"How do you think they're getting on?" I murmured quietly.

Aiden leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Good...?" His voice was muffled as he spoke into my hair and I frowned, detangling myself from him so I could turn slightly.

I tilted my head to one side as I stared at Aiden, my breath catching. His hands were furling as they hooked around me, but his expression remained poised. The sun-kissed glow had seeped back under his skin and his lips curved upwards into a smile.

"Checking me out again?"

"Aiden, you aren't that pretty, sorry. I was staring at that bug in your hair."

His expression changed and he became serious. "That's not cute, Ap. What if those bugs laid little bug babies in my hair?"

"Then I would never come near you again."

He pouted again and leaned forward to nuzzle his head into my shoulder playfully.

"Are you still thinking about Beau and Barbara?" He jerked his head to where the two in question were perched upon sun beds.

"No... It's not that at all..." I glanced down at where Aiden's fingers were trembling – noticing my gaze, he quickly withdrew them and clenched them by his sides.

"Don't say it." He warned, his eyes narrowing.

I opened my mouth to reply, but thought better of it and closed it again. "How long?" I murmured as I reached out to slip my hand into his.

"Nearly 2 months. But I guess even that doesn't count since I've slipped up."

Aiden was trying to quit drinking; cigarettes he was unable to quit yet, but he had cut down on alcohol. It was hard for him; it was the one thing he used to escape the guilt that consumed him whenever Maria came to mind and now he didn't even have that to cushion the blow

"Good things take time. And the fact that you're trying shows how strong you are," I kissed him softly, before turning my gaze back to Beau and Barbara.

"April, you look like a creep staring at them like that. How are they ever supposed to get on if you're stand there like their mother waiting for some action?" I scowled at him. We were positioned behind some bushes so we could watch Beau and Barbara, and looking back on it, I really was acting like a psycho.

"Okay, okay."

Aiden had spoken to Barbara almost immediately and, naturally, when realization strike, she broke down. I spoke to her and she told me everything: right from when she began liking him, to finding out he had a mate, to trying to break us apart. But those were the actions of a girl desperately in love I reassured her; no-one is in their right mind when feelings consume them, right?

She thanked me and looked as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders – she was finally free. Naturally, I tried to bring Beau up in conversation several times, but she would stare at me with wide eyes and stayed silent on the matter. As for Daniel, he didn't technically speak to Beau, but I overheard Beau asking him for chat-up lines the other day, so I assumed all was well.

Nina and Diego were as cute as ever; admittedly, I'd never seen Nina laugh as much as she did when she was that adorable dark haired, green-eyed boy before. It looks like everything is going perfectly. Kayla was speaking to us again and she even came around a couple of days earlier; Noah was a no-show and Kayla looked just as uncomfortable when asked about him. It seemed we were all in the dark about his current situation.

"You're thinking again?" Aiden groaned as he glanced down at me.

"Go read a book, idiot."

We fell silent as we moved wordlessly through the gardens; I never recalled coming to this area during my 'kidnapped' stay. But then again, during that time, the woodland was a prison. Now, I truly saw it for what it was. Then, Aiden turned suddenly, kissed the top of my hair and stepped back.

I glanced at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Me and the guys need to talk," he jerked his thumb back behind him and moved swiftly to one side revealing a rather frightened looking Carlos, a grinning Daniel, a serious looking Diego supporting Carlos's elbow and Beau. He looked very happy and I couldn't help but grin back at him; I swept my eyes over the odd looking group of boys and frowned.

"Carlos? Are you okay?" I called worriedly, my eyes examining him up and down.

"He's fine!" Daniel interrupted quickly, moving so his broad shoulders obscured my view of Carlos.

"Aiden, meet us back at the den?" Diego inclined his head to his right and raised his dark eyebrows pointedly. Aiden nodded in response and Diego stooped to support Carlos again.

Beau was about to leave alongside their suspicious looking party when I stopped him quickly. "Beau! Where's... how's Barbara?"

He smirked, tapping the side of his nose. "She's great, dude. Life is good."

I paused, waiting for him to elaborate, but he continued smiling at me, his eyes dancing with like a man on cloud 9. "So... is she still at the pool?" I trailed off, raising my eyebrows at him. Surely you didn't just leave your mate for a 'guy' talk? I mentally face palmed myself. I thought I taught you better than that Beau Fredrick Hart.

"Yeah, she was talking to Nina and Donna when I left." He trailed off, looking up at wide eyes. "Is that bad?" He whispered fearfully.

I opened my mouth to reply, but Aiden beat me to it. "Beau, stop being such a girl. Barbara's fine – April just likes to dramatize things – man up dude!" He half-heartedly punched him and Beau looked startled for a minute as his body froze with realization. Then, he grinned and man-hugged Aiden.

"You're right," he replied laughing. "I'm worrying about nothing." He nodded a good-bye to me and leapt off after the retreating party.

"I'm still your advice giver, not Aiden!" I yelled after him.

We were left alone and Aiden glanced down at me, a small smile playing at his pink lips as he leant his elbow onto the hedge, which he could do since he was so tall.

"Jealous?"

"Never. You can never live up to me, Aid. I'm much too fabulous for you," I shot back, flicking my hair behind one shoulder.

He laughed and stepped forward to me so we were almost touching. Just as temptation took over and I tip-toed up, he leaned down, and our lips brushed together as my hands rested around his neck. We pulled away in a breath of mint and lemonade and I rested my forehead against his. My arms were still loped around his neck pulling him closer and I noticed I was still tip-toeing, as I pressed against him comfortingly. "Geez. Never in a million years did –"

"Did I think I would be kissing this handsome excuse for a man." He finished cockily.

I frowned, "Not quite how I would have worded it."

"Aiden!" Daniel's distant voice yelled, made us break apart suddenly. He shrugged apologetically, his eyes mentally saying sorry-I've-got-to-go as he backed away through the opening in the two hedges.

When I finally made it back to the pool area, pausing every now and then to bust out a happy dance move, there was a huddle of girls there: Emma, Nina, Donna and Barbara were huddled closely around a sun bed, but when Donna looked up, her frown vanished and she beckoned me over urgently.

"What's up?"

"It's girl problems." Nina said seriously as she looked up at me and nodded in a dramatically, movie-like way. I mentally dropped my head in my hands, my eyes shutting: oh geez.