- 25.2 - Not In Love – Yet It Hurts Just The Same
Spencer's PoV
The bell rang before Kyla and I could finish our conversation. I was dumbfounded to be honest with you. She mentioned the father was definitely Aiden because she hadn't been with anyone else within the past five months.
Aiden wasn't aware yet, either. I was the first person she told.
I think my silence scared her and she took off right after the bell rang. I couldn't help myself. I needed time to process it all. I wasn't sure what to feel.
Classes after lunch went by like nothing. Sitting in Lit across from Ashley was comforting. I swore I wouldn't say a word about Kyla's condition because it wasn't for me to spread. I hated keeping that from Ashley but as a best friend, I needed to respect Kyla as well.
"Alex and Sammy are going to Back House tonight, are you in?" Ashley asked me as she leaned against my locker. School was over and students were rushing around to gather their stuff. "Or do you need to rest?"
"Depends," I leaned closer to her, looking her up and down, "will you be joining me?" I winked.
"Spence," she laughed and shook her head, "if I'm in that bed with you, we both know resting would be the last thing on your mind."
"Mmm," I purred and Ashley shivered pleasantly, "but resting would still be on my mind technically, afterwards at least." I giggled and dug in my pockets for my car keys. "I have practice in 30 minutes. I guess we'll see how I feel afterwards."
Ashley nodded and chewed on her bottom lip. "How'd it go with Kyla?"
I shut my locker and shrugged. "Alright."
She nodded and adjusted her back pack. "Will you call me later? I should go home. I haven't seen-" she shut herself up and sighed heavily. "Are you okay? I mean, with everything?"
"Ash," I smiled softly, "I'd kiss you right now," I whispered in her ear, "just to show you how okay I am with everything. I told you I don't regret it, and I mean it, okay?"
Ashley nodded firmly and gave me a hug. She always felt so good in my arms. "Call me." She whispered and pulled back, winked and walked away.
I shook my head and chuckled to myself. I had begun thinking back to when I got myself into this situation. Oh right, seventeenth birthday and Aiden's cousin.
"I thought I'd catch you here still!" I heard a male voice behind me and rolled my eyes at Brady.
"Shouldn't you be at the arena tying yours skates? Knowing you, it'd take that long." I sighed and blew hair out of my eyes. Brady just stood there grinning like a fool at me. "What do you want?"
He shoved a piece of paper in my hands and smiled. "I'm officially in Carlin. Looks like you're stuck with me."
"Brady, I'm not helping you." I shoved the paper back in his hands. The stupid paper that suggested I tutor him. "I don't have time."
"Whatever," he laughed and stepped in front of me, "just look at my schedule. I also have two teams to play for, you're not the only one. Since I am starting late into the semester, Ms. Pulson suggested you help catch up on Lit seeing as you're all brains and shit."
"No." I walked past him and he stepped back in my path. "You've got 3 seconds to move before I fucking drop kick you to the ground."
Brady laughed and it amused me because the laugh was a nervous one yet he wanted to try my patience. "Drop kick me huh? Notice every threat you've given me has to do with you touching me in some way?"
Cocky bastard.
I leapt forward and bunched his collar in my fist, roughly pulling him to me. "In your fucking dreams skater boy," I whispered harshly in his ear and let him go.
Before we both knew it, Brady was shoved against the lockers hard with a punch to the face.
"AIDEN!" I cried as he came out of nowhere.
"You fucking prick!" Aiden hollered, shoving the other guy against the lockers hard once more. "You stay the hell away from my girl!"
"Aiden!" I screamed and shoved him off Brady. He straightened his shirt and narrowed his eyes at me.
"So this is the douche you left me for?" He seethed and looked back at Brady. "You fucking got yourself transferred just to come here, didn't you? That's why you requested to be on Scorpions because you wanted Spencer?"
I shook my head. "Aiden, he was transferred because this school wanted him."
Aiden was breathing heavily and wiped his mouth before laughing menacingly. "Is that what the fuck told you Spence? He walked away from Mustangs just to come here. But somehow I think you knew that, right?" He clenched his fists and regained some control over his temper.
"Not my fault you couldn't keep a leash on your girlfriend," Brady smarted off and I threw my hands up in the air in frustration as Aiden lunged himself at the guy again.
"HEY!" Ashley came out of nowhere and yanked Aiden off of Brady, holding him back as best she could. I stepped between them and stared at Ashley, who was looking at me confused. "What the hell is going on here?"
"I'm just showing Brady here, who Spencer's real man is," Aiden growled.
I sighed heavily as Ashley tore her eyes away from me and looked at Brady. "What the hell are you doing near her anyway?"
"I don't get why that's your business." Brady stated.
"Guys!" I finally piped up and shoved Brady against the locker, "you go and get ready for practice so I can fucking wipe the ice with your idiotic head," and I turned to Ashley and Aiden, "you get him home and I'll call you later."
"Spencer," Aiden said my name with some pain but I didn't let it get to me.
"Don't Aiden." I was stewing over the information I had received from Kyla and I couldn't be bothered or else I'd explode. He was acting like he had done nothing wrong in all of the mess. "You don't have a right to come in here, at my school and harass people!"
"I saw you!" Aiden cried. "You were whispering in his ear with your hand on his chest, Spencer!"
Ashley's gaze lowered and I knew immediately what she was thinking.
"It's not what you think," I said in a firm serious voice, "he doesn't know when to shut up, okay? I was threatening his ass, but whatever, believe what you want."
"I just want us okay, Spencer." Aiden frowned and stepped forward towards me, but I stepped back.
"It's over, Aiden." I shook my head and swallowed hard. "There is no longer an 'us'." Sounded harsh I know, but if I didn't make my point, he'd keep it up and I couldn't handle his grovelling or violent solutions.
Ashley looked up at me and blinked. I could tell she was relieved that I wasn't giving in to Aiden but at the same time she felt off. I was sure her cousin's comment about Brady had something to do with that. "Come on," she tugged on Aiden's arm and they both walked past me, "let's go grab something to eat."
Her hand brushed against mine when she past by me and we locked eyes. She dragged Aiden down the hall and towards the exit. I sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, trying to compose myself.
It was all so much to take in for one day.
For the first time in my hockey 'career', I wanted to skip it.
Ashley's PoV
"You've barely touched your fries since we got here," I pointed out to my cousin. Usually he was already moving onto my basket by now.
"Not very hungry," he mumbled and ran his fingers through his hair, "did you know she was going to break up with me?" His green eyes looked at me.
What was I supposed to say? I needed to lie. So I did. "No Aiden, I'm just as shocked as you are."
Aiden shook his head and mumbled a few choice words before picking up another fry and staring at it. "I think she's with that Brady guy."
I rolled my eyes and knew that wasn't the case. "When does she have time to be with him?"
"What about over the weekend?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you took off to find some hot tail for the weekend so that left her all alone, right?"
I laughed and shook my head. "No, she and I were together every second that she wasn't on the ice. I kept an eye on her." It sounded innocent yet truthful enough. He smiled sadly and dipped the fry in ketchup before eating it.
"I can't believe she dumped me," he exasperated. "Spencer dumped me?! That was the one thing I never saw coming."
"Do you love her?" I bit my lip and watched his facial features change a few times before he put his head down.
"I felt safe with her," he admitted and looked up at me, "mom and dad loved her, Ash, you know that."
"I do." And they did love her. They wanted her to be their daughter-in-law. But he never answered my question. "Do you love her, Aiden?" I asked again, more forcefully.
Who could not love Spencer Carlin?
"I do." He sighed heavily and let out a slow breath. "I do," he whispered, "but I don't think I'm in love with her?"
Okay. I knew it was a serious moment but I had to dance inside because knowing that he wasn't in love with her, made some, just some, of my guilt go away. "Maybe you two just need space," I swallowed and took a sip of my Dr. Pepper, Spencer's favourite, "I won't bring her around for a while."
"You're going to continue being her friend?" He sounded offended.
"Aiden!" I laughed and looked at him strangely. "Of course I am, she's Spencer!"
"Right," he mumbled, "I forgot you were in love with her."
"This isn't about me being in love with her." I sighed heavily. "She's a friend and I am your cousin. Please don't make me choose sides."
"You're right," he looked at me apologetically, "I'm sorry. Spencer's a great girl and you two make really good friends. I can't deny that."
Oh man if he only knew. I felt compelled to tell him the truth but stopped myself from doing so. He may be cool with us hanging out but somehow I knew that if he found out I was the other 'guy', the story would end tragically.
"Eat up," I tapped his basket of fries with my fingers, "if we hurry, we can catch the 5:30pm movie. They're playing A Christmas Story."
"Really?" Aiden smiled and began to eat his fries. I tried to make things as normal as possible and that movie was our Christmas movie we'd always watch together.
"Yea, so hurry!"
I figured I'd try and get his mind off of Spencer while I tried to rationalize her weird developing friendship with Brady.
