Faded Promises

5

Aiden's POV

I wanna fucking kill him.

I'm sitting in the back row of the cinema, barely paying attention to the movie.

The room is filled with laughter and whispers, but all I could focus on is Max sitting next to Hanna.

Every laugh she shares with him felt like a punch to my gut. I try to keep my face impassive, but inside, I'm boiling.

I clench my fists, feeling the familiar anger inside me.

Max had always been a flirt, but this is different.

He and Hanna had always been just friends, but seeing them so close is making me irrationally jealous.

I want to punch that stupid grin off his face, even though I knew it was undeserved.

"Enjoying the movie?" Jake whispers, leaning over.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

Jake has no idea how much restraint it was taking for me to sit here and do nothing.

I glance over at Hanna, who was giggling at something Max said.  This is pure torture.

When the movie ended, we all stand outside the theater, and I watch as Max offers to take Hanna for ice cream.

She looks so happy, so carefree, and I couldn't help but feel sad knowing I can't make her happy.

I want to be the one making her laugh, the one she looked at with those bright, beautiful eyes. Like she once did.

But I can't. Not anymore. Not after all that happened.

As they walked away, I turn to Jake and Lucy. "I'm heading home," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Jake gives me a curious look but didn't press. "Alright, man. See you later."

I nod and walk away, my mind racing. The walk home was a blur. All I could think about was Hanna and how beautiful she looked today.

I wish everything would be so different.

When I get home, I head straight to my room, not bothering to say hello to my parents.

I sat by the window, staring out at the night sky. I don't want to feel this way, but I can't help it. Hanna is... mine.

I wait, watching her house from my room. Hours passed, and finally, I see her silhouette in the window. She looks so beautiful, even from a distance. My heart aches, knowing I can't  be with her.

She caught me staring and frowns, quickly closing her curtains. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. I'm such an idiot. She probably hates me now.

The next morning, I meet up with Jake and Max at the park. We often hung out there before school, aside from Hanna, they and Lucy are the only people I like. Although it's not even a competition.

"So, how was the rest of your night?" Jake asks

"Great," Max says, smirking. "Hanna and I had a good time. She's really cool, you know?"

I clench my jaw, trying to keep my cool. "Yeah, she is."

Jake glances at me, then back at Max. "You're really going for it, huh?"

Max shook his head, giving me a puzzled look. "What? No way, man. We're just friends. I know how you feel about her."

I relax slightly but didn't let it show. "Good to hear."

Jake change the subject, probably sensing the tension. "So, Lucy mentioned that Hanna asked if you could introduce her to one of your friends."

What the hell?! Is she doing this on purpose?