"Honey, I'm home." Mark hollered from the doorway.

I froze in place and looked up. Aiden's hands were still on my breasts, pulling the cups down on my bra and my hand was in the top of his shorts. We were like two deer caught in headlights, unable to move.

"Whoa," Mark said with his mouth hanging open. His eyes were wide when he looked at where Aiden was grabbing my chest and then down to my hand, which was about to wrap around Aiden inside his shorts.  I pushed Aiden's hands off me and climbed off of his lap. Aiden pulled a couch pillow on his lap to cover himself as I grabbed my sweatshirt to pull it over my head. 

"Hey Mark, long time no see." I chirped at him. 

"I...um..." Mark was stammering, not sure what to say. He motioned towards the front door and then moved his hands like he was trying to figure out what he just walked in on.  He looked back to the door like he was trying to check to see if he was even in the right apartment. His mouth was hanging open as he looked between us.

"Riley just...uh..."  Aiden tried to come up with something to break the silence in the room.  A smile spread to Mark's face; something was brewing underneath the look he was giving Aiden. Here we go. This was going to be bad.

"Aiden, you on Riley duty tonight?" Mark laughed at his own joke. He went from speechless to Mark in less than half a second.

"Shut up." Aiden pouted on the couch. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at this ridiculous situation. What were we thinking?  Well, I knew what I was thinking when I climbed on his lap, even if I was lying to myself about all the reasons I came here.  I really wasn't here for me. I was here because Ezra hurt me and I wanted him to hurt as much as I was. Aiden was just an innocent bystander in the war raging inside of me.

"Seriously, Aiden, I have a bone to pick with you." Mark said, walking through the living room, laughing.  I was struggling to keep it together. 

"Stop, Mark." Aiden pleaded.

"Riley was Aiden giving you a hard time?" Mark would never stop. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. Aiden jumped up from the couch and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Come on, Aiden." Mark laughed hysterically and then turned to me with a deadpan face. "Seriously, Riley, please don't come on him until I am out of the room."

"You are ridiculous." I smacked Mark on the shoulder and he wrapped me in a huge hug. I squeezed him back. Carefree Mark and his strange humor made me feel lighter than I had in weeks.

"I'm sorry I interrupted you two. Didn't expect to walk in on that." Mark said, letting me go. 

"It's fine, Mark, you didn't know I was here."  My mind was actually somewhat relieved. Mark walked in on us.  I was too busy thinking about Ezra to give myself to Aiden the way he wanted me to.  I might have slept with Aiden, but it was for all the wrong reasons. My heart was with someone else tonight. I was selfish and was using him. Aiden didn't deserve any of this.

"You better go check on him." Mark nudged me.

I nodded and found my way to the back of the apartment. I knocked on Aiden's door before turning the doorknob to open it.  Aiden was sitting on the bed and looked up at me.  His face held the same confusion as I was feeling. I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

He patted the spot on the bed next to him. I shut the door behind me and crossed the room and sat down. 

"I'm sorry I stormed out." Aiden apologized.

"It's ok. One can only take so much Mark."  I bumped his arm.

"I kissed you."  He said softly.

"I think we kissed each other."  I said, not sure where he was headed with this.

"No, that's not what I mean."  He said, turning red. He turned his head to look me in the eye.  His hazel eyes were burning into me.

"What do you mean then?" I asked, not following the conversation.

"The night of the accident.  I took you up to the house because Ezra poured his drink on you.  You were shivering and crying. I offered to let you borrow my sweatshirt and when I went to hand it to you, I didn't let go.  I pulled you close enough to me so I could kiss you."

"Oh." My breath hitched. I was totally caught off guard.

"I almost told you the day you were released from the hospital. I have wanted to tell you for a long time." He said, looking down to the ground.

"I don't remember."  I said, trying to think back to something that would tickle the memory out of the back of my mind. 

"I lied to you the night of the accident.  I have felt guilty about it every day since.  I told you I kissed you because I was drunk. I wasn't drunk, Riley. I had wanted to kiss you for a long time. You let me down gently that night. You told me I didn't love you in the way I thought I did.  But I know how I feel about you, Riley."  He confessed.

"Did Brynn know what happened? Is that why you broke up?"  I asked him, trying to dodge the elephant in the room.  Aiden thought he was in love with me.

"I never told her, but I think she was already suspicious that I had feelings for you.  We used to fight about you a lot. It got way worse right after the accident." 

"I'm sorry if I did something to ruin your relationship with her."  I apologized.

"It wasn't you; it was me.  I wanted to ask you out so many times, but I could never work up the nerve to do it. It was weird because JD and I were such good friends. I practically grew up at your house.  The first night I saw you with Ezra, I knew I had missed my chance.  I couldn't get over the idea of you being with Ezra instead of me. I was jealous and angry, but when he kept screwing everything up, you kept running back to me.  I thought that meant something. Maybe you loved me too. I know this is weird for you, so I understand if you want to leave." Aiden leaned in and whispered into my hair. 

"I really want to stay, but I don't think I'm ready for what just happened out there. I feel really confused. I thought I was getting better, but I think I am still not ready. I'm sorry if I keep giving you mixed signals." I wanted to be honest with Aiden about my feelings. I didn't want him to think he did anything wrong.  I was the one with the baggage.

"I know. I'm not mad.  I think I need some time too. You can have the bed. I'll go to the couch." Aiden said, kissing the top of my head. 

"You don't have to sleep on the couch."  He looked at me, confused by my statement.  "You can stay in here with me. The bed is big enough. You could go sleep next to Mark, but I smell better."  I laughed and bumped my shoulder into his.

"Only a little."  Aiden laughed, poking at me.

"So, you'll stay with me?" 

"You twisted my arm." Aiden leaned in and kissed my shoulder sweetly. 

He stood up and stretched his arms behind his back. He offered me his hand and he pulled me up into a warm hug. I squeezed him back as tight as I could. 

He let me go and pulled back the blankets to climb in the bed.  I went around to the other side and slid in next to him.  I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling silently.  After a few minutes, my thoughts were rudely interrupted by the silly boy lying next to me.

"Psst...Riley...Psst..." He whispered.

"Yes, Aiden." I said, rolling my eyes.

"You still awake?"  He asked.

"No, I'm sleeping." I smiled.

"Oh, ok."  He said softly. "Well, tell me if you wake up."

A few more minutes ticked by and I was tapping my fingers on my stomach and chewing on my lip. I wasn't nervous or uncomfortable next to him. I was just feeling too keyed up to fall asleep.

"Psst...Riley...Psst..." Aiden whispered again.

"What?" I said, laughing at the silly boy who sounded like a thirteen-year-old girl at a slumber party. 

"Do you want to be the big spoon? Because I am totally secure in my masculinity to allow such things." The bed was shaking from his laughter. 

"Goodnight, Aiden." I said, smiling. 

"Night Ry." I closed my eyes and turned towards the wall. 

When I woke up, Aiden was snoring softly sprawled across the bed.  I moved his leg off me and wiggled out from under him. It was no shock to me that Aiden liked to cuddle in his sleep.  I got up and stretched before looking down, watching him sleep peacefully. He remained a perfect gentleman in bed last night. He never even tried to finish what we started on the couch.  He didn't try to push me into doing anything I wasn't ready for.

Aiden was a good guy down to his core.

I kissed his forehead and left the apartment to go think about what I wanted to do.  I still wasn't sure, but I had time to figure it out.  Well, I thought I did, anyway.