Falling for my Best Friend’s Bully

I made an exaggerated show of checking the time on my phone. "Your five minutes start now."

Aiden chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How are you?"

I shrugged, keeping my voice neutral. "I'm fine."

He nodded slowly, his eyes searching mine. "I'm sorry about you and Noah. I know it's my fault your friendship is strained right now."

"It is actually your fault, Aiden. I don't get why you're acting so weird, but it's definitely messing with other parts of my life—especially with Noah."

"You really don't get it, Ellie?" Aiden asked, his tone calm but deliberate.

"Should I?!"

Aiden's lips curved into a small smile. "I don't do subtle, Ellie. I thought I was being pretty obvious. I like you."

I like you.

The words echoed in my ears, and I felt my cheeks flush. I shook my head slowly, taking a step back.

"Please don't walk away," Aiden said.

I muttered, "You've got to be joking. You can't like me."

"I'm not joking, Ellie," Aiden replied firmly.

I stared up at Aiden, completely dumbfounded. He closed the distance between us with a single step. A familiar scent of vanilla and a hint of musk, like warm cologne, filled the air, grounding me in the moment.

"When you ended my call earlier, it really stung. But I deserve it… I deserve a whole lot worse. What I don't deserve, though, is the chance to get to know you. Unfortunately for you and Noah, that's exactly what I'm asking for."

I stood frozen, unsure of how to respond. His words hit me like a punch, but it was his proximity, the way his presence seemed to fill the space, that made it hard to breathe.

"You don't get to just walk in here and decide what you deserve," I finally said, my voice shaky but firm. "You don't get to decide what I deserve either."

Aiden's expression softened, almost regretful, but there was something else there too—determination. "Maybe I don't get to decide. But I'm asking for a chance anyway."

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to step away, to push him back. But something in his eyes—something raw—made it hard to do.

"Ellie, can we hang out after class tomorrow? Just… talk. Get to know each other a little better," Aiden said, his voice low but sincere, as though he were testing the waters.

I hesitated, his words stirring something in me I wasn't ready to confront. I didn't trust him, not fully, but the idea of spending more time with him felt impossible to ignore.

"Why now?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. "What's changed?"

Aiden met my gaze with a mixture of honesty and frustration. "Nothing's changed, Ellie. I've just realized I don't want to keep pretending I won't rather see you everyday."

I swallowed, torn between the urge to push him away and the sudden desire to understand what he meant. "Alright," I said, finally. "After class."

Aiden gave me a cheeky smile. "You won't regret it."

I rolled my eyes and glanced at my phone. "I better not. Since we are project partners, maybe getting to know each other will help."

Aiden nodded, his gaze locked on me so intently it felt impossible to hold eye contact for too long. My pulse quickened, but I forced myself to stay still under the weight of it.

"Well, it's been practically five minutes, so I gotta…" I trailed off, gesturing vaguely behind me, unsure how to finish without sounding completely awkward.

His lips curved slightly, but his eyes stayed serious. "Right. Wouldn't want to keep you from… whatever's next."

"Yeah," I mumbled, stepping back. "See you around."

"You mean tomorrow," Aiden said, his lips quirking into a faint smirk.

I smiled, feeling a little lighter. "Yeah. See you tomorrow, Aiden. Be a good kid and show up for class."

He raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly. "Good kid? That's a tall order. But I'll try."

"Try harder," I shot back, already taking a step away.

"Count on it," he replied, his voice steady and sure, the words lingering in the air long after I was gone.