Mari Kim released a resolute no. She was starting to lose trust in her daughter. No one spends an entire weekend at a sleepover, she thought.

Emily's heart pounded in her ears. She hadn't seen enough of Aiden at school. They didn't share any classes. The only chance she had to see him was lunch, which was spent with their friends. She craved his closeness. His sweet words. His goofy laugh and cocky smile. She wanted him, badly.

"Please, mother. I won't ask you for anything else ever again," Emily pleaded from across the marble counter, waiting for the fat-full cookies to bake.

Mari frowned, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at her weak daughter. I should've had a son, she reflected, thinking about the family name. It would end with her.

"I said no. My word is final," she spat out, setting her jaw. Her eyes sparked with fury at her disrespectful daughter.

Emily's lips parted slightly, her heart hurting. She needed Aiden to breathe. He was the only one she wanted to comfort her, to calm her pulsing veins. There must be another way, she pondered.

"I-I was going to see Nathan. He can come over here, right?"

Mari Kim's eyes searched her daughter's face, looking for any signs of guilt. She couldn't find any.

"He's the gay boy?"

Emily inwardly cringed at how critical her mother sounded. She nodded, her brows furrowing slightly.

Mari huffed.

"Fine. He can stay over. I don't want you whoring around with anyone in our house. You've got responsibilities to uphold as a Kim."

Emily's head tilted down.

"Yes, mother."

The timer rung in the background. Emily grabbed a mitt and opened the oven, pulling the cookies out. She set the pan down on the white marble counter.

"Perfect. Did you make the snickerdoodles this time? You know they're my favorite," her mother mused.

"I did," Emily responded monotonously.

"Look up when you're spoken to," Mari Kim chastised.

Emily's head shot up. She wanted to glare at her mother, but she couldn't. She didn't need more reprimanding.

Mari grabbed a cookie from the still warm pan, bringing the sweet treat to her mouth. Biting down on the cinnamon sugar dessert, she watched her daughter shift the balance in her feet.

"Also, I'm going to a conference on Saturday. It's in Seattle, so I'll likely be back on Sunday. Just a quick trip, but I'm grounding you for the time being. Stay in the house, do you understand?" her eyes narrowed as she pointed warningly at her suspicious daughter.

"It's not like we could anywhere anyway," Emily grumbled under her breath.

Her mother's eyes flared.

"What did you say?" She raised her voice, demanding control.

"Nothing," Emily spoke out. "We won't go anywhere."

Mari grabbed another cookie.

"Good. And tell your friend not to try on any of my clothes. I don't want him stretching them out. I have a figure to uphold."

Emily sighed quietly.

"He's not like that," she reciprocated.

"Sure he isn't," Mari replied, not convinced.

Emily pursed her lips, wishing her mother would just eat her cookies in silence. Mari looked at her daughter, wondering why she was still here.

"You may leave," Mari commented, hoping Emily would take the hint.

Emily reached for a cookie, but as her fingers brushed the crisp outer layer, her mother smacked her hand away.

"These are mine. Now go study or something." 

She stared daringly at Emily.

"Yes, mother," she nodded, bowing slightly in submission.

She walked swiftly out of the kitchen, holding her head up high, before dashing into her room and crumbling on the ground.

Hearing her soft tears, Mari crushed the cookie in her palm, watching the crumbles fall to the ivory counter. She smiled.

Emily stood up, her breath quivering. Rushing to her nightstand, she opened it and pulled out a card. Aiden's card. Holding it to her heart, she dropped onto her bed.

She reached beneath her shirt, pulling her phone out of her bra. Opening her contacts, she held the business card up as she typed in the numbers, her hands shaking.

Her body was moving on autopilot. She needed someone to talk to... and that someone was Aiden. She pressed the call button.

It rung.

And rung.

And rung.

Then finally... You have reached the phone of Aiden Armstrong. Please leave your message at the tone... beep.

Oh gosh, she didn't want this. She was nervous enough as it was.

"Um... Hey Aiden. It's me. I-I mean... it's Emily. Kim," she rushed out her last name, in case he knew other girls named Emily. She felt stupid. "I just... needed someone to talk to, I guess. Call me if you get this."

She pressed the end call button. Oh no, I forgot to say bye, she thought.

She threw her phone on the bed, holding her face as her head fell back onto the mattress.

Seconds later, her phone buzzed. Eyes widening, she flipped over on the bed and snatched the device.

She didn't immediately recognize the number but answered anyway. She held the phone to her ear.

"What's wrong?" a masculine voice demanded.

She sighed in relief. It was the voice of her beloved. Wait no, beloved? Where did that come from?

"Aiden," she whispered.

"What happened Emily? I'm coming over," Aiden spoke, determination lacing his tone.

He sounded like he was in a rush. She heard a door slam in the background. Then, a motor revved up. She gasped.

"Aiden... Aiden wait. I'm fine."

"Then why were you crying?" he asked, taking in deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart.

He pulled the key out of the ignition, his phone in between his shoulder and ear as he watched the garage door open. His breath thickened.

"Oh... that. I-I can't be with you this weekend."

He heaved a sigh, leaning against the motorcycle seat. He gripped the phone and held it to his other ear.

"That's okay. I'll miss you, but... I understand if you're busy or..."

He paused, hoping she wasn't breaking up with him.

"N-no. It's my mother," she rushed out, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"Your mother?"

She gulped.

"Yeah," she responded, tears welling in her eyes.

"Did she make you cry?" he asked, feeling his protective instincts rise inside him.

She wiped away a falling tear.

"That's not important. Anyway," she sniffed. "Nathan's coming over."

He nodded.

"I understand."

She smiled.

"He's just a friend," she reassured.

"I know," he replied. He trusted Nathan with her.

"I'll... I'll miss you," she whispered.

He smiled. She could sense it, her heart warming.

"I'll miss you too, babe," he grinned, using the pet name she hated.

She laughed, the sound warming his heart. He missed her already.

"Goodbye."

"Bye," he responded.

She clicked the end call button. Blushing, a giddy smile etched its way up her face. She pressed her entire body into the mattress, giggling into her comforter as she thought of Aiden, the memory of her terrible mother behind her.