The Not-So-Bad Boy Next Door

Chapter 21

I don't know why but when I saw Joseph I instantly, but all unintentionally, hid behind Aiden, using him as a barrier. I think we were both thinking that's what I was going to do cause he held out an arm protectively in front of me. I grab onto the back of Aiden's shirt, balling my fists, but not hitting the smirk off of Joseph's fiancee, Stacy, face...yet!
She grabs his arm and then has to open up her mouth, which is probably with her ass, because she has a brain the size of an acorn. But hey, maybe Joseph is going for stupidity because he's book smart and my mom was always the sarcastic, funny, weird mom, but most of all she had common sense. She always set him in place and I remember Joseph once told me that at ever party he went to and she was there he never had enough courage to go after her, he said she was always the life of the party. Then I don't know what came over him one night, but he asked her out and then they were together all the way until we lost her.
"Babe, are both of them having dinner with us," she said, disgusted. I step out from behind Aiden, "No, we were just leaving. Enjoy your... evening." I start dragging Aiden towards the door but don't make it that far before Joseph's grabs onto my arm. "Where do you thing you're going? We're having a family dinner tonight." I groan and pull away from him and grip onto Aiden's arm.
"Well I know after taking a stroll down memory lane, I'm going to have a peaceful meal, maybe with Aiden or Ella, or maybe even Kale. And I'm not having dinner with you because for one I don't want to, two I don't want to be throwing up on Valentine's Day, and three I just don't care for it."
"Claire, you are under my house and under my rules," he says sounding a little frustrated. I turn around and shrug, "I never asked to come back. I also never asked to leave in the first place either so I guess we both don't get what we want either, now do we?" I hold my arms up, "I never asked for this and you need to realize I can't push my problems to the back of my mind and make it all disappear cause if I do I'll just lose myself like you did."
"I never lost myself, I got over it," he retorted back. I roll my eyes and scoff, "No, you forgot about it and then lost the humane part of you. The part that still cared for that little girl all those years ago."
"I was protecting you," he protests. I grimace, "You weren't protecting me. You were running away from your problems by pushing me away." I turn and walk out the door with Aiden dragging me out towards his house. I tug him a little, "Aiden, can I ask you a small favor?" He turns around and nods, "Can you come with me to go visit my mom and give me a piggy back ride?" He frowns then gives me a small smile. He turns around and I hop on his back and rest my head on his shoulder. "Aiden?"
"Hmm." I take a small breath, "Do you miss your dad a lot?" He stops and moves me to the front of him. In the position I'm in, I'm pretty sure I look like a koala. "Yeah, I miss him more than I like to admit. I did have some good memories but I don't even remember them anymore. They're the faintest of memories." I pull myself closer to him, giving him a hug. He starts walking again, "Can I ask you something?" I shrug and nod. "Do you ever regret coming back here? Like do you ever wish you never came back in the first place?"
I shake my head and look up at him, "Even though I'm not overly fond of all of this, there are a whole bunch of benefits that balance out the bad. Like I get to see Ella, Noah, and Kale again. I met a whole bunch of people and got to see a whole bunch of things from my past even if it might hurt. Plus if I never came back we wouldn't have met and we wouldn't be best friends."
I smile, "So no. I don't regret it. Sure I was okay and everything back there but if I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing."
After our heart-to-heart conversation, we talked about anything and everything. "We're here." I unlatch my legs from around Aiden's waist. I start walking on the path leading to my mothers grave. I crouch down in front of it and place a single rose on the gravestone.
"Hi, mom. It's Valentine's Day and I really miss you. I made some friends since the last time I came. Their names are Sydney and Dylan." I know it's kind of weird to talk to a stone but I do it all the time.
Aiden sits down next to me and places his hand on my shoulder. I sit on his lap and continue to talk to my mom. "So, Ella has still been keeping the traditions. She actually remembered and I know she's Ella so I'm not really surprised at all."
I don't know how long we were there but by the time we were walking back, the sun was setting. I somehow managed to talk Aiden into carrying me the way back. "So... do you want to eat at my house or do you want to go out or something?" I start fiddling with my fingers, "You actually want me to crash your family dinner?" He shrugs and I grip on tighter so I don't fall off his back.
"Yeah, I mean what else were you going to do?" I put my head on his shoulder, "Well, I was honestly just gonna go visit my mom's grave, grab a burger or something and eat it in the park, then wait till like 11 or so to sneak in through my window." Aiden stops and lets go of my thighs. I hop off his back while he turns around and gives me a look of disbelief. "You're kidding right?" I shrug and then start walking. He runs in front of me and holds onto my shoulders, "You don't actually want to be alone, do you?"
I shake my head, "Of course not, but I'm used to being alone. Plus I don't want to bother anyone. If it means being alone with everyone serene then I'm all for it." He closes his eyes for a few seconds before opening them up again. "You're eating dinner with us tonight and staying over. There's not gonna be any of that sneaking in your bedroom window at 11 at night shit."
~
Aiden's POV
"Aiden set the table," my mom yells from in the kitchen. I get up from the couch and place Madison from on my lap to where I was sitting next to Claire. I walk into the kitchen and grab 4 plates and grab some table mats and napkins before taking it all to the dinning room. I place a setting evenly around the table. I turn to grab 3 glasses when my mom walks in with two more plates. "What's the other two plates for mom?"
"I invited Stacy and Joseph over since Claire is already eating over here." My jaw drops, "Why would you do that? That's so stupid, mom." She places the plates down before pointing a condescending finger at me, "Aiden Anthony Mathews, do not use that tone on me."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm gonna go tell Claire before they come." She pats my back, "Good luck, son." I groan and roll my eyes. I walk back out to the living room and I can't find it in me to just come clean with Claire, when I see her and Madison laughing together.
I walk over to them and sit on the arm of the couch. I cough awkwardly, "Um, Claire, I, uh, I got some bad news." Her smile falters and I bit the side of my cheek. "My mom invited your dad and his finacee." She frowns and then turns to Madison, "Madison how about you go wash you hands for dinner while we talk?" Madison giggles and then heads for the bathroom.
"Are you mad at me," I ask her while taking a seat next to her. She shakes her head, "No, I can't be mad at you. You don't have any control over it, but I'm gonna apologize for myself in advance. I don't know what'll happen at dinner tonight." We both laugh it off.
~
Claire POV
I sit next to Aiden and stare down at my lap. The 'adults' have been talking for quite some time, lost in their own little worlds, while Madison, Aiden, and I have all been talking about how boring this dinner is. When I'm about halfway done with my meal I kind of just zone out about everything everyone is talking about.
"Right Claire?" I turn my head to look at Aiden, "Hmm." He grabs my hand and gives it a light squeeze, "Joseph, doesn't know you that well right Claire?" I nod and Joseph objects, "I know her." Aiden snickers, "Oh really. You've been taking about your daughter for the past 5 minutes but do you even know her."
"Of course I know my own daughter." I lick my lips, "Do you? Do you really? What's my favorite animal?" He visibly gulps, "Dog." I shake my head and turn to Aiden, "Aiden?" He smiles, "Dolphin."
I turn back around to Joseph, "What's my favorite color?"
"Pink," Joseph states. Aiden laughs, "Purple and blue," he says with a nonchalant tone.
"What's my favorite period in school?" I cross my arms over my chest. Joseph says, "English."
Aiden places his hands on the table causing a 'thump'. "Lunch. You got every single one of those answers wrong. You don't know Claire so stop pretending like you do." Aiden gets up and storms out of the room. I get up and follow him up the stairs and into his room. I sit next to him and kick off my shoes. I climb on his bed at the opposing end and pull one of his blankets on my lap. "Thank you."
"Someone needed to say it. I couldn't listen to him talking about all of his bliss for your accomplishments." I nod, "Can I stay here tonight?" He laughs, "Do you really even need to ask that question?"
"Well it's still polite to ask anyway." I get up and scan through all of Aiden's shirts in his closet and I still can't find the one I'm looking for. "Aiden where's my shirt?" His head pops into the door. He looks around the room and then picks it up from off of some drawers. "You didn't hang it up last time."
"Are you sure? It smells like you and I'm pretty sure it didn't smell like this from three days ago." He shrugs, "Okay maybe I wore it around the house for a couple of hours. I promise it's not dirty or sweaty though." I nod and usher him out before I take off my shirt and jeans and slide his shirt over my head.
I walk back into the room and hop on the bed. I climb under the covers and start drifting off to sleep. Aiden turns off the light and then climbs in next to me. I place my head on his arm and pull the blanket up to my chest.
I yawn out, "Night, Aiden."
"Night, sweetheart. Sleep tight."
If there are errors or anything. I'm sorry but I'm still sick and I kind of just scribbled this down. If some of it doesn't make sense then whatever. I give up.