Ashlyn's POV:
I woke up with a smile on my face, feeling lighter than I had in days. The conversation with Aiden yesterday had cleared up so much confusion, and now, I felt hopeful about the future. I stretched and grabbed my phone, eager to see if there were any messages from him.
Sure enough, there was a text.
Aiden: Morning, Ash! Ready for another day?
Ashlyn: Morning! Yeah, definitely. See you at school?
Aiden: Absolutely. Can't wait.
With a happy sigh, I got ready for school. I was excited to see Aiden, but I also felt a bit nervous about keeping our new relationship status a secret. How were we going to pull that off?
When I got downstairs, my mom was waiting with breakfast.
"Morning, sweetie," she said, placing a plate of pancakes in front of me. "You seem cheerful today."
"Morning, Mom," I replied, trying to keep my excitement in check. "Just feeling good, I guess."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly curious but didn't press further. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Any plans after school?"
"Just hanging out with the gang, I think," I said, shrugging. "You know, the usual."
She smiled and nodded. "Alright. Just remember, we're here if you need anything."
Aiden's POV:
I walked to school with Ben, who noticed my upbeat mood right away. He gave me a questioning look, and I just shrugged with a grin. I had promised Ashlyn we'd keep things low-key, and I intended to honor that promise.
When we arrived, I saw Ashlyn standing by her locker, and my heart did a little flip. I walked over, trying to act casual.
"Hey, Ash," I said, leaning against the locker next to hers.
"Hey, Aiden," she replied, her eyes sparkling with the same excitement I felt.
Before we could say more, Taylor, Tyler, and Logan appeared.
Taylor: "Morning, lovebirds!" she teased, a knowing smirk on her face.
Ashlyn and I exchanged a glance, trying not to look too guilty.
Tyler: "Yeah, you two seem extra happy today," he added, nudging Logan.
Logan: "Maybe they finally talked things out," he said, grinning.
I felt my cheeks heat up, but I managed to keep my cool. "We just had a good day yesterday, that's all."
Taylor's POV:
As we walked to class, I couldn't help but notice how close Aiden and Ashlyn seemed. They were trying to act normal, but it was obvious something had changed.
During lunch, I decided to probe a little more.
"So, Ashlyn," I began, leaning in conspiratorially. "Anything interesting happen yesterday?"
Ashlyn: "Not really," she said, but her eyes flicked to Aiden for a split second.
I caught that look and decided to let it go—for now. It was clear they were trying to keep things quiet, but I had my suspicions. I shared a knowing look with Tyler and Logan, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Ashlyn's POV:
The rest of the day passed in a blur. It was hard to focus on classes when my mind kept drifting back to Aiden. Every time our eyes met, I felt a flutter of excitement.
After school, we all headed to the park. The weather was perfect, and we found our usual spot under a big oak tree.
Taylor: "So, any plans for the weekend?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Tyler: "I'm thinking of hitting up the arcade. It's been a while."
Logan: "Sounds good to me. Ashlyn, Aiden, you in?"
Aiden and I exchanged a quick look.
Aiden: "Sure, why not? It'll be fun."
We spent the afternoon chatting and laughing, the ease of our friendship making it hard to keep our secret. But despite the teasing and the knowing looks from our friends, it felt good to just be together.
Later that evening, as I sat on my bed doing homework, I got a text from Aiden.
Aiden: Today was awesome. Can't wait for the weekend.
Ashlyn: Me too. We're doing pretty good at keeping our secret, huh?
Aiden: Yeah, but I think they suspect something.
Ashlyn: Let them. As long as we know, that's what matters.
I put my phone down and smiled. It was going to be tough keeping our feelings under wraps, but it was worth it. We had something special, and I was excited to see where it would go.
(
