I must have been sitting with my head against steering wheel of my car for a while, because the next thing I know is the passenger door opening, and someone's getting in the seat beside me. The smell of their KFC clung to them, but I knew exactly who it was. Even with the stench of greasy chicken following him, I could still tell who it was. I didn't bother lifting my head to make sure I was right, not that it stopped him from making himself comfortable. He sat the food on his lap, readjusted the seat, before putting his seatbelt on and turning to towards me. I'd finally sat up, staring at him with an eyebrow raised and a look of annoyance clear on my face.
"Right babe, where are we for then?" Aiden questioned with a mischievous smirk on his face. I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair, not wanting to deal with him just yet.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? We are going nowhere, get out of my car!" I yelled in annoyance, mostly at myself for not locking the doors once I was in. I may as well have been speaking in Gaelic for all the use it did, he just sat and smiled at me. I held my gaze, glaring at him and pointed out of the passenger door window. Realising I wasn't going to be getting out of this anytime soon, I turning the engine off then took my keys out of the ignition, I grabbed my bag before getting out of the car. I was just going to leave him there, walk home and hope Herbert would still be there when I'd go to drive him home later. Well that was my plan until Aiden got out of my car and jogged over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to slow me down to talk. I shrugged him off, turned and locked Herbert with the button on my keys, and picked up my pace towards home.
"Robyn, please? I really need to talk to you!" He almost shouted, still following me. I stopped, turning to face him not wanting to cope with the stress of the situation right now. He stopped in front of me, closer than I'd expected, with a hopeful look on his face.
"Leave me alone! I don't want to know, and I don't want to care. So please, just get out of my face!" I snapped before walking back the way I'd just came shoving him out of my way.
I'd managed to get into my car, have the engine on and the doors locked before realising that Aiden had left his food sitting in the foot well of the passenger seat. Scoffing in yet more annoyance, I grabbed the take out bag before putting the driver side window down and dropping it outside the car. With the stench of greasy chicken lessened slightly, I took a deep breath before flinging into gear and reversing out of the parking space. Deciding to fill my tank before going home rather than drive about town on petrol fumes, I drove past a rather glum looking Aiden who was walking in the direction of the town centre.
Half an hour later, after getting petrol and buying too much junk food for 3 people never mind me on my own, I'd parked up outside my house. I sighed in frustration as I looked up to find Aiden sitting on top of my garden wall with a cigarette in his mouth and his phone in hand. I resumed my previous position of sitting with my head on the steering wheel, trying to think of way to get out of this. My plotting didn't last long, as a few minutes later there was a knock on the passenger side window of my car. Knowing full well it was Aiden; I just hit the button to put the window down as I sat up and waited for his comments.
"Are you planning on getting out anytime soon? It's just that I do actually have things to talk to you about, Robyn. You're just preventing the inevitable." Aiden said matter of factly, staring at me from the passenger side window.
"Well I don't have anywhere to go anymore, seeing as you've made me stupidly late for where I was supposed to be going tonight. As well as the fact that I can't even go home without you stalking me, I guess I should be looking forward to what bullshit you're going to come out with. And with the amount of time you spent with Stevie today, his dimness has bound to have had an effect on you." I replied, putting window up again before taking my keys out of the ignition and deciding to just face the music.
Aiden stood back from Herbert, and followed me to the front door, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I shook out of his grip and stuck my key in the door to get in. I'd guessed that Jackie had been over, as the broken chain he promised to replace was gone and an intact one was now preventing me from entering my own home. I sighed and rested my head against the slightly opened door, knocking on the frosted glass hoping who ever was inside would let me in. I could hear the TV in the living room, but no movement from whoever was inside. I knocked again, lifting my head and turning to face Aiden. He was standing behind me, looking around himself, with a lit cigarette in one hand and his phone in the other still.
"Not keeping you back, am I?" I asking, hoping he had to go so I could get out of this chat he wanted so badly. He shook his head and grinned at me before taking a drag of his cigarette. I sighed, and pushed past him grabbing my phone from inside my car before walking towards the entry to the alley way behind my end terrace to try and get in through the back door. It was a long shot, seeing as we always keep the yard door locked, but I still had hope. At the same time, I tried calling Jenni on both the house phone and her mobile. As expected, the door was locked and both calls rang out.
Giving up on getting into my house, I headed back the way I came finding Aiden sitting on the wall on his phone. He ended the call abruptly as soon as he heard me walking towards the front of my house, standing up to put out his cigarette and sliding his phone into his back pocket.
"So, what's occurring now then?" He smiled, heading towards my car.
"Well seeing as I've been locked out of my own house, I've not a clue what I'm doing now." I snapped at him; clearly aggravated by the fact that Jenni had locked me out.
"How's about you stay at mine then, don't want a pretty face out on the streets now do I?" He offered, with tones of sincerity in his voice. I laughed at how ridiculous his question was, as I unlocked Herbert and got in the drivers seat once again.
"I'd rather sleep in my parent's house than going back to yours, Love. And that's saying something, 'cause I've had more nights sleeping on the back seat than I have in that house since I've moved out." I replied at he sat back in the passenger seat. "And what makes you think that you're going to be staying with me?" I questioned, not amused by the fact that I still wasn't getting rid of him any time soon.
"Who else have you got to keep you company? You're house mate's locked you out, and you don't seem to be running to any one else right now." He pointed out, putting his seatbelt on. "And you never know when Stevie's going to start pestering you again" he added, trying to add even more stress to the situation. He just stared at me in expectation, waiting for a reply.
"Ehh, I haven't even went running to you, you're fucking stalking me outside KFC like a creep! And it just so happens that none of my friends are talking to me 'cause of a certain fella I met on Saturday night, I wonder if you know him. He's a right twat, just like you! Here's a hint: It's not Stevie!" I shouted, showing more aggravation that I'd liked.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He shouted back, obviously confused over my comment. "And where the hell is my food?" He questioned, annoyance clear on his face from realising his KFC was no longer in my car. I merely scoffed in reply, unable to voice my anger in any other way. "Hello? I am actually talking to you here!" He shouted again.
I had the engine on, and had just put Herbert into gear then swung out of the parking space outside my house, choosing to ignore his question as I struggled to think of a location to go to. Probably realising that I wasn't going answer anytime soon, and getting bored of the awkward silence he put the radio on. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, fighting to not glance in his direction, as I headed towards the town centre. He'd managed to flick through all the stations continuously, unable to find a song he wanted to listen to. I glared at him, and flipped the radio over to MP3. The playlist I'd been listening to on my iPod the night before filled the car, thankfully avoiding the cover of 'perfect stranger' being played first. It wasn't exactly the song I wanted to listen to at this very moment; it would've managed to make this journey even more awkward.
I skipped the first song, which happened to be one of the xFactor's charity singles. I just wasn't planning on the shuffle setting to start playing the song I wanted to avoid on this car journey. The acoustic version of 'perfect stranger' caused Aiden to freeze just has he was opening his mouth to make yet another snide comment, no doubt. He simply stared at me with his mouth still open, pointing at the car radio.
"I knew Stevie would increase you're stupidity, Aiden, but making you dumb is a bit over the top even in my book." I sniped, turning the volume down and struggling to find somewhere to go in town. "And if that is you're attempt at asking me who's singing, I couldn't tell you. It's a playlist from a friend at uni. Apparently my knowledge of music needs expanding, hence the random xFactor songs." His eyes narrowed as he nodded in response to me, before closing his mouth and clearing his throat.
"So you honestly have no idea who this is?" He questioned, pointing at the radio and looking rather surprised. I shook my head in confusion, beginning to drive in circles around the city centre. "Got any other songs by this bloke then?" He asked, while flicked through the rest of the songs.
"I have no idea, now quit breaking my car." I said, slapping his hand away from the stereo. He sat with a dramatic horror struck face, holding his hand in mock pain. "Oh wise up and tell me where the hell I'm supposed to be going here" I snapped. He sighed, running a hand through his messy quiff before signalling the way to where he was staying.
The rest of the journey was silent, I wasn't particularly paying much attention to my surroundings, trying to avoid as much conversation with my passenger as possible while listening to the songs from the playlist I'd selected. Turns out there were more songs by the unknown perfect stranger singer, much to Aiden's amusement not that he cared enough to explain it to me.
I ended up parking near a budget hotel in the centre of town, not too far from the club where Aiden and I first met only a couple of days ago. Aiden got out of the car and walked round to my door, as I switched the engine off and grabbed my bag from the back seat, leaving my junk food in the car, and climbing out. Aiden had wrapped his arm around my waist as soon as I had Herbert locked and my keys in my bag. I managed to shrug out of his grip, causing him to shove his hands in his pockets and maintaining a rather uncomfortably close distance to me as we headed towards his hotel. It wasn't until he started mumbling things in annoyance and wrapping the same arm around my waist, tighter than before that I noticed the crowd of people outside the hotel we were headed towards I tried and failed to get his arm off of me; he merely stiffened his grip on me.
"Aiden, what the hell is going on?" I questioned, slowing down, not understanding the situation he was putting me in.
"I'll explain later, but now you need to stick with me and keep your head down" He said, dragging me along and quickening my pace again. My confusion was ever increasing, and with him not helping matters. I just stopped walking, causing Aiden to stumble and stop beside me.
"I mean it, Aiden! I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why the fuck there's paparazzi and girls screaming right outside the hotel you're dragging me into!" I said making my stubbornness clear in my tone and by folding my arms across my chest. He ran his free hand through his floppy quiff, and sighed before placing his hands on my hips and looking straight into my eyes.
"And I said I'll explain it to you, just not right now. Concentrate on getting inside first, then I'll answer whatever questions you want to fire at me." He said with sincerity clear in this voice. With that, all my determination had completely melted away. He then wrapped the same arms around my waist again, and pulled me towards the entrance yet again. I didn't put up a fight after that, I was too busy struggling to figure out what was going on and trying to fend off the positive thought of Aiden. Still lost in thoughts of confusion and annoyance, both caused by the fella I've only know for 2 days, I was literally dragged through the screaming crowds outside the hotel.
Aiden kept his grip on me while we walked through reception, even as we stood in the lift. He hit the button for the top floor, cleared his throat and ran his free hand through his hair again. I managed to get out of his grip, which took a lot more effort than I was expecting, and stood in the corner with my arms folded.
"Well?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. He glanced at me before avoiding eye contact and leaning back against the elevator wall. I sighed a rolled my eyes, seeing as he dragged me into this mess he could at least be decent enough to explain what exactly 'this mess' was. "You've finally got me wanting to have this talk you've been stalking me over. And I'm not going anywhere until you start explaining" I said, earning another glance and a sigh from him.
He still refused to answer, so we remained silent until we got to his room; he slid his key card through the lock and opened the door for me to walk in first. As expected, the room was typical for a budget hotel. What I wasn't anticipating however, was the room to be a rather large twin with both double beds being noticeably unmade indicating he was sharing. I walked to the window, stood with my back against it, and raised an eyebrow at Aiden. He was grabbing random items of clothing off of the floor and shoving them into one of the wardrobes in an attempt to clean up. He looked up at me, with a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.
"Don't mind me, we weren't expecting company" He said, laughing slightly before haphazardly making one of the beds. "Make yourself comfortable" He said, gesturing me to sit down on the still rather messy bed, then flopping down on the other. I remained standing, with my arms folded and stern look on my face ever growing.
"I'm not here to get comfortable, Aiden. You wanted to talk. And here I am so spill!" I said, unfolding my arms to drop my bag on the floor beside me, and leaning against the window sill behind me.
"Ok, fine" he said, sitting up on the bed. "You have to promise me though, before I start explaining anything, don't talk, don't think or judge until you've heard everything" he finished, staring at me with a whole hearted look of apprehension and dread flowing through his eyes.
This is going to be a long night…