(Clara's P.O.V.)

Time seemed to stop right then and there. Aiden and I were completely getting lost in one another. My hands were practically messing up his hair as I passionately kissed him. I had to admit that I was getting a little carried away, but Aiden didn't seem to care and only kept up with me.

I almost couldn't remember how we got like this and I wasn't sure why I suddenly kissed him, but I didn't really care. All I knew was that I loved the feeling of his lips on mine and the way his hands roamed my back. I didn't want it to stop.

"Woah," I jumped back upon hearing a sudden voice coming from a few feet away from us. I turn to see Sitara with a set of damp towels in her hands and her jaw was dropped open. "Damn, Clara, look at you gettin' at it."

My cheeks grew red and I was immediately embarrassed that she had seen us. She makes her way towards the railing and sets the towels on top.

"I'm just gonna set these here," she then turned to us, "Also, if you two are gonna like...you know, then please don't do it here. Do it after you leave...please."

I was blushing so hard, my face had to have looked like a tomato by now. My God, could she make this situation any worse?

"Sitara, w-we weren't..."

"I'm just gonna go. I'll leave you two alone," she waves us off before quickly stepping back inside and closing the door. Before she left, I could see her through the glass giving me a thumbs up and a wink.

I sighed and rolled my eyes before turning back to Aiden who was trying to catch his breath.

"Uh..." I tried to think of something to say."

"That was..."

"Yeah...," I muttered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to jump on you like that."

I watched him nervously as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's okay."

And then there was an awkward silence. We were both unsure as to what to say to each other. I just kissed him for Christ's sake! Why did I do that? Maybe it was the heat of the moment. Regardless, I had to say something. The silence was unbearable.

"Look, Aiden, you're...a good guy and as you can tell...I really like you. I don't know if you're into the whole dating thing, but last year...I got out of a bad relationship and I'm just not sure if...," but before I could say anything else, he stopped me.

"Clara, it's okay," he said softly, which did manage to soothe me just a little bit. "I'm not gonna rush you into anything. If you want to go out, that's fine with me, but I'll let you think about it. How does that sound?"

I was taken aback upon hearing what he had just said. I expected him to not really say anything at all and stand there awkwardly, but he actually seemed to be...understanding. After a moment, I quirked my lips up into a smirk.

"Alright. I'll think on it," I said before making my way up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. "And Aiden, thank you."

I could see a small tint of pink appear on his cheeks and I thought it was the cutest thing. Soon after, I went back inside and once I went downstairs, I saw Sitara cleaning up the kitchen. I quickly thought back to what she said to me and Aiden earlier. My face grew heated at the thought.

"You done making out with Aiden?" She says without looking at me while putting plastic cups and paper plates in the trash. I could see a hidden grin on her face and I crossed my arms.

"You didn't have to embarrass me, Sitara," I huffed.

She chuckled. "I wasn't trying to. I had to set the wet towels out there, and plus, I needed to give you two a quick PSA just in case you two got carried away. You'll thank me later on, since I prevented you from getting pregnant."

"Sitara!" Now my face was really heating up.

She threw her head back and started laughing, "I'm just fucking with you, Clara! Come on, help me clean up and we can talk about it. I won't tease you, I promise."

"You better not," I say, my accent sounding firm. I then made my way to the kitchen.

"Sooo," she tosses me a cloth to wipe off the counter, "Are you two...a thing now?"

I sigh before I began to clean, "Not quite."

"Did you reject him?"

"No. I told him I'd think about dating."

"Why would you do that? He seems like a good guy."

I thought back to what I said to Aiden about my previous relationship, which also led me to think about that asshole.

"I just...I don't want to jump into a relationship where...I think I know someone, but they turn out to be the opposite of who I thought they were."

Sitara seemed to take in what I said before replying, "I hear you. Maybe I should take your advice and slow it down with guys just a bit. Focus more on my future."

"Well you're good at looking ahead and you haven't dated anyone since last year. I think you're doing fine."

"Pfft, yeah and then you just wait for me to fall for the next smelly dude."

I laugh, knowing all too well that what she said about their stench was true, but in a way I felt kind of bad. She's looking for a good guy and it's pretty obvious that Marcus really likes her. I would try and set her up with him, but I don't want to make her lose focus on her future and plus, she's already dealt with enough men. We both have.

After cleaning and having some more conversations with Sitara, I eventually left. On my way home, I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss I shared with Aiden. I thought about the way he touched me, the way his lips felt against mine. Damn, if I kept daydreaming at this rate, I might crash my car.

Regardless of how it felt, I needed to think more on taking the next step with him. I don't want to jump into a relationship without thinking like I did last time. I want to take things slow and I hope that Aiden is patient. I'm not sure when I'll give him an answer, but I hope to come to one after a week.

Once I get home, I get a call from my mom asking me her usual questions about how my day was. I told her about the party at Sitara's place, but of course, I didn't mention the kiss. She then told me about her day and how much work she had to do. I honestly hope that she is doing well at her new job. I know my mom works hard to keep a roof over our heads and I've always appreciated that.

Once we said our I love you's and goodbyes,I made sure to lock the doors before putting on my pajamas and getting my myself into bed. As much as I tried to go to sleep, that kiss was stuck in my head. I truly am hoping that Aiden isn't upset with me about my decision. I had to admit that I've come to really like him over a matter of weeks and already we had our lips on each other.

I'm not exactly sure what draws me to him. Either it's his bad boy attitude whenever he gets defensive towards Defalt, or his sweet and soft side that he shows sometimes when we talk to each other. Maybe it's a bit of both. Regardless, I needed to think things through before committing myself to a relationship again.