Best Friends With Benefits

Chapter Thirty Eight

I stared at the ring for a while and then lifted up my hand so that Gale placed it onto my hand, it's cold metal caused a shudder down my spine.

"Are you alright?" Gale touched my hand with his fingers and I jolted.

"Yeah, it's just a ring Aiden gave me" I admitted, I wasn't going to share its meaning.

"I'm sorry" Gale took it from my palm and placed it back in its original place. I looked at it sitting there almost taunting me. I took it back in my hand and shoved it into the draw beside me, I did not need a daily reminder of my past. Gale walked behind me so that he was now resting his hands onto my shoulders and we were both admiring the reflection looking back at us. I couldn't stop my eyes from wondering to his powerful shoulders and toned chest that contracted with each breath, my mouth gaped open slightly to allow my breathing to maintain. A few minutes passed before I woke out of my daydream by Gale caressing my cheek with his hand, he smelt of sweetness and I kissed his fingertips.

We ventured downstairs and Gale rummaged the cupboards in search of food, he found some eggs in the fridge and began to fry them. I slipped my hands around his waist feeling his tight back muscles and when his breath left his body I could feel his shiver, satisfying me. When the eggs were done we ate, I was just stuffing the last mouthful into my mouth when a knock on the door caused me not to savour it but to stuff it in and swallow. I jogged to the door and flung it open, I started choking on my egg bite. Aiden was staring back at me, his eyes were sunken-in suggesting no sleep and his shoulders slumped with them.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, Gale was already behind me resting a hand onto my waist.

"Can I just speak to you" Aiden muttered and rubbed the back of his neck.

"No" Gale said for me and closed the door in his face. "Let me get rid of him" He rested the palms of his hands onto my shoulders and I felt relief leave my body.

"Okay" I agreed and stepped back to still keep an eye on what Gale would say. He reached for the door handle to re-open it and as soon as the door was a centimetre open Aiden kicked it with his full force, shoving Gale out of the way. Gale stumbled slightly but as soon as he regained his balance he aimed to Aiden's chest and took Aiden to the floor, I rushed over hearing only my heartbeat in my ears and reached down to wrench Gale off of Aiden's thrashing body. Gale lifted himself off and pressed a protective hand onto my chest, keeping me back whilst Aiden got to his feet. There had been no damaged caused.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled in Aiden's direction and after a long second he looked up to meet my eyes, he wasn't the Aiden I had seen several minutes ago but a different look covered his eyes, he was distant, too distant. "Oh my god-" I started and couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence because I couldn't believe it. I was right, I focused on Aiden's pupils and they were dilated. "Are you... high?" I growled and Gale's hand dropped to his side as he examined Aiden's face with me.

"What have you taken?" Gale questioned and Aiden shuffled in his place barely looking stable.

"Nothing that's illegal" He sarcastically grinned and wobbled as his eyes glazed over further. Gale pressed his index finger onto Aiden's chest and pushed. "Cannabis is illegal" He stated and stepped back towards me again. I couldn't take my eyes off of Aiden's body, it was as if he wasn't on this planet. I though drugs put you on a 'high' but it seemed to be putting Aiden on a low.

"How do you know it's cannabis?" I kept my eyes trained on Aiden as I addressed Gale.

"I can smell it" Gale stated sickeningly and I lifted my nose into the air and the hint was there, I wouldn't recognise it because I didn't know what it smelt like but it was distinctive and now it wouldn't leave my nostrils. I touched Gale to signal  my release as I stepped towards Aiden slowly. He was in a paranoid state, his fists were clenched and he looked to the ground, a strategy he used to calm himself down.