"Dad?"Aaron frowned.

"Hi son."

Aaron's frown remained put.

Okay,so there was something I didn't know about.

"Um,I'll just,uh, leave" I said, suddenly feeling very awkward.

"Ashley,wait," Aaron said just as I turned towards the door.

"We're going together,right?" Aaron and his dad were both looking at me now.

I looked at his dad first,then at him,confused but I decided to play along.

"Yeah,of course,"I laughed nervously.

"See you later, Dad."

He kind of hissed the last word.I was beyond confused. I had no idea what was going on.

I shot his father a polite smile before turning to leave— which he did not return.

How kind.

Aaron grabbed my hand and led the way.I glanced at his hand holding mine but didn't say anything, because he seemed pissed.

I was tempted to ask him what was up with him and his dad but I held it in.It seemed wrong to interfere,especially since we weren't really good friends.Were we even friends?I didn't know.

"Um, Aaron?"

"What?" he almost snapped.

'Aren't you...gonna put clothes on?" I suppressed a giggle.

"What?"he asked, confused before he realized he was just wearing a towel.

"Oh.I'll be right back," he said, giving me a half hearted smile.

I smiled as he went back to his room, his muscles flexing as he jogged upstairs.

Fortunately, he didn't see me staring at him. He would've never let me live that one down.

A few minutes later, he came downstairs, now fully clothed to my disappointment.

"Um,so you're coming with us?"

"I don't know.What are you guys doing?" he asked.

From the corner of my eye ,I saw Cole and Trent walk towards us. I'd almost forgotten that they'd been waiting for me.

"We're going for a movie,I guess.Nothing much," I answered with a shrug.

"You're coming with?" Cole asked Aaron.

"Yes,"

And that's how we ended up watching a lame ass action movie(thanks to Cole) which made me want to throw up.

Trent and Cole left after the movie was over and said they'd see us at the dinner.

Aaron and I left too to go home,to get changed and pick Amanda.

Amanda wore a cute purple dress with perfectly done makeup.She had done a fantastic job with mine,too.

She was currently talking over the phone outside.

Their father seemed to be nowhere in sight which I took as a good sign, considering the weird encounter earlier today.

Amanda's brother came downstairs wearing a black leather jacket with a black t-shirt underneath and blue jeans.

Oh my God.

How could someone look that hot?

When he caught me looking at him,he smirked, looking even sexier.

I quickly looked away, embarassed.

It was really not fair how he could look that good. Especially when I knew for a fact that he hadn't taken more than ten minutes to get ready.

"It's okay.You can feast your eyes some more,"he said ,still smirking as he made his way over to me.

I snorted."Feast?More like torment."

"Sure,sure," he winked.

Damn him.

"So,who else is coming?" I asked just to change the subject.

"Just your friends and a few of mine and oh yeah, there's Amanda's friends too,"he replied and grabbed an apple from the table.

"How many?"I asked.

"Just," he paused to think "Eight,I think."

"Really?",I asked ,surprised.I hadn't expected many people to join us.

He nodded, biting into the apple.

''Oh."

''What?" Aaron raised an eyebrow at my response.

"Nothing."

"I was kidding. I just invited three friends. I don't know about Amanda but she has probably only told her boyfriend to come."

He shook his head in distaste.

"What,you don't like him?"

"I mean...Well,no."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, for starters I've never heard of him before and now suddenly he's her boyfriend. I don't know, I just find it weird," he shrugged.

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah,I know what you mean. But maybe you should give him a chance, for her sake."

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I'll try."

I smiled back at him.

He was actually pretty cool when he wasn't being an idiot.

I pulled my phone out of my bag to text Trent and Cole, that we were leaving in some time.

Amanda came back. "Guys,I think we should leave now. It's eight already."

"Says the one who's been talking to her boyfriend for the past two hours," Aaron pointed out.

She threw a cushion at him."Shut up."

"Is he coming with us?",I asked Amanda.

"He said he'd try. He has some family gathering or something but he'll probably come."

"Okay,what are we waiting for then?Let's go," Aaron said.

In the car, Amanda wanted to sit at the back so I was forced to sit next to Aaronho was being particularly annoying tonight.

I was taking out my earphones from my bag, when he shoved my foot with his.

I glanced at him and shoved him back.

He repeated.I did the same.

"Okay,stop."

"Yeah, but I win."

"Whatever," I replied and put the earphones in my ears.

One of the earbuds ,the one in my left ear to be specific was pulled out.

The same side where Aaron was sitting.

"What?" I snapped.

"I'm bored."

I raised my eyebrows."And how exactly is that supposed to concern me?"

"Well,you know, because you love me?"

I was too annoyed to answer.I just wanted to listen to music in peace. Was it too much to ask for?

Apparently it was.

"Aaron.I am in no mood to argue with you.Please stop annoying me,"I said calmly.

"Okay.Sure,"he replied.

Well,that was easy.

"If you entertain me."

Not.

"Ha,no thanks I'd rather not."

"Fine then.I'll annoy you till you go crazy and beg for forgiveness and then I will not forgive you."

"I'm used to it.I don't car," I replied non-chalantly.

He unfortunately took that as a challenge and grabbed my phone.

"Aaron,don't you dare."

"I already have," he laughed evilly.

That stupid asshole. God knew what kind of embarassing crap there would be on my phone.

"Give it back you idiot!"

"No can do,sunshine."

"Please?"

"No babe."

"Aaron."

"You know my condition."

"What the hell do you want me to do?"

"A kiss would be fine."

I could not believe the guy.

"Fine,you can have it,"I gave up.

"What, the kiss?" he asked,looking surprised.

"No,my phone."

He sighed dramatically but didn't let go of my phone.

I looked out of the window to ignore him but with his occasional chuckles and fits of laughter, it was impossible not to.

"Okay. That's enough.Give it back."

"Kiss me and I will."

"Aaron seriously."

"No kiss, no phone."

I sighed."Aaron I would kiss you but..."

"But what?"

"You'd turn back into a frog."

I burst out laughing.

"Now there's no way I'm giving it to you."

"Whatever."

The car stopped a minute later.

"Thank God.Now hand it over," I told him when we got out.

"This?"he held my phone up in his hand.I,being shorter than him,couldn't reach it.

He was such a jerk.

I left him there and walked next to Amanda,who was still texting as she walked.

"Okay take it back," I heard him say.

"Not falling for that."

"No,really.Take it.".

I didn't turn around even then.

"Hey!" he pulled my arm but I turned just then to look at him and that's when I heard it. The rip.

I froze.

Did my dress just get torn?

I slowly turned around to see Aaron looking at the wall, horrified.It hadn't been him.There was a nail sticking out of the wall where my dress had gotten stuck and now it was torn.

"It's all your fault!"

"How is it my fault?!"

"You were being annoying!"

"I didn't know being annoying can tear dresses!"

I sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm going to go back," I said, not knowing what to do.

I looked around for Amanda but she was nowhere to be seen.

"No,wait," he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and took me to a corner so that no one could see.

"Take this," he let go of me and took his leather jacket off and handed it to me.

My heart freaking melted. Did he really just do that?

"Th-anks," I replied, still amazed as I put it on.

"Do I look fine?"I asked.

"Yeah,just..." he rolled up the sleeves a bit and straightened the collar. "You look great in my clothes,"he smirked.

I felt my cheeks heat up.

He really needed to stop saying things like that.

"Just shut up."

I put my hands inside the pockets as we walked inside the restaurant.

Then I felt something hard inside my pocket. Well,Aaron's.

It was my phone!But there was another phone in the other pocket. Aaron's.

I snickered.

"What?"

"This."

I held both of the phones in my hands.

"Fuck. You're not giving it to me, are you?"

"Nope.''

He pouted making me laugh.

"Let's go inside," I said,still smiling.

We went inside where Amanda was standing near the reception,phone still in her hand.

Aaron and I walked over to her."What are you doing here?Why aren't you sitting inside?" Aaron asked frowning. She looked up then resumed texting.

"Well,you see,they said we haven't made the reservations,"she said normally.

"What?"

"Well, you should have made the reservations big brother,"she finally put her phone away.

"I asked you to do that," he said looking really annoyed .

"No, you didn't."

"I fucking did. Ashley?"

They both turned to face me.

Crap. Amanda was going to kill me.

I slowly nodded. "He did."

While we'd been on our way to the movie theatre, he'd been talking to her over the phone and I had heard him telling her to make the reservations.

Amanda sighed. "I'm sorry. It must have slipped my mind."

Aaron shook his head in disbelief, still looking mad.

"Let's just go to that new pizza place?" I suggested, mostly because I knew Aaron would calm down at the very thought of pizza.

Aaron gave me a look that I didn't quite get but they both agreed.

Since no one other than the three of us was there yet, we texted everyone telling them to meet up there.

I had to give Aaron his phone back,sadly.

The place about ten minutes away from where we were so we left.

I was going to sit alone but Aaron didn't want to sit alone and he was pissed at Amanda so we sat in the same way we had earlier.

Aaron didn't annoy me this time.

We reached soon and Trent and Cole were already there, talking to a few guys I assumed were Aaron's friends.

"Hey guys," Amanda said as we reached them."Oh,this is Ashley, my friend," she introduced me to them.

There was a series of hellos.

"This is Dylan, Kaden and that's Callum," Aaron introduced his friends to me.

"Hi guys," I smiled politely.

We all sat down, me between Kaden and Amanda.

"He coming?" I asked Amanda, referring to Jake.

"I don't think so," she shrugged.

"Well,let's order! I'm starving."

That of course was Aaron.

***