And With A Twist Of Fate...

Chapter 10

Stella's POV

She'd been right all along. She was no match for all these girls. Aiden almost went weak at the knees when that girl stroked him. Not to mention how he bent over backwards trying to defend her. She just sort of wishes he'd want her like that. Want her more. She glanced slightly behind her and sure enough he was following her. Not too urgently, but that was okay with her. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Wasn't ready to hear whatever it was he had to say this time. It probably wasn't worth it anyway. If he was gonna break up with her a note would be just fine, better even. She wouldn't have to see his face as he did.

"Stella! Stel? Baby! Stel-A!!" She stopped walking after the last one. He'd sounded pretty agitated then. God knows she wouldn't want to burden him more. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as he neared. When he got up to her he just looked down at her for a second. She wouldn't look back at him too busy rolling her eyes at her thoughts. "Now I don't know where you heard that charity bullshit but I don't like it."

She looked at him stubbornly but didn't say a word. "Baby, I'm not with you because I feel sorry for you. I'm with you because I want to be with you."

"You didn't invite me to the party." she said under her breath. He looked around running a hand over his face.

"I didn't think you'd want to go."

She turned on her heels, "Good cause I don't." She heard him sigh before he grabbed her hand and spun her back toward him.

"You've got to stop being so unsecure about this, Stella. I want you." He looked her over sighing heavily before tearing his eyes back to hers. "God I want you. And no amount of flirting by some random desperate girl is going to change that. Okay?"

She just watched him, half dazed by his words and half dazed by the way he bit his lip when he looked her over. "Okay?" he asked again.

She was taken off guard by the sudden feeling of his lips on hers. He was hasty and hard. Crushing the two of them together making sure there was absolutely no space between them. He kissed her until she had to stop and come up for air. He'd left her panting.

He was panting too as he stared into eyes unblinking. "Okay?" he asked and this time there was no hesitation for her to say yes.

"What's this?" Stella asked a couple days later, taking a warm plastic container filled with a substantial amount of pasta from Aiden's hands. He'd appeared out of nowhere, she hadn't even seen him come through the cafeteria door. Keith wasn't sitting across from her to give her warning like usual.

"You've been eating light, even for you." He said as he swung a leg over the bench taking his usual seat next to her.

She smiled at him sweetly but pushed the container back over to him. "I just ate. But thank you."

"I came in behind you. You sat right down." He said pushing it back toward her.

She scrunched her nose and thought that's why I didn't see him. But she pushed it toward him once more, "I had a big breakfast."

The container slides back over to her, "You don't do breakfast, now eat."

She slid it away and he slid it back. She gave him a look and slides it away. He didn't look at her at all but still slid it back. Slapping her hand down on the container's top she sighed heavily.

"Why are you pushing this?" She stared at him intently. He looked over at her for the first time since he sat down. He looked pissed, no wonder he was being sort of icy.

"Why are you lying?" Both his eyebrows were raised accusingly waiting for her answer.

She felt herself hesitating trying to keep her eyes anywhere but near his. She slid the tub back to him and ducked her head away. "You know you're being a real ass." She murmured.

He laughed a little. It was bitter and sarcastic. Swinging his leg back around the side of the table, he was standing in seconds. "Try to eat something tonight then alright?"

It was quite sweet the way he leaned down and kissed her forehead before sauntering off but very obvious that he was far from happy.

Which ultimately pissed Stella off.

At around 6:00 Mila had the table set and dinner on the table. She usually cooked because mom and dad were never home. She was good at it too, Stella loved her cooking. But she wasn't too hungry as she sat down next to her sister cradling an open book in her hands.

Mila filled her plate, gulped some juice and set her napkin all before looking over at Stella with a wide smile.Stella smiled back.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" She asked her smile not wavering. Stella almost felt her eye twitch, remembering her lunch with Aiden earlier. She just shook her head though and then lowered it back into her book. Mila's smile still didn't leave. "Well how about a little bit. I cooked a lot."

Stella looked up at her sister suspiciously, Mila only takes a small bite of her salad and watches her sister closely. "Um I'm not so hungry tonight, Mi." She smiled again and returned to her book.

"Well why?" Mila had set down her fork and placed her napkin on the table. Taking a sip of her juice and fixing her eyes on her sister, her smile obviously starting to fade.

"What?"

"I asked why," She repeated. "Because you had water for breakfast and nothing for lunch so.."

Stella cut her eyes,"We don't have the same lunch hour."

She waved a hand and said "Aiden told me."

Stella's jaw dropped, and so did her book as she rose quickly from the table. "I cannot believe him!"

"Stella he's very worried about you. Look at you, you've lost about 10 pounds in the last week in a half. That isn't healthy, sweetie."

Stella already had her jacket on and was tying her running shoes furiously. She couldn't believe he was making such a big deal over this. So she lost a little weight? That's normal. And it had been way longer than a week and a half, she'd been trying to lose 10 pounds for a long time. He was such a dad. And what was with his distance today? She was going to talk to him.

Without another word to her sister, she was out the door.