Wish You'd Met Me First (boyxboy)

Chapter 28: New Face

A/N: New Character unlocked. If you look above there is a pic of a hot guy. Is it Aiden's love interest? let's find out..

The weekend passes by in a blur of emotions. I spend most of it lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to process everything that went down at the party. No matter how hard I try, I can't get the image of Brett and Blaine together out of my head. The jealousy, the pain—it's like a punch to the gut every time I think about it. My mom checks on me every now and then, offering comfort, but I still feel like I'm underwater, struggling to breathe.

Brett's texts keep coming, one after another, each one twisting the knife a little deeper.

Brett: Hey, are you okay? Haven't heard from you.

Brett: Aiden, I'm worried. Please talk to me.

Brett: I miss you, man. What's going on?

I read every single one, but I can't bring myself to respond. I know he means well, but I need space. I can't deal with this right now—my feelings for him, the whole mess with Blaine—it's too much. I need to figure out how to move forward without losing myself in this.

Monday morning hits, and I wake up feeling like I've been run over by a truck. The sunlight filters through the curtains, but it doesn't do much to lift the heaviness pressing down on me. I know I've got to face the day, but the thought of seeing Brett, of pretending everything's fine, feels impossible.

For a while, I just lie there, trying to get it together. Eventually, I decide—I need to put a little distance between me and Brett, at least for now. It's the only way I'm going to heal, the only way I'll be able to move on. If he's happy with Blaine, I need to let him have that, even if it means stepping back for a little bit.

With a deep breath, I roll out of bed and get ready for school. Everything feels mechanical—brushing my teeth, pulling on clothes—my mind's still stuck on the past few days. I skip breakfast, not ready to face my mom's concerned questions, and head out the door.

The walk to school feels longer than usual, each step weighed down by my decision. As I near the entrance, I spot Brett and Blaine talking in the hallway. My stomach churns, and I quickly round the corner before they notice me.

I'm so in my head about them that I don't pay attention to where I'm going and almost run into someone.

"Whoa, sorry!" I mumble, stepping back to give him some space.

He chuckles, a friendly smile on his face. "No worries. I'm actually lost. This school is way bigger than my old one."

I nod, taking in his unfamiliar face. He is tall, muscular guy with piercing blue eyes and also, a backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Are you new here?"

"Yeah, Name's Ethan by the way." He holds out his hand, and I shake it.

"I'm Aiden. Nice to meet you."

Ethan glances around, a bit of uncertainty in his eyes.

"I'm supposed to find the office to get my schedule, but I'm not having much luck."

"I can show you the way," I offer, grateful for the distraction. We start walking together, and he matches my pace easily.

"So, where'd you transfer from?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation light.

"From a school upstate. My dad got a new job, so here I am," Ethan explains. "I heard Ridgefield has a pretty good football team. I'm hoping to join, even though the season's already started."

"Really? I'm in the team, play wide receiver by the way," I say, surprised and a little intrigued. "I think the coach would be happy to have you. We can always use more talent."