Ares ; A Mafia Romance ||✓

Chapter 5

Callista Miller
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Avoiding the uncomfortable feeling of the five pairs of eyes on me, I stared at my clammy hands. Why did I have to open my mouth and ask for his middle name? I had forgotten that nobody knew his real name. Had I not just asked for his middle name, literally begging to be ignored? I silently prayed, “Don’t snap at me, please. God, save me now.”

“This is what I was saying earlier,” Cameron’s sharp voice cut through the tense silence.

Raising my head slowly, I saw Carter shuffling in his seat.

“What? I’m his best friend since we were two. I know everything about him,” Carter retorted.

“That’s not the point, idiot!” Cameron shot back.

“Oh, you’re just jealous that I know him better than you do, douche!” Carter fired off.

“It’s not that!!” Cameron snapped.

“Sure, as if I believe you, jerk,” Carter retorted.

“For God’s sake, you weren’t supposed to say it out loud, son of an owl!” Cameron’s yell filled the now silent room. Carter’s eyes widened in realization, meeting mine briefly before shifting to Ares beside me. He scratched the back of his neck, stuttering, “Oh, it’s, uh, I, I, just, Ares, you—”

“Ashbel,” Ares said, cutting him off.

My eyes widened, my mouth falling open. The cold electric blue eyes met mine again, and Ares repeated firmly, “Ashbel.”

I shifted my gaze to the other four boys, who looked equally surprised and shocked. Composing himself, Noah cleared his throat, pulling us out of our frozen state. Blinking rapidly, I placed my hands in front of my mouth, forming a fist, and looked out the window. My cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and exhilaration. Oh my God, he told me his middle name. Was I dreaming? No, he had actually told me. How did this happen? Why me? I felt like a child who’d been given their favorite candy and didn’t want to share. I was certain I was the only person in the entire school—perhaps the city—who knew it, aside from his family and friends. I felt special, like I’d been entrusted with a secret.

“If I find out you’re telling someone or spreading it around the school, you’ll be dead,” Carter threatened.

My brows furrowed. What?

“She won’t tell anyone,” Ares’s voice cut in before I could respond. My heart soared. Was this really happening? His eyes met mine, and as I looked at him, my ears were filled with the pounding of my heart. The fluttering in my stomach increased tenfold. I couldn’t even hear the bell ringing. When he turned his gaze back to his phone, disappointment filled me. The students, surprised by the scene, clumsily or hastily took their seats after glancing at the five delinquents.

Fidgeting in my seat, I listened to the whispers around me:

“Why is she sitting beside Ares?”

“Isn’t she the one from this morning?”

“God, I’m shivering here, imagining myself in her place. But look at her, all calm.”

“Yes, the devil is literally beside her.”

“Shhh, lower your voice. You’ll be dead if any of them hears you.”

“Wow, we’re in the same class as them.”

“I want to be in her place so bad.”

“What? Do you want to die?”

“See, he hasn’t killed a living soul like her till now, so a beautiful girl like me would be fine.”