wide. “Spill. Immediately.”

“I- I don’t even know what happened,” I muttered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

“Don’t play dumb with me. Did he kiss you?”

“No! Oh my God, Devon!” I gasped, hitting his shoulder.

He cackled. “So what happened then?”

“He apologized. He said he missed me. And then... he called me stink stink,” I said, covering my face.

Devon blinked. “I have... so many questions.”

I laughed. “It was this dumb nickname from middle school. But it just... I don’t know. It made me feel something.”

“Awwwwww,” he said, dramatically placing his hand over his heart. “So you are catching feelings?.”

I stopped walking. “No. I am not catching feelings. I made a promise to myself. No distractions this semester.”

Devon raised an eyebrow. “You also promised to go to sleep at midnight and look how that turned out.”

“Touché.”

---

Lunch was over and I had calculus next. My least favorite subject. I dragged my feet into class and slumped into my seat.

Guess who came in late and got assigned the seat right next to mine?

Tyler.

He slid into the chair beside me with that a smirk.

I was so angry and irritated.

“Hey,” he whispered.

Did this guy seriously think I would talk to him after what he did to me this last semester.

"Wanna come over after school? Just to hang out… maybe catch up? I feel horrible about what I did and I really want to apologize" he said.

My stomach flipped.

A part of me wanted to say yes so I could ask why he cheated on me with my best friend. If I wasn't good enough. If it was my fault.

But instead...

“Don't talk to me" I said under my breath.

"But- "

He was about to say something but then I excused myself from the class and I ran straight to the bathroom.

Why am I like this? I said to my reflection as I wiped my tears.

I didn't even know why I was crying.

----

10 minutes had passed and I was still in the bathroom. I didn't want to go back to class and see Tyler. He made me feel sick to my stomach.

But I didn't really have a choice so I left the school toilet.

As I was heading back to class, eyes still a little puffy, I almost bumped into someone.

“Whoa- George?” Aiden’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

I blinked up at him. His brows were furrowed in concern.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but nothing came out. Instead, I just stood there, frozen in the middle of the hallway like an i***t.

Aiden stepped closer. “Come with me.”

“Huh?”

He gave a small smile. “Trust me. Just… come.”

I followed him, mostly because I didn’t want to go back to calculus, but also because something in his voice made me feel like I could be safe with him. He led me past the east wing, through a hallway I swear I had never seen before, and then down a narrow staircase that looked half-abandoned.

At the bottom, he opened a dusty door that creaked as it swung wide.

“This,” he said, stepping aside to let me in, “is my hideaway.”

I blinked. It was... beautiful.

The room looked like it used to be an old art storage space or something. The windows were stained glass, cracked in places, but the sunlight still filtered through in soft colors that danced across the floor. There were paint-stained stools and a few forgotten canvases propped up against the wall. It smelled like old wood and dust and something... warm.

“Wow,” I breathed. “How did you even find this?”

"Miles showed me this place, well anyways we are safe here so no worries" he said scratching his head.

I sat down on one of the stools, suddenly aware of how quiet it was in here. Like the world outside didn’t exist.

Aiden leaned against the wall across from me. “You don’t have to tell me what happened. But if you want to... I’m here.”

I hesitated. Then tears.

"Oh please stink stink don't cry" he said as he rushed to hug me and wipe my tears.

" Don't cry okay?, I am here" he said.

"I don't even know why I'm crying, I'm such a cry baby" I said sniffing.

"Did something happen" he asked.

He looked so worried, my heart melted.

“It’s Tyler,” I said quietly. “He used to be my boyfriend. Last semester. And he cheated on me with my best friend.”

Aiden’s jaw tightened. “Boyfriend?"

“Yeah,” I said, laughing bitterly. “He tried to talk to me today like we were old friends. Like he didn’t hurt my feelings.”

Silence.

Then Aiden crossed the room and sat beside me.

“You didn’t deserve that,” he said. “None of it.”

I stared at the floor. “sometimes I wonder if I wasn't good enough, I don't know. To be honest I have been okay since, but seeing him just brought unpleasant emotions."

Aiden’s gaze was heavy with something I couldn’t quite place, anger, maybe, or protectiveness. Or both.

He reached out and gently took my hand. “You were more than good enough. He was just too blind or too stupid to see it.”

I looked down at our hands. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, slow and careful, like he was scared I might pull away.

“I hate that he made you feel like this,” Aiden said. His voice was soft, but his eyes burned. “And your best friend? That’s... brutal.”

“Ex best friend,” I corrected with a humorless chuckle.

“Good. Sounds like she doesn’t deserve you either.”

We sat in silence for a while. Not awkward silence just the kind where it felt okay to breathe again.

“I don’t really know how to start over,” I admitted. “I told myself this semester was going to be different. No distractions. No boys. Just... peace.”

Aiden’s gaze was steady, but there was a flicker of something mischievous in his eyes now. “You know, I still can’t believe someone would cheat on you.”

I rolled my eyes, wiping the last of my tears away. “Yeah, well. People do stupid things.”

He leaned closer. “Yeah, like not realizing the prettiest girl in school was sitting two rows behind them in middle school.”

I snorted. “Prettiest girl? Stop joking around”

Aiden grinned. “i'm not joking around”.

""I'm not that pretty," I muttered, my gaze stuck to the floor, not daring to look him in the eye.

Aiden laughed, his voice rich with amusement. "You seriously don't know? You're very pretty. And not just that, you're hot too."

I looked up, eyebrows raised. "Hot?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning in just a little closer. "Pretty, sexy, and yeah, kinda impossible to ignore."

I blinked, not sure how to process his words. “Okay, now you’re just messing with me.”

“No, I’m not messing with you, George,” he said as he locked his eyes with mine.

And then I pulled him for a kiss.

It wasn’t planned. I didn’t think. I just leaned in, closed the tiny gap between us, and pressed my lips to his.

And he didn’t hesitate, not even for a second.

The moment our lips met, he responded like he had been waiting for this. His hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek so gently it almost made me shiver. His lips were warm, soft, but confident, and he kissed me like he had something to prove.

Like I mattered.

Like I wasn’t broken or forgotten or second-best.

His other hand slipped around my waist, pulling me closer, and I melted into him, my arms looping around his neck as I lost myself in it. In him. Everything else faded. My anxiety, the pit in my stomach, Tyler’s stupid smirk, the betrayal, they all just disappeared.

When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless, heart pounding like I had just run a mile.

Aiden stared at me, stunned for half a second, then gave this crooked, absolutely dangerous smile. “Well… damn.”

I laughed, covering my face for a moment. “I don’t know why I did that.”

“I do,” he said, tugging my hands away so he could see me. “Because you wanted to. And because I wanted you to.”

He let his fingers trace down my arm until he caught my hand again. “You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that.”

“You mean kiss me in a dusty secret art closet?” I teased, still trying to catch my breath.

“Hey, don’t disrespect the vibe in here,” he said, laughing. Then his tone dropped into something more serious, soft, sincere. “I meant kiss you, George”

He squeezed my hand. “I’ve liked you for years. You don’t need to change anything about yourself. Not how you look, not how you feel, not the fact that you cry when you’re overwhelmed or joke when you’re nervous. You’ve got the prettiest face I’ve ever seen, and don’t fight me on that, and your body? God.” He shook his head. “Let’s just say Tyler’s the biggest i***t in school. Hands down.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You’re laying it on thick.”

“Yeah, because I mean every word,” he said. “And because you clearly need someone to remind you who you are.”

“Who am I, then?” I asked softly.

Aiden’s eyes roamed my face, like he was memorizing every detail. “You’re George. The girl who makes everyone laugh. The girl who doodles in English class and eats sour candy during lunch and gets overwhelmed but still shows up. The girl who just kissed me like the world was ending.”

I bit my lip, heart fluttering.

“And the girl,” he added, “who has me, now. If she wants.”

My breath caught.

“I want,” I whispered.

He smiled, that same warm, grounding smile. “Then I’m yours.”

And somehow, just like that… I wasn’t hurting anymore