Aiden
In the morning I wake up with body aches. Especially my ass, I honestly don't feel it. "Damn!" I cursed under my breath. She thinks she owns me, she's wrong. I have to avoid her, but that's going to be hard. She's a real psychopath. I quickly get dressed and go downstairs to where my mom is in the kitchen. "Good morning, mom!" I greeted her, forcing a smile.
My mother looked up from her coffee, concern etched onto her features. "Aiden, are you okay? You look tired." "Yeah, just didn't sleep well last night" I lied, pouring myself a cup of coffee. The rich aroma filled my senses, but it did little to improve my mood. Mom raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?" I shrugged noncommittally. "Just school stuff."
The lie tumbled effortlessly from my lips, but my mother saw right through it. Her eyes narrowed as she studied me, her gaze lingering on the faint bruises that marred my neck. "Aiden, what happened?" she demanded, reaching out to tilt my chin up. I pulled away sharply, avoiding her touch. "Nothing, I'm fine" I insisted, taking a sip of my coffee to hide my discomfort. Mom sighed, clearly not convinced.
I set my coffee mug down and met her gaze steadily. "Mom, I promise I'm fine" I assured her, though my voice wavered slightly. "Just having some trouble adjusting to everything." She nodded slowly, but I could see the worry still lingered in her eyes. "Okay, sweetheart," she said softly. "But remember, you can talk to me about anything. I'm here for you, no matter what." "I know, Mom" I replied with a small smile.
"Thanks, Mom" I replied, grateful for her support. She gave me a reassuring smile before turning back to her breakfast. As much as I wanted to confide in her, I couldn't bring myself to tell her about Selena. The memory of last night's encounter sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder what she would do next. One thing was certain: I needed to stay far away from her.
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I entered the campus, looking around for Selena and when I didn't see her anywhere I quickly walked to my locker. Suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder, startling me. I turned around and to my relief it was Milo. "Are you okay, man? Sorry to startle you." "No problem" I replied, opening my locker. "Where did you disappear to last night at the club?" Milo asked.
I blushed deeply, turning away from Milo as I retrieved my books from my locker. "I had to go home early. Family emergency." Milo chuckled softly, sensing there was more to the story than I was letting on. "Family emergency, huh? Or maybe you met someone special?" "I doubt that" I muttered, slamming my locker shut and starting down the hallway. "Oh come on, Aiden" Milo persisted, falling into step beside me.
We entered the lecture hall and I stopped. Selena was sitting at the back of the room with her gang. I looked away and Milo and I sat in the front row, not looking at her. The professor walked in and my phone buzzed with a message.
The message was from her. It read: _"Do you think you can run from me?"_ Milo noticed my distraction and glanced at my phone. "Everything alright?" he asked. "No, it's just... work stuff" I lied, pocketing my phone. The professor started speaking, but I couldn't focus on his words. Instead, my mind raced with thoughts of Selena. How had she found my number? What did she want?
As the lecture dragged on, I tried my best to focus, but Selena's message gnawed at me relentlessly. Who did she think she was? I could feel her eyes boring into me from across the room, but I refused to acknowledge her presence. After class ended, Milo and I headed outside together. "Hey, why don't you come over tonight?" he suggested. "My parents won't be home, and we can watch movies or something."
Milo's invitation offered a welcome distraction, and I readily agreed. "Sounds great" I replied. "I'll grab some snacks and meet you there later." As we parted ways, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Glancing back, I spotted Selena standing by her car, her cold gray eyes locked onto mine. She mouthed something silently, and although I couldn't lip-read, the meaning was clear: You can't escape me.
The sun dipped below the horizon as I walked to Milo's house, the cool evening air doing little to calm my nerves. Selena's threat lingered in my mind, casting a shadow over everything. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I approached Milo's doorstep. He answered almost immediately, ushering me inside with a friendly smile. "Glad you could make it" he said, leading me into his living room.
We settled onto the couch, a bowl of popcorn between us as Milo put on a movie. I tried to focus on the screen, but my mind kept drifting back to Selena. What did she want from me? Why couldn't she just leave me alone? Milo must have sensed my unease because he paused the movie and turned to face me. "Aiden, what's going on? You've been distracted all day." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's just..."
Milo waited patiently for me to continue, his expression showing genuine concern. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "There's a girl" I began, hesitating briefly before continuing. "Her name is Selena." "And?" Milo prompted, urging me to continue. "She's one of the Blood Muses" I revealed, glancing at Milo to gauge his reaction. "Ah" Milo said, understanding flashing in his eyes. "The leader?"
Milo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow" he breathed, leaning back against the couch cushions. "That's... intense." He studied me for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "What happened between you two?" I shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to delve too deeply into the details. "It's complicated" I hedged, but Milo wasn't having it.
"I need to know everything" Milo insisted, his eyes locked with mine. I sighed, knowing he wouldn't let me go until I confessed. "Okay" I agreed, rubbing my temples. "But you can't tell anyone, okay?" Milo nodded solemnly, giving me his word. I took a deep breath and began to recount the events of the past few days, not missing a single detail.
As I spoke, Milo's expression darkened, his jaw clenching tighter with each revelation. When I finished, he sat for a moment in stunned silence before finally finding his voice. "Jesus, Aiden" he breathed, running a hand through his hair. "This is... crazy as hell." He shook his head in disbelief. "You sound like a damn psychopath." "I know" I admitted, feeling guilty for getting him into this mess.
Milo's expression softened as he reached out to place a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Look, man, I'm sorry this is happening to you" he said sincerely. "But you can trust me. I won't say anything to anyone about this, I promise." "Thank you" I murmured, grateful for his support. "But seriously" Milo continued, "you need to be careful around that girl. She seems really dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt."
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I was lying in my bed, tossing and turning. I couldn't sleep, my thoughts were always on Selena. As much as it scared me, another part of me felt an inexplicable attraction that I didn't even understand.
I got out of bed and walked to the window to shake my thoughts of her. Suddenly, something outside catches my eye. It looks like a figure, as if watching me. Is that Selena? I shook my head and pulled the curtains. I'm going crazy for her now. I lay back down on my bed, trying to sleep.