Best Friends With Benefits

Chapter Three

"How far did you get with Austin?" Aiden searched my face for an answer while I tangled our fingers together.

"Not very" Aiden and I shared everything together, but I finally realised we never really asked about each other's ex-relationships, Aiden had had a few girlfriends but not for very long, said he wasn't interested in a girl that would drool over him, he wanted someone genuine like me, that's why I was his best friend.  The only boyfriend I had had was Austin, who I broke up with the previous year as he became interested in other girls. We never actually came down to becoming intimate, it just didn't feel right. I wasn't fully comfortable with him.

"How far?" Aiden squeezed my hands to wake me out of my daydream and I just looked down at him and shrugged.

"Not far, I wasn't comfortable with it so..."

"Did he try anything you didn't want to do?" He cut me off and stared at me.

"No, we just..."

"I am going to kill that boy..." Aiden sat up and I stood.

"We didn't do anything Aiden, don't worry" I sense of worry flooded over me.

He relaxed and we sat back down, resting my head back onto his chest.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" It was a silly question, he was very protective and I knew that, but I wanted to see what his answer would be.

"Just, because I care, I wouldn't want you to do something you'd regret"

"I won't, not with you by my side" I smiled and felt him breath out.

"How far did you get with Renee?" I felt extremely awkward mentioning the topic but I was curious since he never told me any details of their relationship not that I would expect him too.

"Not far, wasn't with her long enough" His voice faded out at the end. I sat up, surprised.

"So you've never, you know?" I looked down at him.

"No, I don't know?" He looked at me puzzled.

"Had...?"

"Had what?" The corners of his lips moved into a smirk and I immediately knew he knew what I was talking about, I hit him in the chest.

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, well, you know what I mean" I said avoiding his complaints about the hit.

"No"

"God, Aiden, you're so hot and all these girls love you and you've never even been there, I'm so surprised at you" I laughed to myself with a sense of relief, I wasn't the only one.

"You think I'm hot then!" He sat up, grinning at me with charming eyes. I flushed with embarrassment with what I just said and stood.

"Your alright" I joked as we made our way back to the car, when we reached it, Aiden clicked the door unlocked, opened the passenger door for me.

"In you get me sexy lady" He said winking at me.

I was lying in bed, wearing Aiden's t-shirt, it was beginning to lose its smell making me miss it more and more. I thought about earlier that day and thought about the attraction I had felt and wondered if he felt it too. It was 1am and I was still staring at the ceiling in silence. Mum had texted me that afternoon telling me she would be at Sylvia's for the rest of the week and weekend which didn't surprise me. I picked up my phone and hovered my finger over the call button in Aiden's name. It would be cruel to awaken him at this ungodly hour. I pressed it.

On the fourth ring, he answered, his voice was surprisingly clear.

"Hello?" I asked after there was a temporary silence.

"Peyton, are you okay?" He sounded concern but the sound of his voice made my spine shiver and it didn't matter what he said, it comforted me.

"Yeah, I just... never mind, I'm sorry I woke you."

"You didn't, I couldn't sleep" He sounded agitated. "You actually read my mind, I wanted to ring you"

The words lingered in my brain and I smiled to myself.

"Neither could I, what's wrong?" It wasn't like Aiden to miss out on sleep, he took advantage of time in bed. Although he was easier to get out of bed then me.

"I was thinking about earlier"

"What about earlier?" My heart began to beat faster, it was so loud I thought he might be able to hear it as I was sure he was referring to the mud-fight we had earlier and the moment I felt the connection.

"You know, you were pretty silent on the drive home, I wondered if you were okay?"

"Was I, I must have been daydreaming" I lied, I was quiet as I had been contemplating whether to tell him what I had felt on the field or to leave it, turns out 15 minutes was not long enough time to decide as before I knew it I was home, Aiden lived down the street, i could see his house from mine.

"Oh okay,  well how comes you can't sleep?" He said changing the subject, although I could tell in his voice that he was curious if I couldn't sleep for the same reason I was quiet in the car. It was the same reason.

"Just, too many thoughts, you?"

"Same" This conversation was slowing down dramatically and becoming uncomfortable. There was a long silence which in reality only lasted for 30 seconds but it felt like an hour, until Aiden's voice broke it. "Well, I'll let you try and sleep now, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." With that he was gone. I hadn't realised until I put the phone down that I had been biting my lip and once I released the grip, it hurt.

I snuggled back into my duvet and my eyes filled with tears that I was trying to avoid escaping. Was this a fight? There was nothing to fight about? Aiden and I never had short, pointless and uncomfortable conversations. I sighed and closed my eyes.

*Knock knock*

*Knock knock*

*Bang!*

I shot my eyes open and scanned my room, before I heard the knocking sound again. There was someone at the door and they were desperately trying to get in. I immediately hid my face into my covers my eyes filling with tears again, until I heard it again, softer this time. I slipped out of bed and creeped to the window, I looked out and saw Aiden standing there, looking for neighbours in his boxers and a t-shirt. I sighed and tears fell down my cheeks. There wasn't a burglar trying to rob me. That was a start.

I ran down the stairs and unlocked the door. I opened it and Aiden stood there giving me a 'corner of the lips' smile. I couldn't help but smile back. He entered and we headed upstairs without a word. When I sat back into my covers and he entered did I finally realise what was happening, I punched his arm.

"Ouch!"

"Are you crazy, do you know how scared you made me! You could have warned me you were coming over! I thought you were mad at me!" My eyes re-filled with tears for the third time that night. Aiden just sat there staring at me wide-eyed while I was verbally attacking him. When I finally finished he spoke.