My Girl↝ Aidan Gallagher

Chapter 28

(Y/N POV)

I see you at the movies.

As I strode down the broken pavement beneath me, a million thoughts were running through my head. I had Aidan's breakfast in my hand, and my phone in the other, blasting Alec Benjamin's song, If We Have Each Other.

As I grew closer to the trailer, a pit in my stomach started to form. Last night I had gotten a message from my mother, reminding me that I was going home soon. I hadn't told Aidan, and I wasn't sure if I should. I'm not exactly a bad person, but the fear of how Aidan would react scared me to the bone. I've seen him upset about the smallest things, and this wasn't nothing compared to those incidences.

My backpack was weighing down on my shoulders, and I could feel one of the straps falling off. With both of my hands full, I tried to nudge it back on but it didn't seem to work.

"Do you need help?" Dante asked, walking up to me.

He was so silent, I didn't even notice that he was there. I nodded quietly, and stood still as he adjusted my bag. Should I tell Dante I was leaving? We weren't the closest of friends, but we still knew each other.

"Um, hey," I started, "I guess I should tell you I'm leaving."

His eyes seemed to fill with a sudden disappointment, but he managed to keep his stature straight and tall. He was silent for a moment, before matching my eyesight again.

"I suppose I couldn't expect you to stay," he said, "you're still in school, right?"

"Yeah."

He rubbed the back of his neck slowly, seeming to process everything that was going on. I didn't expect him to be so confused on my departure, but maybe I was wrong about him.

"So this is goodbye?" He asked.

"I'm leaving in four days, I just wanted to tell you beforehand."

"Does Aidan know?"

I shook my head. I still couldn't figure out if I should tell him or not, and with each second that passed I leaned more towards the idea of not saying anything at all. But where would that get me?

"Not yet," I said, "I'm planning on telling him tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?"

"I want to have at least one more day where everything seems normal. I don't plan on coming back anymore, so I won't see anyone in the future."

In a quick sudden move to, suddenly I found myself pressed against Dante's chest. His arms were wrapped around me in a hug, squeezing me tightly.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk," he said, "I wish I had just owned up to you instead of making it hard to be friends."

"Owned up?"

He pulled away, and ran his hands through his brown hair. The coffee in my hand was burning my palm with the temperature, but all I could focus on was Dante. He seemed distressed, but I didn't know what to do.

"You're pretty," he said, "and I know you already know that, but I wasn't sure how to tell you."

"You didn't have to tell me, don't worry."

"But I got mad that you were with Aidan the whole time, and i was irrational at the time. I'm sorry I acted like a middle schooler, it was beneath me."

"It's fine," I assured, "but thanks for telling me."

I smiled at him, and he gave a weak one back. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and sighed.

"I guess I'll see you around," he said faintly, "do you want me to tell the others?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

I watched as he spun around and started walking back to his trailer. Suddenly the pit in my stomach didn't feel to big, and I drew a sigh of relief. It felt good to tell somebody.

I started on my original path back to Aidan's trailer, a smile on my face. I was about to head up the metal steps, when the door swung open, inches from my face.

"Woah," I said, "you almost took my eye out."

I expected to see Aidan standing there, but instead it was Nina. She didn't look happy to see me, so I sent her a look of confusion. She continued down the steps, the thud of her sneakers hitting the platform. She brushed past me, before turning to talk to me.

"I wouldn't go in there," she said, "at least not right now."

"Why? Is everything okay?"

She seemed to glare at me, and rolled her eyes. "You of all people you shouldn't have a right to ask."

"And why is that?"

"Why do you think? What's the point of going in there to see him, when you're just going to leave?"

I suddenly felt sick, and my heart seemed to come to a stop. My mind raced back to last night, and suddenly everything seemed to add up. Tossing my phone on the bed, Nina rushing Aidan out of the room, and this horrible behavior towards me.

"You think I want to leave?" I scowled, "god, you're an idiot."

"So what was your plan then? Lead him on and then throw him away?"

"I never led him on. At no point did I go around telling people I liked him, and at no point did I tell him I did."

"So why? Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

"Because I like being his friend. I like spending the night watching movies with him, and I like getting lunch with him across the street. How am I supposed to tell him, when I wasn't even sure about leaving myself?"

"Easy. Spit out a few words and get it over with."

"Would that change how he is right now? No. It wouldn't. And you're the one who told him. Don't tell me I hurt him, when you're the one who decided to step in and be the hero."

"Just leave," she said, "you don't have a right to be here."

"Actually I do. I'm still employed as his assistant."

I rolled my eyes and turned my back on her. I started to reach for the handle of the trailer door, but then I realized what I would be getting myself into. I had no clue how Aidan would think of seeing me here, and I wasn't sure I could handle it.

I bit my lip, and swung it open.