Aiden

Chapter one

Chapter one

My heart beating in my ears was the only thing I could hear. A little voice in my head whispering to me to turn around. My lips tipped up into an anxious grin as I took ahold of the hand the bright-eyed boy in front of me. With his Shaggy hair falling into his eyes, he gave me a look that dared me to continue with him. The exhilarating feeling in my stomach that pushed me forward pushed the voice of my mother screaming to the back of my mind.

"This is a mistake." She told me. I didn't care.

As we climbed up the rocks the noise of others down at the beach was starting to become clear again. My hands started to sweat with the anticipation. Finally, we got to the top of the rock and slipped out of the tree line onto the sharp edge. My heart skipped and I felt a shiver go up my spine. Blue eyes touched my arm and leaned close to my ear.

"You ready for this?" for a split second, my mother's voice entered my thoughts as I stared at the party below. I took a slight step back but then my eyes landed on the sparkling water that was just begging me to jump in. I turned sharply towards him and quickly took my cardigan off.

"Oh yeah," I said shoving the fabric into his hands. I had to do this before my courage ran out. Turning I ran straight for the edge. I didn't let myself think as the end of the rock neared. My foot reached the edge and I jumped. A bubbling and hysterical half laugh half scream burst from my mouth. I heard shouts and Whoops from the people on the beach for a few seconds then I hit the water. All I could hear now was the sound of impact ringing in my ears. My heart still pounded as I pushed my hands through the water swimming back to the surface.

Breaking back into the air I gulped it in and heard the shouts and music from the beach. I looked there first and then up to my partner at the rock's edge. I broke out into a smile and Screamed out.

"WHOO!" I could barely see as he smiled back and then disappeared. Next thing I knew he was flying down and into the water. He yelled out catching everyone's attention at the party just before he hit the water. I smiled and waiting for him to break the surface. My smile started to slip off my face. he hadn't come up yet

"West!" I yelled as panic filled my stomach. Then suddenly something burst from the water in front of me and wrapped around my waist. I screamed, my heart exploding with a sudden bout of fear. But then those blue eyes came into view. It took a second but then a rush of relief melted my fear. I glared and hit his chest pushing away from him. "Jerk!" I yelled at him. He laughed and swam closer to me.

"Come on, K." He said, "admit it you like it when I surprise you like that."

"Not when you make me think you're dead," I said swimming towards the little Island in the middle of the lake. He didn't answer and I felt nervous that maybe my sensitiveness had been annoying. His hand snaked around my waist and I was suddenly thrown back into the water. When I resurfaced, he was laughing and came in close. He sobered and looked into my eyes with his blue ones.

"I'm sorry."

I defiantly rolled my eyes and turned away from him. He always used his beautiful blue eyes to get out of things. Even the professors at the college let him get away with things with a bat of his lashes.

He swam around to the front of me. "Katiana," he said gently grabbing my arm. he pulled me towards him and I reluctantly looked into his eyes. "Really I'm sorry." he pouted, ducking his head towards me.

His eyes dropped to my lips and my breath caught. Was he going to kiss me? He pulled me closer, his hand flattening against my back. We were so close now and oh I wanted this to happen.

"I knew you would forgive me." He grinned, cutting our moment short. "See you later, K." he then turned and swam back towards the crowd of people now at the bottom of the rock shouting up at the next guy who was going to jump off the edge.

My face red hot and my temper steaming, I watched in despair as he swam away. West and I have been best friends since Junior High. I'd always had a crush on him and he had always known it, always teased me like this. Why did I always have to be so obvious! Everything was always written all over my face.

"Freakin' West!" I muttered under my breath. After I was sure my face no longer flared I started to swim back towards the beach. Obviously Mr. popular was done playing with me, as he laughed and threw some blonde into the water. I trucked out of the water and found my towel under West's jeans and phone. It buzzed and lit up.

"Can't wait for tonight!;)" it read.

I sighed and gently pulled my towel out from between his stuff. I wrapped it around myself and then sat on the top of the picnic table. I hadn't really been expecting to get wet, but West had brought the towel for me. He was the one who'd convinced me to come to this party in the first place.

Grabbing my phone I hoped for a distraction. Thank goodness I had left it when West had asked me to go and watch him jump from the rock. Like the twitterpated girl I was I went. Hoping it was just an excuse to be alone... and that maybe he would finally make a move. Instead, he just convinced me to jump off first. Which was exhilarating, and a good way for me to let go of the stress of the past week.

I lost interest in my phone quickly and I looked up at the party. My eyes quickly found West smiling and pulling that same blonde close to him. Just as he had done to me only moments before. I hated him.

"Why do you let him play with you like that?" I jumped and looked up. A dark eyebrow was raised over one of Aiden Monroe's deep brown eyes

I furrowed my brow. "Uh, What?" I asked sitting straighter and fighting the urge to look over at West in the water.

Aiden's mouth tilted down and he dropped his eyebrow. Silence fell upon us and I couldn't resist any longer, I looked back out into the water. I instantly regretted it. He was now at the edge of the tree's, making out with the blond. My face flushed and I looked down at my phone, suddenly interested in it again

"What my butt," Aiden shook his head and pushed off of the table. "I don't get girls like you." He started to walk off. I bristled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped. He stopped and looked back at me.

"You know he's never going to go for you." He said flatly, "and yet here you are still fawning over him even as you watch him grope the sluttiest cheerleader in the school."

I flushed "Oh yeah?" I sputtered trying to come up with a good comeback. "and you have it all figured out with the girls don't you?"

"No, just girls like you."

I'd had enough and stood to stomp off. I was cold and tired of this party. West could find another way home.

'if he even went home' my step faltered a moment, that thought made me sadder then Aiden's comments.

"You're too easy to read," he said to my back. "No gut's at all."

"No Guts?" I sputtered surprised and thoroughly irked, "Did you not just see what I just did?" I gestured wildly at the pointed cliff's edge. He smirked and kept walking. I stared at him, miffed. Fuming I pulled the towel tightly around myself. My legs were covered in goosebumps as the sun sunk lower behind the mountain. I couldn't care less as my mind was still caught up in Aiden's last comment. Did I have any guts at all?

I watched the crowd as they started coming back to the beach. One girl screamed when a guy threw her over her shoulder and then ran towards the beach. I couldn't help as my eyes wandered searching for West. I Found him walking towards us, his arm around the same girl's shoulders. They talked and laughed... and kissed. My heart pinched and I swallowed back the pain. I forced my eyes away from them and walked back towards West's car.