Secrets and Things (MxM)

Chapter 72 - What's happening right now?

POV: 3rd Person

The need to die and disappear from the face of the earth had never been stronger till now for Aiden. Bradley ended up following through and brought his other brothers with their respective dates in tow (the word date should die was what Aiden was also thinking). Ever since their arrival a couple of minutes back, all they had said was good evening then every single one of them observed Aiden like he was some zoo animal (minus Alex's date, who was on Instagram, writing out a caption for some post).

Aiden wanted to scream, run, jump, fly and punch them but he opted to look for his grandpa and avoid their piercing gazes. The tension created in mere seconds was so suffocating, that he felt he'll drown any second.

"Looking for someone Aidy?" said Alex in his deep, musky voice that was coated in amusement.

Aiden cringed at the name and prevented snapping at his brother for it. "Yeah. Gramps. I'm here for his birthday and I can't find the birthday boy himself."

"Shouldn't you be looking for your date instead?" This was from Marcel and unlike the other, his cool tone gave away no sort of emotion. Typical for a detailed guy like him.

"And why is that?" Aiden said absently due to his full concentration on finding his gramps to use as a method of escape.

"Because," Marcel said dispassionately, "vi är alla här för att se datumet (we are all here to see the date) and precious time was being wasted."

The words ticked off Aiden and once again, he internally thanked himself for drinking a shit ton earlier for the liquid courage. "Jag sa inte att du ska vara här (I did not tell you to be here)," Aiden sniped back, "it was all the third youngest's idea. If you want to go socialise with the other pretentious fuckheads, by all means, do so. I ain't stopping ya."

Small gasps from the ladies echoed through and Aiden's brother shifted from being condescending to ice cold. Aiden trembled at the change but hid it. They stared at him longer in silence before their expressions turned to normal/playful.

"We could keep chattering with the other guests," Alex pointed out, "but we're more interested in your date and who they are. Marcel is just being the usual uptight bastard."

Aiden kept his emotions at bay as he refuted back. "I don't see why, especially since you guys weren't interested in anything that has me in it. Plus, whoever said I was bringing someone well known. For all we know, they could be my average co-worker."

"Are they your average co-worker?" asked Bradley.

"No comment," I responded.

"Regardless of status or not, we want to meet them and get to know them. Our little brother is known for keeping many secrets from us and so the fact he brought someone from his mysterious life is worth checking up on," Marcels said in an informative tone.

Aiden was quickly running out of ideas and excuses to get out of the situation and the sweating wasn't helping. "But wouldn't that be suspicious," Aiden added with an undertone of panic, "why would the hosts of the party be interested in a mere date of an average guest. It might give way to the relationship we have with one another and I'm sure that's the last thing either of us wants."

Marcel opened his mouth to say something but was quickly interrupted by Bradley's smug questions. "Why Aiden, how come you sound so panicked? Is it because you're nervous to introduce your friend, or something more, to your big bros? Or is it some other reason? Like how you lied about having a date at all and now you're trying to save yourself?"

The allegation got the group to look at Aiden with even more interest and in a more doubtful manner. I should just come clean he thought, I'll survive the blasted punishment, it won't kill me... but it might want me to kill myself in the process as well as lose all my dignity. Never mind, it's not worth it.