A Summer's Secret

☼Chapter 25

25.

                               

                                   I didn't even notice that I was already holding my breath as we both stared into each other's eyes. 'Shit how do I get out of this?' I thought against my heart thumping harder from inside my chest.

"Er," I grunted as I gave Aiden an awkward smile and dashed the other way, away from him.

"Cassidy!" I heard Aiden shout as he ran towards me a second after I left.

I closed my eyes and ran as fast as I could. I can never undo what I did and now I don't know how to deal with the consequences. They said human instinct was "fight or "flight". This time I was fleeing from the problem, which wasn't really that much of a problem until I made it awkward and ran away.

"Asia, please stop running away from me," I heard Aiden say in between breaths somewhere behind me.

I just shook my head and willed my feet to not stop. I dashed off to the nearest rest room, because I knew Aiden can't follow me in there.

I leaned against the wall as I tried to catch my breath, my feet were numb and my heartbeat was stronger than ever.

'Please go away, please go away, please," I chanted in my head. I just can't deal with him right now and I can't trust myself to do the talking. I just might make things worse than it already is.

"Asia," I heard his voice from outside.

"Just go Aiden, I don't wanna talk right now."

"I know, so don't talk just hear me out," he replied.

I didn't say anything back but I was interested at what he has to say. I just don't want him to know.

I heard him sigh from the other side before he started talking, "I want to tell you that I've always wondered how it would feel to hear those words from you again," he paused.

I was still waiting, my ear pressed against the wooden door.

"I admit, I felt elated to know that you felt that way about me...but,"

'But what?' I thought, I wish he would just say it directly and not pause in between thoughts. I just can't take the suspense.

"But I didn't expect the wave of sadness that came right after because then, when I saw the look of fear in your eyes, I knew that you didn't want to feel that way. It hurts, to see you so sad about having to feel something for me. I'm sorry."

Was Aiden Walker crying? He sounded like he was about to though. I cursed in my head, why is it that I can never do the right thing? He was right, I was afraid but it never meant that I never wanted to like him...or love. I just didn't know what to do with it.

"I just want you to know that I'm never forcing you to like me back, that you are free to like anyone you like. I'll never stop loving you A, I tried but I can't but now I know that we can never go back to the way we were. Maybe when the right time comes, maybe we can start over but I accept that it can never happen now."

I clenched my fists. I do not want to hear any of this drama anymore. I don't want to hear him so sad and lonely and I never want to be afraid of my feelings anymore. He was right, now is not the right time for us but I want him to believe that someday, when we're both ready we can give our story another try.

'It's now or never,' the brave voice inside me spoke, crushing all the fears and doubts that whispered against my thoughts.

I opened the door and was surprised to see Aiden almost falling over for leaning on it probably.

"What the hell Walker," I said as he got back on his feet.

He tried to open his mouth to speak but before he did, I pulled on his sleeve and wrapped my arms around his neck as I tiptoed and allowed my lips to lean forward against his.

I could tell he was surprised and I was too, I've never done anything so daring before but I decided to let that thought go for now as I drowned myself in our kiss, feeling his heartbeat against my own and feeling the softness of his lips on mine.

For the second time today, I forgot how to breathe.

*just a short chapter but it has to happen*