Stuck with You

by Alexandra Moody

  He tugged on his lapels. “My prom getup. So, do you like my threads?”

  “Well, they’re different.”

  “But, amazingly different, right?”

  “Ah, sure…”

  “That was also his Halloween costume last year,” Aiden replied.

  I slowly looked over the suit again. “That’s a costume? What are you supposed to be?”

  “I’m heaven,” Elliot said, walking over to me. “And we’re missing an angel, so I came here to collect you…”

  I burst out laughing. “That’s a terrible pickup line.”

  He didn’t seem to mind as he grinned proudly. “So, angel, we dancing or what?”

  The song changed as Elliot spoke, and something more upbeat came on over the speakers. I actually really loved this song, and I started to smile more brightly.

  “We’re definitely dancing.”

  The three of us began to move around our makeshift dance floor. I wasn’t sure if what we were doing could be called dancing though. For the most part, we were laughing as we jumped up and down and spun around. The boys seemed determined to outdo each other with their novelty dance moves. Elliot would wave his arms and legs around like a sprinkler only to have Aiden turn around and fall into “the worm.”

  The only cheesy dance move I knew was “the robot,” but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Especially once I saw Aiden pull off a moonwalk. I had no idea how he managed to make it look so smooth, but I refused to embarrass myself after that.

  When Elliot started twerking, I clutched my stomach with laughter. He threw his whole body into it, and it was both horrifying and awesome at the same time. I’d almost forgotten the rest of our class was on the video call. The two Moore brothers were completely distracting and all the entertainment you could ever need at an iso-prom.

  Aiden rested an arm across my shoulder as we watched his brother making a fool out of himself. It felt oddly comfortable to have his arm around me, and I was surprised my immediate reaction wasn’t to shrug him off. Aiden’s eyes were bright as he smiled down at me.

  “So, are you twerking next?” he asked.

  “God, no.”

  “How about a running man?”

  “In these heels? No way.”

  “I’ll just have to show you another one of my moves then.”

  I didn’t have a chance to react as Aiden took my hand and spun me. I laughed as I whirled around, but as I came to face him once more, his arm wrapped around my waist. He lowered me toward the floor in one smooth movement.

  His face hovered over mine as he smiled. His expression was cute and boyish, and he looked so happy I couldn’t stop a smile of my own from forming in return. Neither of us moved as he held me in his arms. I felt trapped in the moment. Shouts from the video call jerked us both out of the position though.

  Aiden pulled me upright once again, and I quickly stepped away as we both turned toward the screen. My cheeks were flushed, and I hoped no one had seen the moment we’d just shared. It seemed a pretty safe assumption they hadn’t caught it, because most people looked like they were bringing their iso-proms to an end. They were all shouting out their goodbyes, and their displays were blinking out as they logged off the call.

  It felt like our iso-prom had only just started, but I imagined it was more fun when you were actually celebrating with your friends in person, rather than your parents or, in Zoey’s case, a cat.

  Aiden turned down the music, and we said our goodbyes to everyone before he ended the call. From the way Zoey was looking at me before she hung up, I felt certain my phone would be blowing up with messages from her tonight. I was almost relieved I’d left it upstairs because I wasn’t sure I was ready to face any questions she might have about Aiden.

  “Well, kids, iso-prom’s been fun,” Elliot said. “Any chance you want one last dance with me, angel?”

  “Um…”

  Aiden grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulders and steered him from the room before I could respond. “Good night, Elliot,” he said, as he pushed him out of the room and closed the door behind him. I could hear Elliot grumbling out in the corridor as he walked away, and I smiled. He was a pretty cute kid.

  Aiden slowly turned to me, and the smile on my face lowered as I took in his expression. We’d been goofing around all night, but Aiden’s laughing eyes and happy smile were gone, and he was staring at me in a completely different way. Now that it was just the two of us in the room, the whole situation suddenly felt more intimate. I started playing with the daisy tied around my wrist as he walked back toward me.

  “So, what do you say? One last dance for the night?” His usual arrogance was gone, and a hint of worry entered his gaze, as though he was anxious I’d reject him.

  I took a deep breath in. I wasn’t sure why I was so apprehensive at the thought. It was just Aiden who was asking. Aiden, the boy who made it his mission in life to annoy me, who loved nothing more than getting under my skin, who I wasn’t at all interested in. Right?

  I wasn’t as certain of the answer to that question as I thought I’d be. I wasn’t quite ready for the night to end though, so I nodded in response. The words of agreement stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t seem to bring myself to say them aloud.

  Aiden let out a relieved breath and went over to his laptop to change the song. I didn’t recognize the music as the track changed, but it was a soft, melodic tune, and the lyrics were pretty.

  Aiden was hesitant as he approached me and so gentle as he wrapped his arms around me to dance. I lightly placed my hands against his firm chest and allowed him to slowly spin me around the room.

  For once, we didn’t talk. He didn’t throw me any cheeky smiles or winks, and there was a softness to his gaze I’d never seen before. As I stared into his eyes, I began to wonder how well I really knew Aiden, because the way he was looking at me right now was so different from every other day. He was looking at me like I was something precious, and I didn’t know how to feel about it.

  When the song ended and he lowered his arms from around me, I felt suddenly cold. I wrapped my arms across my waist, waiting for my body to stop craving the return of his warmth. I shouldn’t want any part of Aiden close to me, but I couldn’t deny the feeling was there.

  “Thanks for the perfect iso-prom,” I said, trying to fill the silence. Our usual banter seemed to dampen the electric tension that always buzzed between us. It was like a coat of armor I wore to help blunt Aiden’s effect on me. Without it, there was nothing but raw electricity pulsing between us, and I needed my shields back up before I did something stupid like give in to the strange feelings swirling through me.

  “It was nothing,” he replied with a shrug. “But I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  We kept staring into each other’s eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to look away. He was still standing so close to me, and all it would take was one small step for me to close the gap between us. That one step felt more like a giant leap though, and taking it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to return to his embrace. But the fact I was considering it said something too.

  “I should probably head to bed.” I stepped back. My heart dipped with disappointment, and the sense of queasiness that rushed through me made me feel like I’d made a mistake. I should have stepped toward him rather than moving farther away.

  Aiden released a breath, and his shoulders slouched as though he was disappointed too. He nodded though and gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you then.” I turned and left the room as quickly as my feet would carry me. Even once I was up in my bedroom with the door closed, I still couldn’t shake the way Aiden had made me feel, and the rush of uncertainty I’d felt downstairs seemed to haunt me.

  I couldn’t like Aiden. I just couldn’t. But, as I stared at the small daisy around my wrist, I didn’t feel so sure.

  16

  Aiden

 
; “Oh, you both look so gorgeous together!” Mom exclaimed. She was looking at my phone and gushing over the pictures of Clary and me from the night before. She started laughing at one of them, so I looked over her shoulder and found she’d gotten to the selfies I’d taken of Elliot, Clary, and me while we were dancing together.

  “Aw, that’s so sweet you included your brother,” she said. “But what on Earth is he wearing? Is that his Halloween costume?”

  “It is.” I chuckled. “I think he’s in need of a new suit because that’s all he had on such short notice.”

  Mom shook her head. “Well, it looks like the three of you had fun. I wish I’d been home to see you all dressed up.”

  “I can go put the suit back on now if you like?”

  She smiled. “No need for that. The photos are fine.” She passed my phone back to me as I took a seat at the kitchen counter with her.

  “You and Clary make a cute couple.” She was eyeing me closely, as if she was probing me for a response. I wasn’t about to tell my mom how I felt about Clary though. I couldn’t completely deny it either, or she’d use her momtuition on me and totally discover I was hiding feelings. The only way of getting out of this unscathed was to play along with it.

  “Yeah, we’d probably make really cute babies too,” I added. “You know, we should probably just cut to the chase and get married already.”

  Mom rolled her eyes but laughed.

  “What? I’m serious.”

  She stood up from the counter and tussled my hair before walking over to refill her coffee cup.

  “What are you serious about?” Clary asked as she entered the room.

  She was wearing a pair of pajama shorts and her zombie survival T-shirt again, which made me smile. The shirt swamped her, making her look tiny. Her hair was in a messy bun, and the makeup she’d been wearing yesterday was completely gone. The funny thing was, I thought she looked as beautiful in this outfit as she did in her prom dress. Maybe even more.

  I’d been lost in her appearance, so I hadn’t really heard her question. It seemed to register a few seconds later, and I had to resist swearing under my breath. She couldn’t have come into the conversation at a worse time.

  “I was just telling Mom how we’re going to get married and have cute kids,” I explained. I directed a flirtatious smile her way, glad she couldn’t hear the way my heart was racing and hoping she couldn’t see that, while I sounded like I was winding her up, I wasn’t really joking at all.

  Clary’s eyes widened. “We only went to iso-prom together. That doesn’t mean marriage and kids.”

  “But Mom was just saying how excited she was about becoming a grandparent.”

  Mom threw me a stern look. “I said nothing of the sort,” she replied before turning to Clary. “I was simply saying you both looked stunning together in your pictures from last night.”

  “Don’t lie, Mom. You totally want Clary and me to make you cute grandbabies.”

  Mom chose to ignore my comment. “Your dress was beautiful, Clary. I’m glad you got a chance to wear it. You really looked gorgeous.”

  “Thanks, Jade,” Clary murmured, her cheeks flushing at the compliment. “Are you working today?”

  Mom let out a relieved sigh. “No, not today. I’ve got a million different other things to do though. I’m hoping I can tick a few things off my to-do list this morning and spend some of the afternoon relaxing in bed. It’s been a crazy week.”

  Crazy seemed like an understatement. Mom had barely been home over the last few days. Her skin was pale, and there were tired bags under her eyes. She was working herself into the ground at the hospital, but I couldn’t seem to convince her to take it easy.

  I was just relieved she was finally taking a day to rest. I’d been growing increasingly worried about her. I knew she was taking precautions so she didn’t catch the virus, but working this hard wasn’t good for her health. I was legitimately concerned she’d collapse from exhaustion if she kept up at this rate.

  “Your to-do list better not have anything too taxing on it,” I said.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” she replied.

  “And you’re going to make sure you rest.”

  She chuckled under her breath. “Yes, I promise I’m going to rest.”

  “Good.”

  “Since you’ll be home tonight, I was wondering if I could make you all something for dinner?” Clary asked.

  “That sounds lovely.” Mom smiled warmly, admiring Clary like she was the daughter she always wanted. As much as she might have laughed it off, my comment about marriage and babies with Clary had probably made my mom’s day.

  She took a sip of her coffee before glancing at her watch, and her eyes widened when she saw the time. “Is that the time already? I better get started for the day.”

  Mom didn’t wait for a response before she left the room. That was typical of my mother though. Even when she was exhausted and it was her day off, she still wanted to make the most of her time.

  “Um, Aiden…”

  I turned to Clary. She had one hip rested against the kitchen counter just next to me, a coffee cup already clasped in her hand. If there was one thing I’d learned about Clary in our short time living together, it was that she lived on caffeine. There was pretty much always a coffee in her hand.

  “What’s up?”

  “I was hoping you could take me to the supermarket to pick up a few ingredients for dinner.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure.”

  A slight frown creased her brow at my response. “That simple, huh? No demand for a favor in return? I don’t have to wear my prom dress again?”

  “I mean, you can wear your prom dress again if you want…”

  She shook her head at me, but a small smile cracked her lips. “I’d rather not. If I go get changed, can you take me now? I’m hoping it will be a little quieter at the supermarket at this time of day, and I want to avoid people as much as possible.”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh, and maybe check if your mom and brother need us to pick anything up for them too.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before she scurried from the room. I stared after her, feeling slightly disappointed. I was somewhat hoping she’d bring up last night. It had felt like things between us had started shifting when we’d danced at our iso-prom, but there was no hint Clary felt that way today. Disappointingly, it seemed nothing had changed.

  I started up the stairs to my room to grab a pair of shoes and socks when my phone started to ring. A picture of Seth and I celebrating one of his big basketball wins last year popped up on the screen. I entered my bedroom and answered as I closed the door behind me.

  “Hey, man,” I said in greeting.

  “Dude, how did it go after the call ended last night?”

  I immediately knew he was referring to Clary. I’d messaged him the moment I came up with the iso-prom idea, and he’d texted right back asking if I was setting it up for Clary. It seemed like he knew what I was thinking better than I did sometimes. Admittedly, it was hardly a subtle attempt.

  “It went…” I scrunched up my face as I tried to find the right word, but I struggled to describe what was going on between Clary and me. I sighed and shrugged. “Well, it went.”

  “So, not good, huh?”

  I shifted my phone to prop it up between my shoulder and ear as I started to search through my drawers for a pair of socks. “Not bad, but not great either. We danced for one more song after we ended the call, and it felt like perhaps she was starting to feel something for me. But nothing happened, and she went to her room. She’s acting like nothing is different between us today. I must have read too much into things.”

  “So, you’re telling me that the great Aiden Moore unleashed all of his charms last night and still didn’t land the girl?”

  I glared down at my sock drawer. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Tell me about it,” I muttered. “I’m kind
of running out of things to try with her here.”

  “Maybe you’ve gone about this all wrong,” Seth said. “Maybe you should just be honest with her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I saw the way you two were last night, and I don’t think she’s as immune to your charms as you think. You should just tell her how you feel.”

  I fell silent. Did Seth really believe Clary might feel something for me after iso-prom? I’d been having my doubts, but maybe he’d seen something I hadn’t.

  My heart was racing just at the thought of telling her the truth, and I wasn’t sure I could do it until I was certain she liked me back. I’d tried being honest and asking her out before, but it had failed miserably. My feelings had only grown since then, and I didn’t think I could handle her rejection again.

  “I’m not sure I can do that,” I replied.

  “Why not?”

  I huffed out a breath and pushed a hand roughly through my hair. “Because she’ll reject me. She’s completely oblivious to the connection between us, and there’s no way she feels the same way. I need more time to make her see how great we could be together. I need to be sure of her feelings before I put mine on the line. I’ve already felt the sting of Clary’s rejection before, and I can’t go through it again.”

  “You don’t know how she feels.”

  I let out a sad laugh. “Yeah, I do. Like I said, I saw her this morning, and she acted totally normal, like nothing even happened last night. I don’t have a chance with her. Maybe I should just give up.”

  I sounded pathetic even to my own ears.

  “Well, you definitely won’t have a chance if you give up,” Seth replied. “And are you really going to let the fact that she refused to go out with you years ago stop you from going after her now? I know you don’t believe you’re worthy of Clary but you are.” His voice was serious now, and I hated the sympathetic tone I could hear in his words. I didn’t need sympathy from anyone, let alone my best friend.

  “You have the biggest heart of anyone I know,” he continued. “And if Clary can’t see what a great guy you are after spending all this time with you, then you need to move your attention on to someone else.”