Some people wait their whole lives to find the perfect friend.
But not Isabella Washington.
She knew she'd be best friends with Aiden Cunningham the moment she set eyes on him. But staying friends through school is easy. It's what comes after that c...
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Isabella hated drama.
What happened between Kennedy and Aiden that morning was horrible. But what struck her the most was her reaction to the fight. She had hyperventilated and had a panic attack.
It was a tremendous relief that Aiden had gotten there in time. She would have passed out right in front of everybody if he hadn't stopped Kennedy. The way Kennedy handled her had triggered something in her.
It was as if the same scene repeated itself twelve years later.
Aiden and Isabella drove to his house, ditching school. His aunt was at work, so it was just the two of them sitting on his bed.
They were under the covers watching Friends on Aiden's TV while Isabella wore one of Aiden's hoodies and the jeans she'd had on earlier.
"Are your arms okay?" Aiden asked.
"Yeah, they're okay."
When they'd arrived at his house, he took the first aid kit from his bathroom to treat her arms with ointment, which helped soothe the pain. Because Aiden was so stubborn, Isabella forced him to remain still while she helped clean his bloody nose.
"Good." He nodded, not saying another word.
The two friends continued to watch the show, but it became boring for Isabella after a few minutes. She grabbed the remote by her side and pressed the power button, turning the TV off.
"Why'd you turn off the show?"
"It was getting boring." She shrugged.
"Hmph." He rubbed the back of his neck with a frown on his face. After a minute, he spoke, looking guilty. "Listen . . . I want to apologize for what happened at dinner. I didn't mean to worry you in any way."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise that he brought up the subject. Was he going to talk about what happened?
"I meant to ask you about that," she started. "Who were you talking to on the phone when we were at dinner?"
Immediately, he looked away and stared straight ahead, appearing to be in turmoil.
"Uh, it's nothing important." Aiden's nose scrunched.
"Aiden, what's going on?
He quickly shook his head. "Nothing."
"I'm worried about you. Ever since dinner, you've been acting like you don't want to talk to me." Isabella moved in front of him, trying to meet his eyes. "We only spoke that night through text when you said you were okay."
He lowered his head, saying nothing.
"Aiden." Isabella cupped his cheek gently, bringing his head up to face her. "You know you can trust me with anything."
"I know."
"You and I always tell each other everything—good and bad." He nodded in agreement. "And I love you."
His blue eyes stared at her brown ones. "I love you too."
"If it's not a problem, can you tell me who you were talking to that got you so upset?" she asked softly, slightly hopeful.
"Bella, it's not that I don't want to tell you—I just can't."
"I don't know why you can't tell me—"
"I just can't!" he shouted.
She flinched, startled at his outburst. He had never spoken to her that way before. She felt a lump in her throat, dismayed by the situation. She moved away, got off the bed, and walked to the door to get her shoes.
"I-I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just can't tell you right now." Aiden struggled with his words, trying to explain.
She decided it might be easier if she stayed out of his way. She didn't want to make him more upset. "I'm just going to go. I'm sorry I made you upset. You need your space," Isabella said, slipping on her sneakers.
"It's not that—"
"No, it's okay." She grabbed her backpack off the ground and swung the straps over her shoulders. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She didn't wait for his reply as she walked out of his room and left the house.
Part of her was mad at him that he wouldn't tell her his problem. The other part was angry at herself for how she handled the situation. She shouldn't have left him when he tried to explain, but she didn't want to overstep his boundaries.
Isabella got into her car, threw her backpack in the passenger seat, and slammed the door shut, letting out a deep breath. She was getting more and more worried about him now. Why was he keeping a secret that might be so serious? She couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt or killed. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to him.
Isabella turned on the ignition, gripping the steering wheel as she pulled out of Aiden's driveway.
As she was driving on the road, her mind raced, filled with emotion. She couldn't stop thinking about—
Isabella's attention snapped back to reality when she saw two lights in front of her, honking at her. She was about to hit a car in the opposite lane. She screamed, swerving to the right, driving over the grass. She pressed the brakes, which stopped the car, causing her to jerk forward, the seatbelt protecting her from going through the windshield.
Her hands were still gripping the steering wheel. She could feel her heart beating in her ears.
She took her hands off the wheel and ran her fingers through her hair, panting heavily. She couldn't take this. She had too many thoughts rushing in her head. She tried to force Aiden to tell her his problems, which made him shut down instead.
Whatever secret he was keeping from her, she needed to find out soon before something horrific happened.
