Page 19

There’s a part of me that really doesn’t want to go without Travis, but I’ve pushed our friend group aside for so long now, that I really need to make an appearance. I tell myself that they stepped back when my mom got sick because things were too heavy, but in all reality, I sort of pushed everyone else away. Everyone except for him. He would never let me push him away. Even on the days that I physically shoved him, screaming at him to just leave me alone, he held me tight to his chest. He let me cry in his arms until I fell asleep.
The thought of it all makes it even harder right now to cope with the fact that he’s not around. He’s never ghosted like this in our entire lives.
Swallowing a lump in my throat, I shove back the thoughts that something bad may have happened and I pick up my iPod. Putting my earbuds in, I lay down and curl up in bed, turn my music on shuffle and close my eyes.
Music and another sleepless night.
“Damn Spencer, loving the hair freak,” a deep voice snickers from behind me as my hair gets carelessly swatted to the side. I’d know that voice anywhere.
Aiden Tucker.
“What do you want Aiden?” I sigh in annoyance as I lift the lid to the cooler, pushing aside ice and cans, eventually settling on a bottle of Smirnoff Ice.
He steps in closer until he’s nearly touching me, and he walks his fingertips gingerly across my shoulder as I shut the lid to the cooler. I try to shrug him away, but his light touches give way to a firm grip on my shoulder.
“You know, I was headed over to the keg, and I saw a chick from behind and thought to myself, ‘Fuck, Aiden. Who’s the bitch with the fat ass and bright red hair? New Girl?’ Imagine my surprise when that chick turned out to be none other than Spencer Maddox.”
“Get lost creep,” I shrug my shoulder again, shifting my eyes over to the bonfire where my friends are laughing and drinking without a care in the world. They can’t see me all the way over here. It makes me feel uneasy, but Aiden Tucker is harmless. Mostly.
He has been a thorn in my side ever since Sophomore year when we were partnered together for Chemistry class. For some reason this total douche canoe decided he was going to focus all of his energy on insulting me while simultaneously trying to talk me into banging him. For the most part, when Travis is around, he avoids me like the plague, but with Trav being M.I.A., Aiden Tucker has zoned in on me once again.
Clicking his tongue, he pushes my long bright red hair away from my shoulder and skims his fingers across my neck.
“Come on Spence, we’d be so good together. I’ll make you see stars baby,” he whispers, making my stomach churn as his lips graze the column of my neck. Great, as if I haven’t been traumatized enough lately, now I have to put up with this.
“Aiden you’re a fucking asshole,” I grit shaking him off, “You’re not even nice to me. What the hell makes you think I’d hook up with you?” Spinning around on one heel, I face him, glaring in his direction, ready to slap the smug, shit-eating grin off of his face.
“I don’t see anyone else lining up to fuck your fat ass,” he hisses. “Speaking of fucking, where’s that freak you’ve been hooking up with? Haven’t seen him in a while.”
“He’s not a freak,” I snap, clenching the bottle in my hand so tightly my fingers blanche and my knuckles turn white.
Aiden snickers, moving his hand from my shoulder to my hair. A feeling of unease washes over me, and just as I move to step away, I feel his grip tighten, and he yanks my head backward by my hair.
“Ow, Aiden! Stop! That fucking hurts,” I whimper, trying to hold back tears.
“What does he have that I don’t princess,” he snarls, looking down at me from above.
Digging deep, I dredge up any little bit of fight left inside of me.
“A soul, you dickbag,” I grit out.
Slipping from my grip, I drop the bottle and it shatters as it hits the ground. I press my hands to his chest and move to shove him away but he doesn’t budge. My 5 foot 4 inch frame is nothing compared to him.
“Watch your mouth princess,” he spits, yanking me by my hair until my back is flush against his chest.
I begin to panic, then I hear Hayden’s voice, “Tuck, man, leave her alone.”
I realize I’m not completely alone and it makes me feel a little more settled. Slapping at his hands, I try to pull Aiden’s hands away from me but he has an airtight grip on my hair.
“Aiden, seriously, stop it!” Lara gasps.
Hayden steps forward to pull Aiden away, but he shoves Hayden hard and Hayden stumbles backward, falling over the cooler. It doesn’t help that Hayden is drunk, but I guess he gets an A for effort.
“Y-you’re hurting me,” I wince as he pulls my hair harder and presses himself against me. Maybe I got it wrong, maybe Aiden isn’t mostly harmless. Have I only managed to stay out of his path this whole time because of Travis?
He smirks and instead of saying anything, he pulls my head up to face him and he slams his lips down on mine.
“Stop!” I murmur against his mouth, trying to push him away.