Safe Place

11

AIDEN

"Have a shot with us man." Grey hands me a shot of tequila.

"Nah, I'm good." I push the tequila back to him.
We won our first game of the season. Yup. I should be fucking partying and having fun with my team but I'm all moody because of my dad coaching us.

I wanted to be a good sport and join them for drinks and yet I'm here acting like a little boy that's mad at his mom for not buying him nerf guns.

He was supposed to start coaching next week. But he unexpectedly shows up to my first game and ruins my whole entire day. And even worse Zara had to witness it.

I know she's going to try to get an answer out of me. But if there's one thing I don't like talking about, it's my father. I despise opening up to people. I want people to know one side of me and that's my confident, big ego side.

I know. It's bad that most people don't know the real me. Eli is pretty much the only person that knows the real me since I've known him my whole entire life.

I stride up from the stool I'm on putting my hands against the table.
"I'm going to head back to the dorms. I'll see you guys during practice." I give them a fake smile before walking away heading to my car.

I get into my car starting it in a rush so I can finally get home and go to fucking bed. Zara should already be asleep by now.
She always is.

As soon as I'm done getting into the school I take out the keys from my pocket opening the door slowly to not wake her up. The door creaks open, opening wider and wider with my push until I see her.
Zara looking straight at me with widened eyes.

"You're finally home." She says still leaning onto the couch.
What does she mean? She's still wearing the jersey she had on before at the game. Whoever the fucks jersey that is. I don't want it on her.

"Don't tell me you were waiting for me. It's 3am. I've been out for drinks for hours. Go to bed." I demand getting closer to her.

"Go to bed?" She squints "I saw the coach hurting you earlier. That's not something I just watch and move on from. I want answers."

"This isn't your business! And I don't want to talk about it. Leave it alone." I run my hands through my hair.

"Talk to me." She gets up until we're looking at each-other face to face.

My heart ached. Her beauty. Her words.
They comforted me to another level.

I turned away heading for my room before she's in-front of me again holding her right hand out to my chest to stop me from going anywhere.

"Stop trying to act like running away from your problems will solve everything. And I don't mean that in a rude way, Aiden. You were there for me when I needed it and if you genuinely need something. I'm here for you." She says grabbing my face rubbing her thumbs underneath my eyes.

I try to resist her touch.

I want her next to me so bad. She's like a drug. But it hurts knowing she's going to push me away the next day.

She removes her hands from my face before looking at her fingers.
Blood.
Blood from my dad carving his nails into the sides of my face. Where it's hard for anybody to see.

"You're hurt."
"I know that."
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?" I ask in confusion.
"Acting like this is okay. Because it's not." She whisper yells.

"Stay here." She says running to the bathroom in a steady pace.
I go back to the living room taking a seat. I just want to go to fucking bed.

Zara comes running back to me with a first aid kit in her arms. She sits closely next to me before asking a question that slowly kills me.
"Is it okay if I sit on top of you."
I would pay her money to sit on top of me. No fucking shit it's okay.

I nod my head at her trying to act relaxed as she gets on top of me until we're face to face with our lower bodies pressed up against each-other.

I press my lips together trying to collect myself.
I wish I didn't have a dick right now. Her body is so close to mine, making me feel amazing. Feeling too good to the point it hurts. She slightly moves her body to clean my cuts from a better view making me whimper a bit.

"Shit. Sorry, did that hurt?" She gives me a small frown.
My head? No.
My cock? Yes.

"Not at all. You're good." I breathe out.

"So as I'm helping you out here, I would really appreciate if you gave me a little background on what I saw earlier today." She sighs. "Please?"

"But-" I reject.
"No but's. I'm here for you. This is between me and you. You don't have to tell me everything, only what you feel most comfortable with."

"Okay." I smile a bit.
"Okay." She smiles back at me.
Beautiful fucking smile.
This girl has so much power over me.

"You probably know this already but my coach is my father."

"What?!?" She pulls her head back looking at me confused."

"Yeah... I found out he's the new coach recently." I exhale.

"So why would he even touch you?"
"That's what dads do."
"No Aiden. Dads don't fucking do that. Don't normalize it." She squints at me.

"He's always been like that." I try to correct myself.
"He's always been hitting you?"
"Well..yeah."

"I'm so fucking sorry. No one deserves that." She whispers blowing on my cut as she pats a bit of alcohol on my face making me flinch. "Okay. The blood is gone and you won't get an infection."
She says slowly getting off me.

"Wait no." I grab her waist aggressively so she doesn't move.
Shit. Why would I just do that?

"What happened?" She tries to laugh. "Did I miss a spot of blood?" She says concerned.

"No. No you didn't miss a spot." I stop.
"Uhm. Can you stay?" I continue almost begging.

"Of course. I said I'll be here for you." She says getting back on top of me straddling her legs around my waist as we both sit peacefully.

"Zara?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."

"Aiden?"
"Yes?"
"It's my pleasure."

She tucks her head into my shoulder as I wrap my arms around her holding her closer to me.

"Who's jersey is that by the way? I've been dying to ask."

"Eli's." She laughs into my neck.
I love the noise of her laugh. So soft and quiet.

"I should've known." I laugh slowly with her.

"Aiden?"
"We're back with the questions?" I snicker.
"Our specialty." I feel her smile forming against my neck before she moves her head to level with my face.

"Are we friends?" She looks up at me.
"I thought you hated me."
"Not as much as before."
"I think that's a great start to being friends." I look back at her grinning.

"So....friends?" She questions.
"Friends."
As much as I want to be more. I think I have to control myself.

"I think we should go to bed." She yawns.
"Together?!?" My eyes widen as I let out a smirk.
"That's not very friendly, Aiden." She chuckles.
I breathe out a small laugh with her as we both part ways to our rooms.

I think being 'friends' with Zara Collins might kill me.

WRITERS NOTE

I was going to upload this chapter tomorrow but you guys were asking me to upload it already so I just gave in. Also Zara and Aiden being friends? Let's see how that works out for them.