"Here you go." Aiden says to me as he sets the plate filled with food down on the table and sits back into the booth directly in front of me.

I give him a short smile as my eyes stare into the crowded plate- a cheeseburger and fries.

Aiden insisted we go get something to eat, and it just so happened to be the same place Mason took me two weeks ago.

I haven't seen him since that night at Club X. As of today, it's been an exact week since we've laid eyes on each other, and my heart constricts at the thought.

I thought it would have been easier, trying to let him go. I guess a part of me figured I'd get over it since he was never really mine in the first place. I can't quite explain how it feels to have your heart ripped out by someone who wasn't even yours.

It's like my mind is betraying my heart in every possible way.

For some reason I can't just let him go.

During this past week I've kept myself busy. Jessica has found every reason to blow up my phone and drag me out of bed, whether it's to spend meaningless hours at the mall or to go to the County Fair that has recently just opened.

It was nice.

Stuffing my face with cotton candy helped a great deal when it came to distracting myself from my own disastrous feelings. I practically hauled Jessica on every ride twice just to experience the euphoric feeling I got whenever we'd fall down the roller coasters highest point.

Feeling like I'm on top of the world; my heart pounding, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, the excitement consuming every inch of my body, the exhilaration and fear of every roller coaster has helped me cope with it all.

Because it's the only way for me to feel everything I felt whenever I was with him.

The only way for me to feel it again was for me to go down the roller coasters peak, close my eyes and let my body become weightless once again.

But then the ride would end, and all my sorrows would come back to haunt me.

I know ending whatever Mason and I had was the only way for me to finally try and move on with my life. Maybe even start fresh, become the person my parents raised me to be- the girl that Aiden fell in love with.

But who knew it would be this damn difficult.

I've only brought him up to Jessica once. It was last night while she was over at my house burying herself in my mint chocolate chip ice cream. She had told me her house feels different without me in it, and I made a comment about how Mason must be having all these girls over again.

The comment I made had me swallowing the bile rising in my mouth, just from the thought of him bringing someone back home.

I pretended like I didn't care what her answer was, but hearing it only made me feel worse.

"Not that I know of." She said to me.

It was vague.

Too vague and I needed more.

I'm still angry with him.

I'm angry that he's capable of making me feel this way. But honestly, I'm even more angry with myself for missing him after everything he's done to me.

Being away from him has only resulted in my realization over just how much I truly care about him.

Fucking bastard.

Aiden has also been a great distraction from it all. I've seen him almost everyday since the club. But I can't help but notice how different he's been acting towards me, something inside him has changed that I can't quite put my finger on.

Even with him sitting across from me now, I feel this strange distant feeling just from how he's looking at me. Even though he's trying his best to cover it with that easygoing smile of his, I see right through it.

I quickly thank him for the food sitting in front of me, and reach over to the ketchup sitting in between us. I grab it, lift the bun of the cheeseburger up and look down at the food.

Pickles.

"Is something wrong?" Aiden asks, eying me closely and I shake my head no, squeezing the ketchup on top of pickles before seeing it down on the table.

"Everything's fine." I quickly say.

It's been what I've been saying all week. I've told that lie so many times I can feel myself almost starting to believe it all.

But truth me told, I'm just going through the motions at this point.

"You know, there was uh, there's actually something I wanted to ask you."

He looks over at me, plopping a fry in his mouth, "Shoot."

I swallow, "That night at the club... You told everyone I was yours, you didn't mean that did you?" He leans in, arms resting on top of the table and I go on, "Because you know that's not true, right?"

I watch as he grabs a napkin out of the metal napkin holder beside us and slowly crumples it in between his fingers. I can't tell if I've upset him, but even if I have he needs to know that we're not where he thinks we are.

"I know." He finally says, and I feel the tension in my body slowly start to deflate.

"Then why did you lie?" He opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to it, "Was it because Mason was there?'

Saying his name sends another dagger through my heart but I try to move past it. Aiden sighs, his eyes finally meeting mine and for a second it looks as though he's debating on whether he should answer me or not.

"Yes." He says, and I don't know if I should be relieved or angry. "I don't like the guy, Elle."

"Aiden-"

"He's just using you, I can see it in his eyes. All he wants is to get into your pants again just to spite me."

"Spite you?"

"He knows how I feel about you, Elle. I've made it very clear."

"So that's why you were acting that way at the club? Because of him?"

He brings his arm up and starts to rub the back of his neck. He almost looks uncomfortable, I've noticed he always does whenever we talk about Mason. But this time it's different, I can see a glint of frustration in his eyes and I lean my back against the booth as I wait for his answer.

"Yes. That night I just felt... I-"

"Jealous?" I ask and his eyes narrow at me. "It isn't a bad word, you can say it, Aiden."

I can feel the anger rising in me. Okay, so Mason is a sensitive topic for me too. But I can't help how protective I feel over him now. Everytime Aiden speaks I can hear the disgust clear in his voice and it drives me mad.

"Yeah, alright I felt jealous. Do you want to know what I think?"

No, but I'm sure you'll tell me.

"I think you shouldn't see him anymore." My eyes flick over to Aidens, and I stare at him in disbelief.

"So now you're telling me who I can and can't see?"

"No, Elle, that's not what I'm trying to do. I just don't trust the guy. I mean, do you?"

His question leaves me silent.

Do I trust Mason?

I'm not even sure what that would even look like at this point.

After a few seconds pass, he opens his mouth to speak, "I just don't want him to hurt you anymore than he already has."

I tear my eyes away from his, "I know you two have history, and I'm not trying to come in between that. But I remember you telling me what he did to you, how he's hurt you, and I would never do that to you."

Sometimes I forget that I told Aiden how Mason left me years ago. When I told him I remember feeling so happily in love with him. It was one night while I was staying over at his house and we were up talking about our deepest, darkest secrets.

I felt like I could tell him anything.

When I told him he brushed his finger against my cheek, wiping the tear that fell away, leaned into me and told me he would never do that to me.

I was so happy.

And here he is, sitting in front of me telling me that again and this time I don't feel a thing.

"I would never hurt you like he has."

My eyes reconnect with his and I'm able to detect the truth behind his words. The guy sitting in front of me would never hurt me the way Mason has, so why can't that be enough?

"I just want the best for you. And if that makes me the bad guy, then so be it. But I'm not going to just sit back and let you become another one of them."

"Them?"

"Another low life degenerate." I press my lips firmly as my eyes widen in shock over his words.

"You don't know anything about them." I defend, my voice becoming tighter as I try to control my anger.

"Anything about them or anything about him?" He questions me.

I blink at him, completely frozen by what he's saying to me. Never before has he ever been this cruel, and it's a sight I could have lived without.

It's clear to me that he doesn't see anything wrong with what he's just said, and it only adds to my bewildered expression.

My mind goes back to what Jessica said to me about Aiden yesterday, and right now in this moment I'm able to finally realize it for myself.

"I love Aiden, Elle, you know that. But sometimes I feel like he's still stuck in high school. We graduated, we're allowed to go off and explore new things. We're allowed to make mistakes just to make them again and again just because we can. You're growing up, you're figuring things out right now and you don't deserve to feel guilty for that. Maybe he just isn't there yet, and that's not your fault. You guys might see things differently and that's okay. But please just don't let him bring you down with him."

She's right, we do see things differently.

But I'm starting to realize that it's only when it comes to him.

"What do you have against him, Aiden? Why do you hate him so much?" I ask him, my voice filled with exhaustion because as of right now that's all I feel.

He looks at me, surprised by my question until he shifts in his seat and motions his head toward my food.

"Your food is getting cold. I have work soon, we should hurry up and finish."

I watch as he picks up his burger and takes a bite, not even giving me a second glance. I keep my mouth shut, refraining from causing a scene and pick up a fry plopping into my mouth.

We eat the rest of our meal in silence, and I can't help but think about everything he's said to me.

Before we came here, we were actually having a good time together. This whole entire week we've managed to keep our feelings about Mason at bay, but he was bound to be brought up eventually.

Ugh, what am I doing? When did everything become so messy and complicated?

Am I really allowed to be angry at Aiden for wanting what's best for me? If I were in his position wouldn't I be saying the same thing? Fuck, I don't know.

Low life degenerates.

Those words onlys stir more emotions in me and although I keep trying to shove them into the back of my mind, they just won't budge. Is that what he thinks about them? About Corey? Alec? Mason? Felix? Jessica?

What did they ever do to him to make him sound so condescending and judgemental?

"Oh, shoot. I'm running late for work, I'll go pay real quick." He says to me, the first words he's spoken to me in fifteen minutes and I nod my head.

I slump back into the booth, my eyes staring up ahead at the white ceiling above us and I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

I hear my phone chime next to me so I snap my eyes back open and pull it out of my back pocket.

It's Jessica.

I sigh, why do I feel so disappointed? It's not like he even has my number.

I open the text and see a picture of her new vibrator that was just delivered. Oh God, sometimes I feel like we are too close.

I continue to look at the picture in front of me, until I start to become envious of it all.

Wait, am I really jealous that Jessica got a vibrator?

I must have really hit rock bottom.

"You ready?"

I lift my head up to see Aiden standing by my side, looking down at me. I nod my head and quickly collect the trash scattered along the table. I place everything onto the tray we were given and stand up from the booth. He follows me as I place the tray onto the counter near the registers, and start to make our way toward the door.

And that's when I see it.

A black Range Rover pulling into the parking lot.

No. It can't be.

Relax, Isabelle. He can't be the only person who drives a Range Rover.

"Why don't we uh, go out through the back? You parked your car out there anyways." I suggest to Aiden.

"Alright." He says, agreeing and I feel myself let out a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding in.

We turn around and walk outside through the exit in silence. I find myself growing overwhelmed at the thought that Mason could have possibly been in that car.

God, what is wrong with me?

I'm letting him get to me so much that I run at the sight of a Camaro. It's pathetic.

I'm pathetic.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Aiden breaks me out of my thoughts, "Calling them that. I didn't mean it. And I don't mean to control you in any way, I just... I can't help how I feel whenever he's around you."

"It's fine."

"No, it isn't." He stops walking and turns to face me, "Let me make up for it."

"Aiden, I-"

"Let me take you out. On a date, a real one. Where I pick you up with flowers in hand, take you to a fancy restaurant, we can share dessert and later when I drop you off, I'll end it with one of those awkward kisses outside your front porch. It'll be like everything you always watch in those cheesy rom-coms you love so much."

A smile breaks free from my lips, as he goes on, "Let me fix things between us."

"I thought we promised to never become one of those cheesy cliche couples." I say, which is true. On our very first date we promised each other to never pay more than $50 on a date. Which always resulted in us either ordering pizza or going to some quick fast food place.

It was a challenge to say the least, but I liked it.

We never had to dress up to go out, or do the most in any sort of way. It was easy. Simple.

"I thought you said we weren't a couple?" He looks at me questionably before breaking out into a fit of laughter, and I join him, nudging his shoulder with my own.

We continue to walk to his car in the parking lot, and while doing so I mentally debate on my answer. Mason and I are done completely and utterly over.

I have to stop letting him interfere with my life.

Somehow he manages to keep doing so even when he isn't in it.

"Fine, but I'm not sharing my dessert." He looks at me, a smile forming on his lips.

"Deal."

Once we finally make it to his car Aiden unlocks the doors and immediately pulls his phone out from his pocket and checks the time.

Oh shit.

My phone.

I pat my front and back pockets and groan, "What's wrong?" He asks me.

"I left my phone in there." He sighs, looking at the time once again, "It's alright, just go."

"No, Elle, I should take you home."

"It's fine, you're going to be late for work." He shoots me a glare, "I only live a few blocks away, I can walk."

"Elle-"

"I'll see you on our date." I add and he gives me a smile, signaling his defeat. "Now, go."

"Friday?" I nod my head and he leans in closer to me.

My body stiffens from him being so close but I force myself to let it happen. He leans into me and plants a single kiss on my cheek. There's no fire, and not a single part of my body was awakened from it, but still I manage to shoot him a smile.

"Text me when you get home."

"I will." I say and turn around on my heel, darting back towards the burger place and praying to God that it's still there.

I open the back door once again and walk inside. My feet instantly carry me over to where we just were, and to my surprise it's not there. My stomach drops at the sight of the table being empty, not a single crumb is on it.

I walk over to the registers where I of course find the same blond haired blue eyed bimbo who checked Mason and I out the last time we were here. Throughout my time here with Aiden I had managed to somehow ignore her and her inquisitive glares. But since she's the only one up here, it seems I'm left with no choice but to talk to her.

"Have you seen my phone? I left it here a couple minutes ago."

"Who was that boy you were with? Boyfriend of yours?" She ignores my question, smacking the gum in her mouth obnoxiously.

"No-"

"And what about that other one? The guy with all those tattoos? He single?"

I feel a pit of jealousy growing inside of me from her questions but the fire in me is extinguished when I once again, remember that he isn't mine. Me telling Mason that we couldn't see each other anymore was the breaking point between us. Which means, he's able to do as he pleases.

Even if it's with her.

"He is." I say through my teeth. "Now, my phone?"

"What? Oh, haven't seen it." She says to me, even though the look on her face proves to me that she's lying. She knows exactly where it is.

I roll my eyes, letting out an agitated huff as I strive out towards the front door. I'll worry about it tomorrow and just pray she isn't working. Or maybe I'll just buy a new one, and never have to see her face again. That sounds good too.

I open the front door to the restaurant and my body turns to the right in an attempt to walk over to my house. Instead, my body collides with another. It feels rock hard and I stumble back, immediately apologizing for whoever I just walk into.

I lift my head up, and my face falls when I see the emerald green eyes I have gone seven days without.

At this point I don't even know if what I'm seeing in front of me is real. I'm afraid to take my eyes off him only to have him disappear and realize that I've only imagined it all.

That he wasn't really here standing right in front of me.

But at the same time, I'm afraid he is.

He looks down at me, our eyes both studying each other's faces and I take the time to memorize the sight in front of me just in case I never see it again.

His full pink lips sly into a lopsided smile, but it's gone as quick as it came and I find myself growing disappointed over it.

I swallow anxiously, trying to get a hold of myself as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Looking for this?" He says to me and holds up my phone for me to see.

I don't even know what to say, my heart is practically beating out of my chest just from him being near me again. I can feel my body slowly succumb back to life, the pit once filled with fire is now relit and here I stand breathless, unable to think or speak.

"Ye-yes. My phone, hand it over." I demand, sounding more confident than I feel.

Just as I reach my hand out to grab it, he pulls his back, refusing me.

"Mason, give me my phone."

"Fine." He says and my eyes flick back to his green ones. Those beautiful green orbs are enough to make my legs go weak, and I break contact before they break down under me.

"On one condition." He adds and I scoff at his words, shaking my head. "There's something you need to do for me first."

A.N.

Helllooooo readers!

First off, I am so sorry I haven't posted in five whole days. It's been a long week. I am so happy this story has reached 70k reads! That's absolutely insane. 

Thank you, thank you.

Don't forget to vote & comment!