Falling for my Best Friend’s Bully

"Nice cookies," Noah said with a lazy smile, swallowing the last bite.

I nodded. "You would think so, considering you ate practically all of them."

"Ellie, I'm a growing boy."

"You're nineteen. You're an adult."

"So mean!"

I laughed, sinking deeper into the bean bag chair. Across from me, Noah lounged on the couch, still smiling as he fiddled with his phone.

His smile stretched into a grin. "Heck yeah—no classes tomorrow! The universe loves me." He stretched his arms over his head with a satisfied sigh.

"What about you, Ellie? Are you free tomorrow? We could binge-watch movies tonight and sleep in."

"I think I have a class tomorrow at noon," I said, leaning back into the bean bag chair with a sigh.

"That sucks," Noah said. "We really need a night just to ourselves. Movies, snacks, zero interruptions."

I hesitated for a moment before asking, "But what about your roommate? Do you have one yet?"

Noah's smile faltered briefly, and I instantly regretted bringing it up. I knew he was still adjusting after Aiden moved out. I knew he didn't yet know what to make of Aiden's supposedly caring decision.

"Nope," he said, forcing a grin. "Still roommate-free, thank God. Honestly, it's been great living by myself. I hope they don't bring anyone too soon."

I nodded, trying to match his light tone. "I guess that means we don't have to worry about anyone interrupting our bad movie marathon, huh?"

"Exactly," he said, relaxing again. "See? The universe is finally cutting me a break."

I smiled, relieved that the mention of Aiden hadn't dampened his mood. "Alright, fine. Bad movies and snacks it is. But don't complain when I fall asleep halfway through."

"Deal," he said with a laugh. "But don't blame me if you wake up to me rewatching the worst horror movie I can find."

I smiled and stood up. "Lemme grab some stuff from my room. I'll be back soon to spend the night."

Noah stood as well, stretching lazily. "Alright. I'll dig through my movies to find the absolute worst ones."

"Oh gosh, I'm so excited," I said, my voice dripping with deadpan sarcasm.

Noah grinned. "You should be. This is gonna be epic."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling as I left his room. The hallway was mostly empty—hardly surprising for 10 p.m. on a school night.

As I walked past the mixed suite, a sudden voice made me yelp.

"Ellie."

I froze and turned toward the sound. My eyes locked with Aiden's.

He was the only one in the mixed suite with the door wide open. He leaned casually against the vending machine, a crumpled packet of crisps in one hand.

His expression was unreadable, but there was something about the way he said my name that sent a shiver down my spine.

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Dude, seriously, stop with all the sneak-ups."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, casually popping another crisp into his mouth. "Sneak-ups? I'm just trying to get your attention, which you're clearly unsure about giving me."

My face burned, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I hated how calm he always was, like he had all the time in the world to analyze my every move.

And I hated even more how good he looked in just joggers and a tank top, his curls tied back under a satin scarf that somehow made him look effortlessly cool.

"Why do you want my attention, Aiden?" I asked, folding my arms tighter, trying to sound annoyed instead of flustered.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze steady. "Can you come inside? It's weird having a conversation with you standing out there like I'm interrogating you in the hallway."

I hesitated, glancing past him into the room. It was surprisingly tidy with only him in it. Still, I wasn't sure if stepping inside was a good idea.

Aiden had a knack for making people uncomfortable—not in an overt way, but in a subtle, disarming way that left you second-guessing everything.

"I'm kind of in the middle of something," I said, shifting my weight.

"Ellie," he said, his tone softening just enough to catch me off guard, "it'll only take five minutes. Promise."

I glanced down, hoping the dim light in the hallway would hide my now completely red face.

"Yeah, okay then," I muttered, stepping inside before I could overthink it.

Aiden smiled—a slow, satisfied smile that made my stomach flip—and pushed himself away from the vending machine. He tossed the empty bag of chips into the waste bin without looking and came to stand right in front of me, close enough that I could catch the faint scent of his cologne.

"Finally," he said, his voice low and steady. "No distractions."

I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how quiet the suite was. His words hung in the air, carrying a weight I didn't know how to interpret.

"What do you want, Aiden?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as I looked up at him.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering. "What I've always wanted, Ellie. Your time."