The Bet That Broke Me ~ Book•1 ✔️ (this book is currently being rewritten)

The Bet That Broke Me: Chapter Sixteen

When I came to, I hadn't expected to be where I was. I pictured myself waking up on the track, with everyone in the gym class laughing and taking videos of me. But instead I woke up in the nurses office with Aiden by my side. As my eyes fluttered open, the school nurse proceeded to check them out with her small flashlight.

"Hey honey, can you tell me what happened?" I squinted my eyes to try and block out some of the light so that my head didn't feel like it was about to explode.

"I passed out."

"Okay, I'm going to need to ask you a few questions in case you have a concussion."

"Okay." She grabbed a very large book off the side table which was filled with pink papers. It was information on the students, I think.

She flipped through them until she landed on my page, "Whats your name?"

"Alison Kane."

"When's your birthday?" She asked me a few more questions until she was sure that I was okay. My head hurt like I bitch, but overall I was okay.

"Why did she pass out?" For the first time since I woke up, I looked at Aiden who was practically grilling the nurse.

"I'm not sure, she seems to be very weak and as hot as it is outside, I'd say Heat exhaustion. What did you have to eat to day, Alison?"

Nothing. That obviously wasn't a great answer to give her especially with Aiden eyeing both of us. "I uh. I don't remember."

"You look really weak honey, would you like to eat something? I think you should at least try." Before I could answer for myself, Aiden has already given her a response. She looked at him before opening a cabinet to look through her snack box.

"Here you go." She held the pack of crackers out to me.

"How's your head feeling?"

"Actually, could I get some pain killers. It hurts when I turn my head." The nurse gave a short smile and reached for her pill cabinet. After taking the pills she gave me a minute to relax. Aiden stood stiff beside me not taking his eyes off my face.

Seeing him stare at me from the corner of my eye made me think about the ginormous bruise that was probably covering my face. Great. "I think that we should send you home just to be safe. Is there someone who I can call?" Lily had worked the night shift last night so she was probably sleeping. David was working a shift now and Hailey still had classes.

"No."

"I will." The nurse looked from me to Aiden once more. I knew she was thinking it over. Technically she is not allowed to let him. He's not on my emergency contact list so therefore he can't "check" me out since I still have a few months until my 18th birthday. I could tell she didn't want to go against him though. Even if she did, I'd doubt that Aiden would listen anyways. He hardly listens to me as it is.

"Okay, but I am still going to call home to let your guardians know of what happened- just so that they are aware." The room was silent until her fingers bounced from buttons to button as she dialed Lily.

She moved away from us as she listened to the ringing of the phone.

Aiden moved so that he was standing over me, "How are you feeling?" My soft skin was covered by his rough skin as he ran the back of his hand from my temples to my cheek. While his touch brought an obvious aching sensation that caused me to flinch slightly back in pain; it also left a softer feeling when he dropped his hand.

"Still hurts like hell. The meds haven't kicked in yet."

He didn't respond.

The sound of the phone clicking with the holder caused me to break a gaze with Aiden that I hadn't realized I was keeping, "Okay, no one answered but I left a voicemail on your aunts cell."

Aiden helped me down from the cot, leaving his hand on my lower back to support me. I appreciated him trying to help but honestly I'd think better if his hands weren't on me. And he knew that. I thanked the nurse before letting Aiden guide me into the halls.

As usual neither of us spoke as we walked to his car. It was something that I had gotten used to no matter how annoying it had come. When we first started hanging out him talking to me was the worst part of my day. No matter what he said to me I would find myself shitting bricks trying to work up the nerve to respond. It annoyed him as much as it annoyed me.

It was different now. We didn't always talk but we speak more often now. And when we do it always nice. Well, most of the time. Of course there are no rainbows and sunshine as this is Aiden Parker we are talking about, but he makes a good amount of effort to be nice while speaking to me. He's never called me any names or offended me purposely but there has been times where he indirectly told me to put a sock in it.

And there's times when he shuts down completely but I'm learning to work with it. I know what it's like to keep thing personal so there was common ground except with Aiden everything was personal. He had hardly told me anything about his life where as I told him pretty much everything. Of course except for things I won't even say out loud by myself.

"Here." I thanked Aiden as he opened and shit my door for me even though I was perfectly capable of doing so myself. I watched his reflection in the mirror as he walked behind the car to his side.

He started the car but I waited to buckle until he buckled first. It was a thing we didn't often. When I first started riding with him he never wore his seat belt, but now I refuse to buckle mine until he does his. Another thing for him to be annoyed about. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

I don't think I've ever heard those words come from his lips. In fact I thought it was me hallucinating due to the concussion I probably had. "I shouldn't have left you for the guys. We were waiting on you but then they started goofing and I forgot to wait for you. If I waited then you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Hearing Aiden apologize for something he had nothing to do with made my heart and stomach do summersaults.

It was cute that he thought he could have helped me. He couldn't have but the fact that he thought that was. It was no one's fault but mine. My body was mine to take care of and I neglected myself. This time was too much. I didn't regret what I did in the stalls but I did regret slipping up. If people would have found out that I hadn't eaten hardly anything in two days- I would be ruined.

First Lily and David would lose their minds, along with Hailey. Next Aiden would probably yell and cuss me until I cried, that was if he truly cared. I had yet to fully believe he was concerned for my well being. Some times I find myself forgetting that he his probably just using me. After Aiden cared or didn't, I would become the talk of the school. Amber would have a field day with news of me purging in the locker room.

Before my mind could catch up with my body I moved my hand so that it was softly gripping his hand. The act clearly wasn't expected because at first touch his hand tended under mine, "It's not your fault Aiden."

His thumb brushed faintly across the back of my hand. I watched him drive for a few minutes. He steered with his free hand and every few seconds his thumb would brush over my skin leaving me feeling empty when he stopped.

"Why haven't you eaten anything?"

It was my turn to shut down.