My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 44

Ivy, present time...

My mind spun with memories of that fateful night at the senior prom. I twirled on the dance floor with Aaron, feeling a rush of excitement and happiness coursing through me.

But even in that moment, part of me yearned to be in Aidan’s arms instead. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him arrive at the prom, looking dapper as ever. But my joy turned to hurt when I saw him with another girl.

And that kiss with Aaron...I had forgotten all about it because it didn’t mean anything.

After the song was over, Aaron pulled me to the side and told me they had a big plan for us. He wanted me to go back to his hotel room with him, but I said no since I knew what that meant.

And then he kissed me in a last attempt to convince me, but I pushed him away.

"God, Aidan. Are you serious? That kiss meant nothing to me," I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice.

Aidan scoffed, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Oh yeah? So you just go around kissing random guys because they show you a good time at prom?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms defensively. "Don’t be ridiculous, Aidan. You know that’s not how I am."

"Then why did you kiss him?" he pressed, his tone accusatory.

My jaw clenched as I fought to control my frustration. "Are you really asking me about something that happened over ten years ago?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Yes, I am asking," he replied stubbornly. "Why did you kiss Aaron at the prom?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before responding.

"I don’t believe this. I didn’t kiss Aaron. He kissed me," I said irritably. I didn’t even know why I was answering him about something that happened years ago. If it bothered him so much, why didn’t he ask me about it back then?

"I saw you with my own two eyes, Ivy. You kissed him back," he said. I could tell he was upset. It was written all over his face.

Ridiculous. How could he still be upset about that?

"Aidan, you don’t know what you saw," I said even though I didn’t owe him any explanation.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Oh, really? I think I know what I saw, Ivy."

"What do you want from me, Aidan? For me to say sorry for something I didn’t do?" I asked.

"No, I just want the truth," he said.

"Fine," I finally relented, "if you want to know the truth. He asked me to go up to his hotel room." My voice lowered as I spoke, my stomach churning with nerves. "I said no, but Aaron didn’t take it well. He kept pressuring me, trying to convince me to go with him. And then he just...planted that kiss on me."

Anger flashed across his features, causing his eyes to darken with fury. "That bastard!" he spat, clenching his fists at his sides.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentment towards him for walking away at that moment. "You must have seen it happen and just...walked away," I complained bitterly.

He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. "Yeah...I did," he admitted with a hint of regret.

I sighed and looked away. "I don’t owe you any explanation anyway. If you wanted to go to the prom with me, you should’ve asked me then," I said.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and when he finally spoke up, his voice was hoarse. "Yeah, I should have," he said.

"Well," I cleared my throat and continued. "If we are done with this ridiculous conversation, I would like to finish eating now."

For a moment, I thought Aidan would argue with me, but he simply left the room.

I let out a deep sigh of relief as Aidan finally left the room. I couldn’t believe we were arguing about something that happened so long ago. But then again, with the way he reacted, it was clear that he still held onto some resentment towards me.

I shook my head and tried to push those thoughts away as I continued to finish my meal. I refused to let his anger affect me anymore. After all, it wasn’t like we were in a relationship or anything.

My phone suddenly flashed, and I stared down at it. I raised an eyebrow as I saw who texted me.

Lila Thompson.

A small, nostalgic smile crossed my lips as I read the familiar text from Lila. It had been years since we were as close as we used to be, but we still made an effort to keep in touch.

Lila had settled into the role of a full-time housewife, her days now consumed with caring for three noisy children and doting on her high school sweetheart turned husband, Josh.

Every so often, she would call me and excitedly chatter about their latest adventures and accomplishments with her kids but also vent about the occasional annoyance or frustration she encountered. Despite our busy lives and growing distance, our friendship remained strong and cherished.

Lila: "Hey, girl! Long time no chat. How’s life treating you?"

Me: "Hey, Lila! Life’s...life, I guess. What about you?"

Lila: "Oh, you know, the usual chaos. Between the kids and the hubs, it’s never a dull moment here. How’s business?"

Me: "Pretty good. Can’t complain there."

Lila: "Are you seeing anyone yet? You can’t stay alone forever, you know?"

I paused before replying. Part of me wanted to tell her all about Aidan since she witnessed my friendship with Aidan in high school. But another part of me hesitated to tell her because of the man he had become.

Me: "No one special yet. What about you, still head over heels for Josh?"

Lila: "Always! Okay, enough about me. Spill the tea. Any interesting men in your life?"

Me: "Not really. Just focusing on work at the moment."

It wasn’t really a lie, considering the fact that Aidan wasn’t really my boyfriend. I was merely his hostage.

Lila: "Uh huh, I don’t believe you. You’re hiding something, aren’t you?"

I rolled my eyes at my phone screen and decided to change the subject. Lila had a knack of smelling out secrets.

Me: "So, how are the kids? Any new pictures to share?"

Lila: "Be evasive all you want, but I know you too well. Just remember, I’m here if you need to vent or talk about anything (or anyone)!"

I gave it some thought. Because of my busy schedule, I never really got to be friends with anyone. Lila was still my best friend.

I needed someone to talk to badly about my situation. Maybe she could be the one. She was always there for me, and she knew how to keep secrets. I decided to tell her about Aidan, but I didn’t want to do it over text. I needed to see her in person.

Me: "Why don’t we meet up for coffee and I will spill all the tea?"

I texted and waited for her reply. Her reply came within seconds, as if she had been waiting for me to say it.

Lila: "Coffee date, it is! How about tomorrow at the cafe on Peachtree corners? I can’t wait to hear everything!"

Me: "It’s a date! See you tomorrow."

I ended the call and sighed, knowing that I was in for a lot of grilling tomorrow. I didn’t mind, though. It would feel great to tell someone about my life right now.

~-~

As I let out a deep, tired yawn, I raised my arms high above my head and stretched, feeling the cool breeze from the open window gently tousle my hair. The clock on the nightstand read well past midnight, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry as I waited for Aidan to return home.

Despite being snuggled up in bed, my mind was racing with thoughts about what kind of business he might be conducting at such a late hour. My heart clenched with unease, knowing the dangerous world he operated in. But still, I couldn’t shake off the concern that gnawed at me, even as exhaustion threatened to take over me.

Pfft...I shouldn’t care, I thought to myself.

But the ache in my chest and the restlessness in my heart begged to differ.

What if something had happened to him? What if he got hurt? What if...

A car door slammed shut outside, jolting me out of my thoughts.

Was that...? I sat up in bed, straining to hear through the quiet night air, then heard a key in the lock and footsteps approaching the house.

He was finally home. A fluttery excitement mixed with nervousness took over as I waited for him to come inside. I held my breath, listening intently as he moved around downstairs before finally mounting the stairs with purposeful strides that reverberated throughout the house.

The door creaked open, and there he stood: broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his black shirt, his arms crossed over his muscular chest.

"You are still awake," he said, his voice sounding rough and husky.

I looked at him and gasped in surprise. His face and neck were covered in blood.