Chapter Four
1231 Words
Aiden POV
I came down quietly and sat across from my mom. She looked exactly like she had always looked for as long as I'd known her. Fair-skinned, slim, tall with long hair. She looked younger than her age, obviously. At least her appearance hadn't changed. Though a lot had changed alongside it ..
her dressing was different now. She paid more attention to fashion. Maybe she was looking good for her husband, or maybe she was just playing the role of a rich man's wife.
"Good morning, Mum," I greeted her before sitting down to eat.
"Morning, my love. How was your night?" she asked, warmly and lovingly, but it didn't reach me.
Before I could reply , if I was even going to , my stepfather walked in. He pulled the dining chair beside my mom back and sat down, looking straight at me.
"Good morning, sir," I greeted him.
He paused for a few seconds, looking at me. I could tell from his expression that he didn't like the "sir." My mom had mentioned it to me before, probably because he'd complained to her about it.
My mom cleared her throat, signaling for me to correct myself. I did.
"Good morning," I said with a stiff smile.
"Good morning, dear. Try not to miss Liam too much," he said before taking a sip of his tea.
I quickly finished my breakfast to avoid any further awkward moments. My stepfather had been trying to connect with me, but it was just hard to accept him. I had never known my own father. He died when I was just two years old. When I was younger I used to crave a father, or even just a father figure. But my mom was perfect , she made my life so full that I didn't feel the absence. My desire for another parent disappeared. I made peace with it. And then she decided to remarry.
I stood up and went upstairs to get my backpack. I should have brought it down with me earlier but I forgot. I grabbed it and hurried to the car and we drove off to school.
I couldn't wait to get there and tell Chloe the good news. Liam was gone for a whole week. And the craziest part was that we had actually gotten along for a moment.
I ran into William in the hallway. He was one of Liam's teammates. Liam was the hockey star and William was easily second after him. I stared at him in shock. Wasn't he supposed to be at the state tournament? Why was he in school while his teammates were already in Houston?
He walked right past me like he didn't know me. I walked into class bewildered. Maybe he wasn't feeling well, but then why come to school at all?
Only a few students were in class and the teacher hadn't arrived yet. I sat beside Chloe, smiling wide, waiting for her to notice.
"Why are you smiling so much?" she finally asked.
"He's gone. I get a whole week away from that bully," I said with a sigh of relief.
"You mean Liam is gone? To where? For a whole week?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Liam and his team went for the state tournament in Houston," I explained.
I told her everything, including how Liam and I had actually gotten along the night before. She was shocked and found it hard to believe, but it didn't change how she felt about him.
"You should be careful of him," she warned.
Class went on and we had our quiz.
….
I got home and changed my clothes. I was lying on my back on my bed, phone in hand, when a text came in. It was Liam. Just an emoji — the one with heart eyes. I was shocked. He had never texted me before. This was the first time. We had each other's numbers only for emergencies.
I opened the message and stared at it. The typing indicator appeared for three seconds, then stopped.
"Hey, how are you?" I typed and pressed send.
"Doing great? I saw William in school today — why?"
I pressed send again. The ticks turned blue immediately.
"I'm doing great, hot boy."
My phone dinged and the message landed.
“Hot?” He thinks I'm hot? I don't even see myself as hot or anything close to it. Liam is literally the definition of hot.
"William did something and the coach dismissed him from the tournament," the next message read.
I replied with "okay" and set my phone face-down on the bed. I let out a breath.
My phone dinged again. Still Liam.
"Do you miss me?"
I read it out loud without meaning to. My heart started racing. I looked up from the screen and scanned the room like someone might have heard me, then looked back down.
"I'm enjoying my alone time without you," I typed and sent it. The ticks turned blue instantly — he was sitting right there in the chat waiting for a reply.
"I don't hate you, you know."
"I like you. That's why I always mess around with you."
The messages came in one after the other. I panicked. The first thing that crossed my mind was him liking me romantically — but I pushed it away immediately. "Like." He meant it as brothers. Definitely.
"I just don't like it," I sent back.
"Don't worry, I'll ease up for you. Bye, I've got to go."
I read it again. Then again. Then one more time.
I was happy — genuinely. I didn't know if he would actually follow through, but I was happy in a way that felt like I had been waiting for it for a very long time.
I set my phone down. Another ding came almost immediately. I thought it was Liam again but it was Chloe. No greeting, no buildup — she went straight into it.
I set my phone down. Another ding came almost immediately. I thought it was Liam again but it was Chloe. No greeting, no buildup — she went straight into it.
"We need to talk. I want to tell you something. I can't keep it to myself anymore."
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
My chest tightened. Chloe wasn't dramatic. I don't think she would ever send a message this straight if something wasn't off.
So whatever this was — it was serious.
"What's wrong?" I typed and pressed send.
The ticks turned blue immediately. She was right there. Reading it. And still she took almost two full minutes before she replied.
"Tomorrow. I'll tell you everything."
Then she went offline.
I close the app, my phone was now in homepage. I tap t****k,I received another message from Chloe.
I tapped on it from the top edge of my phone. It was a hard copy picture, with the caption “ You wouldn't believe what I found”
I tapped it and zoomed in, it was me. It was little me probably at the age of three or four.
I looked well and I saw my stepdad besides me and my mom was in the picture.
I gasped…
I typed “where did you get this” with my hands shaking and pressed send.
“I think your mom is lying to you “
- Writer
