My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 42

Ivy, back then...

I tapped my phone screen again, my heart pounding. Still no message from Aidan.

"Ivy, come on!" Lila laughed, pulling me away from my locker. "We’re going to be late for English."

I sighed, shoving my phone into my bag. "Sorry, I was just - "

"Checking your phone again?" She rolled her eyes, linking her arm through mine. "Ivy, he’ll message you. Now stop stressing!"

"I’m not stressing," I protested as we walked into English. My eyes darted around the room, but Aidan wasn’t there yet.

"You’ve been acting weird for weeks," she whispered as we slid into our seats. "Is it because of Prom?"

My cheeks burned. I busied myself with my books, avoiding her gaze.

"Oh my gosh, it is!" Lila gasped. "You like Aidan!"

"What? No!" I said quickly. Too quickly. Her eyes lit up in delight.

"You so do! Ivy, that’s amazing!"

"Shh!" I hissed, glancing around nervously. The last thing I needed was for the whole class to know about my crush.

Especially since Aidan probably only saw me as a friend.

"Does he know?" Lila asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

I shook my head miserably. "And he’s not going to find out either."

"Why not?"

I didn’t get a chance to answer. The door burst open, and Aidan strode in, running a hand through his tousled dark hair. His eyes found mine for a second, a smile tugging at his lips, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Because if I tell him," I said quietly, tearing my gaze away from his, "then I’ll lose him forever." I stopped talking as I saw him coming in.

Aidan slid into the seat in front of me, turning around to flash me a grin. "Morning Ivy. Did you finish the English homework?"

I nodded, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. Why did he have to be so nice and charming now? It only made my feelings for him grow stronger, even though I knew he didn’t feel the same.

"Great, you’re a lifesaver. I completely forgot about it last night." He laughed, shaking his head. "My brain has been all over the place recently."

"I noticed," I said lightly, managing a small smile. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just busy with the garage and stuff. You know how it is." He shrugged, then brightened. "But hey, you’re coming to the party at Mike’s place on Friday night, right?"

My heart sank. Of course, he only saw me as a friend. Someone to copy homework from and hang out with at parties.

"I’m not sure," I hedged. The thought of watching him flirt with other girls all night made me feel sick.

"Come on, it won’t be the same without you!" He nudged my arm playfully, his eyes imploring. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to nod.

Anything to make him happy, even if it broke my heart.

"Hey, Aidan," Lila interrupted. "Are you going to the prom?"

I glanced at her warningly, but she ignored me.

"Prom is lame," Aidan said matter-of-factly.

Well, that was my answer. Aidan was never going to ask me to the prom because he thought prom was lame.

After school ended, Aidan caught up to me.

"Ivy, wait up!"

I slowed my steps, heart leaping as Aidan jogged up beside me. I was walking home from school today.

"Everything okay?" I asked, noticing the furrow in his brow. He seemed uncharacteristically serious.

"I just wanted to ask...have I done something to upset you recently?"

I blinked in surprise. "What? Of course not. Why would you think that?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You’ve seemed a bit distant today. I was worried I’d said or done something to annoy you."

Tears pricked my eyes and I looked away quickly. How could I tell him the truth? That I was keeping my distance to protect my heart.

"Don’t be silly," I said, forcing a laugh. "You couldn’t annoy me if you tried. Or, you annoy me so much that I am too used to it."

The furrow smoothed from his brow and he grinned. "Well, that’s a relief. For a second there I thought you were going to declare your undying love for me or something."

My face flamed as I struggled to keep my expression light. "In your dreams, maybe."

He laughed, nudging my arm. "Knew you couldn’t resist me."

I managed a weak smile, hiding my secret heartbreak. If only he knew the truth.

~-~

The next day, I sighed as I stared at the rows of lockers stretching before me. Why did Aidan have to be so oblivious? I had dropped so many hints, tried so hard to show him that I liked him, and wanted him to ask me to go to the prom with him.

Maybe he really only saw me as a friend. The thought made my chest ache, a hollow feeling of loss and regret. I wanted so much more with him, I had dreamed of the possibility. I wanted him to touch me again like he did at the pool. I wanted him to...

But dreams didn’t always come true.

I shook off my melancholic thoughts as a figure approached, leaning casually against the locker beside mine. "Hey Ivy, got a minute?"

I looked up to find Aaron smiling at me, all charm and charisma. My heart stuttered in surprise. We had a few classes together but rarely spoke, his social circle revolving in a more popular stratosphere than my own.

"Um, sure," I said, a blush creeping into my cheeks. Why was he talking to me now?

"I was wondering if you’d like to go to prom with me?" He asked, his gaze unwavering. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Prom. I stared at him, caught completely off guard. No one had ever asked me to a dance before. I didn’t know how to respond.

"I know it’s last minute," he said, misinterpreting my silence. "But I thought we could have a good time together. If you don’t have other plans, that is."

Other plans. My gaze drifted to Aidan’s locker, a wistful ache in my chest.

I looked back at Aaron, at his kind eyes and easy smile, and made a decision. The past was gone, but the present was here, offering me a chance at new memories and new possibilities.

"I’d love to go to prom with you," I said, a smile curving my lips.

Aaron’s face lit up. "Great! It’s a date then."

That evening, Aaron and I made plans over the phone for our prom date.

"So I was thinking we could do dinner before the dance," Aaron said. "There’s this little Italian place that has the best pasta. We could go there around six, if you like Italian food?"

"I love it," I said, a flutter of anticipation stirring in my stomach. A real date, my first real date. "Italian sounds perfect."

"Great, it’s a plan. As for the dance itself, I was thinking a limo might be fun. We could split the cost, pick up some friends along the way. Make an entrance, you know?" He chuckled. "If that appeals to you, of course. I don’t want to overplan this thing."

"A limo would be amazing," I said, trying to sound casual despite the excitement in my voice.

"Then it’s decided. I’ll book the limo and make a reservation at the restaurant. All you need to worry about is finding a gorgeous dress and showing up."

I laughed. "I think I can handle that."

After hanging up, I spun around her room, a grin spreading across my face. A limo, a fancy dinner, dancing the night away at prom—it was turning out to be a fairy tale after all.

"Who were you just talking to?"

I nearly screamed as I heard Aidan’s voice near my ear.

"What the hell?"

"Why do you look so surprised? Your window has been my go to entrance for a while now," Aidan chuckled.

"You know, you can use the door. My mom and dad would prefer that," I said irritably.

"Never mind that. Who were you on the phone with?" Aidan asked, almost scowling.

"I have a date for prom," I said, the words rushing out before I could stop them.

Aidan’s expression didn’t change. "Oh, really. Anyone I know?"

I shook my head, disappointment flooding over me. Why did I think he’d be jealous? "Aaron."

"That’s...nice," Aidan simply said.

A wave of hurt crashed over me. "Are you going?" I asked him, hoping he would say no.

"I guess I am," he said after a long pause.

He guessed he was? "Huh? Did you...ask someone?"

"Not yet," he said gruffly.

"Then how do you know you’re going?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I uh, well," he scratched the back of his head. "I might have a plan, but it’s not official yet?"

Valerie popped into my mind and I felt a stab in my chest. "Valerie?" I said through gritted teeth.

"No, no, it’s not Valerie," he said, almost sounding offended. "It’s a...surprise."

"Oh," I said, unsure whether to believe him or not. "Well, good for you. Can you go now? I need to get ready for bed."

"Yeah, sure. Oh, here," he dug into his pocket and handed me something small. "I almost forgot. For your birthday."

I opened my hand and gasped at the pretty silver bracelet with a delicate charm hanging from it. "Aidan, I can’t take this!"

"It’s just a trinket," he scoffed, cheeks flushed. "If you don’t like it, don’t wear it."

I examined the charm—a delicate heart-shaped locket with our initials on it.

"It’s a friendship bracelet," he grinned.

Why? Why did he have to do stuff like this and confuse me?