"Get him some water, I'll be fine, just be quick" I demand Aiden while I kneel in front of him.

"Luke, how did you get here?" I ask gently, he still doesn't gain eye contact with me and he stays in the exact same position.

"I drove" he admits after a moment. I sigh.

"That was stupid Luke" I scold quietly.

"I know, but I thought it would be worth it," Luke whispers, by the looks of it he was sobering up.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to my best friend, tears falling freely. He knew what I meant, how sorry I really was that I wasn't able to love probably the most perfect human for me in the world.

Nala jumps of the couch and sits beside me, nuzzling my neck. She was obviously aware that something was wrong.

Aiden returns and passes me a glass of water. I assist Luke in drinking the whole cup, he still refuses to meet my eye.

"Luke, you need to sleep it off and there's no way you're driving back home so please let me help you to bed," I ask quietly. Luke nods and I help him up before we stumble up the stairs and into a guest room, Aiden follows closely behind and I'm thankful that he doesn't want to leave me alone with a vulnerable and unreliable Luke.

I kick open the door and help him in before he all but falls onto the bed and turns around, still fully dressed.

"Luke?" I try but he doesn't reply, he just continues to look at the wall in silence.

After realizing I wasn't going to get anything out of him I sigh and walk out, Aiden puts 2 Advil and a water bottle on the bedside table before he follows me out and closes the door.

I lean my head against the closed door and feel myself sliding down it, Aiden joins me on the ground.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" I whisper after a few minutes of silence.

Aiden doesn't respond and instead stands up, pulling me up with him.

"Aiden please, I don't want to talk about Maddi or anything like that," I beg hopelessly, weakly leaning my head against the door while a stray tear falls down my face.

"I know, let's go to bed." Aiden sighs, intertwining our fingers and taking me to my room.

If I wasn't feeling so dejected, the action might make me nervous or give me butterflies as his touch had for some reason.

We walk into my room and I slowly climb into bed, the action exhausting me to extreme measures. Aiden helps me and then goes to walk out, probably to another guest room or Elijah's room.

I don't know what it is, or what the cause is but when I realized he planned on leaving me alone to drown in my thoughts I panicked a little. "Aiden? Please sleep with me, I don't want to be alone." I find myself begging. If the situation was any different I would never beg the bad boy to sleep with me, my pride wouldn't allow it.

Aiden hesitates at the door but when he looks at me I can easily register the realization in his eyes, he nods and comes to sit beside me before taking off his - well Roberts shirt and discarding it on the floor. The fact that he took his shirt off didn't faze me at all, I was very aware that a lot of guys couldn't sleep with a shirt on and I just assumed Aiden was no different.

Seeing him take off his shirt off made me realize that I also couldn't sleep restricted by my sweats, so with that thought, I climbed out of bed and grabbed one of Luke's shirts from his drawer and pulled off my shirt, obviously turning around so my back was facing the half-naked bad boy that was waiting for me in my bed and replacing it with Luke's before sliding off my sweats, and on some tiny shorts. I knew that if I didn't change now, I would take off my sweats mid-sleep once the heat got too much and be left in only a crop top and my underwear, so I decided that an oversized shirt was better than the alternative.

Aiden thankfully keeps in any perverted comment he had thought of hidden and lets me climb back in bed and face the ceiling, Aiden turns to face the ceiling as well.

Nala jumps on as well and lies at my feet, curling up in a ball and falling asleep almost instantly. She seemed to know that she couldn't sleep up on the pillow with me tonight, and instead decided that my feet were good enough.

"And yes," Aiden whispers.

"What?" I whisper back to him, turning to face him while he still faces the ceiling.

"I think Luke will be fine, I mean he'll be broken for a while but he'll get over it eventually, you guys weren't meant to be" he replies thoughtfully.

"How come you're around for all the drama in my life but I never hear anything about you?" I laugh quietly, now also facing the ceiling.

"I'm just better at keeping my demons at bay," Aiden chuckles.

We lie in silence for a while.

"Em, why don't you love Luke? He's perfect." Aiden breaks the silence, I glance at him but return my stare to the ceiling.

"I don't know, I guess everything is so reliable with him. He knows me so well but I'm too close to him, I've been through too much with him and if I'm ever going to fall in love then it's going to be with someone I can escape with." I reply breathlessly, I had never admitted that to anyone before.

"What do you mean? I mean I think I understand, but I'm not sure," Aiden looks at me curiously, something about the way he looked at me not only gave me butterflies but gave me the impression that he really did want to hear what I had to say. The thought made me internally smile.

"There's a quote from my favorite TV show character in The Vampire Diaries, its about a love triangle between a beautiful and kind girl and two brothers. In the beginning, she falls in love with the 'perfect' man and the 'good' brother, but in the end, she falls in love with the 'reckless' and 'bad' brother. Literally, the whole universe does everything in its power to keep the 2 of them together, fate even demands the girl and the 'perfect' brother end up together but she falls for the 'dangerous', and 'unreliable' brother anyway, the one that makes her feel more alive, even when she feels dead inside. I guess who allows her to forget her past," I continue, Aiden looks at me in wonder; "The dangerous brother says something to the girl way before they get together, he says; "' You want a love that consumes you, you want passion, and adventure and even a little danger,' And for some reason, that quote always resonated with me. It meant so much, and it meant even more after everything that happened" I finish, smiling at the mention of the quote that had always meant so much more to me than just a stupid TV show quote.

"So that's why you don't love Luke, you want someone who can make you feel things you've never felt before, someone who's a risk but at the end is worth every minute," Aiden says in realization.

I nod, "Luke is my best friend, I know him inside out, he's not a risk for me, he's completely safe and he doesn't mean to, but he makes me relive my past because of how much he was in it, and I don't want that. I want someone who I can talk to about my past and feel good but someone who doesn't allow my past to define me. I want someone who makes me feel, with Luke I feel like everything is numb but I crave adventure, and that's everything that Luke isn't." I admit, wow I've admitted a lot tonight that I never thought I would.

Aiden looks at me in amazement, his piercing look actually makes me blush a little. So much so that he looks away once he realizes how much he was staring at me.

"Let's sleep Collins," Aiden whispers. I nod and cuddle into him when he puts an arm around my waist in a comforting notion, something just let me know that he was there for me and wasn't going anywhere.

I knew that tomorrow I'd regret everything that had happened tonight, my confessions as well as my sleeping choices and the fact that I wasn't even able to pry a drunk Luke away from me. As much as I was certain I would regret everything when I woke up, I didn't regret anything yet and I was going to take full advantage of that, without overthinking anything I snuggle back into Aiden and fall into a final, and much desired dreamless night. Nothing but a peaceful feeling washing over me and instant, and constant warmth everywhere mine and Aidens bodies made contact.

***

I feel Aiden stir in his sleep, he slides his hand up from my hip but pulls away instantly when he realizes the position we were in. I had been awake for a few minutes but couldn't yet force myself to face the world. I opened up to Aiden AGAIN last night and that's not okay. I can't believe how comfortable with Aiden I was last night. Did I seriously change into only a shirt in front of him?!

Idiot.

My shirt had ridden up during the night so my underwear like shorts were presumably on display, goosebumps covered every part of my skin that Aiden run his fingers up before quickly pulling away.

After a minute, I feel Aiden shake me slightly.

I stir, pretending I'm waking up and turn to face him. I hadn't heard my parents return yet so I assumed they hadn't. I guess it made sense considering it was only 9:00 am in the morning. I was never an early riser but I had woken up some time ago to cuddle into my pillow and return to the best sleep I'd had in years when I realized my pillow was in fact not a pillow at all and was instead a bad boy player that had managed to get me into bed.

The worst part was that I had instigated it, I didn't want to be alone so I asked Aiden to stay and of course, he would say yes.

"Collins, wake up." Aiden continues softly.

"I'm awake." I sigh sleepily after a moment and sit up to add to the illusion that Aiden had just woken me and I had no clue how this morning had begun.

"I think we need to go check on Luke," Aiden sighs.

I sigh as well and reluctantly groan, "I don't want to deal with my best friend right now."

"Come on Collins, you can't avoid him forever," Aiden chuckles.

Sighing I put the pillow on my face and groan before I climb out of bed.

"Stay here, I'll come and get you when I've spoken to Luke," I finally agree, he chuckles and salutes me before grabbing his phone and playing a game.

"Good luck babe," Aiden winks.

I glare at him and make my way to the spare room only to find Luke wasn't there. He must have woken, unlike me, he always woke up really early.

I walk downstairs still in nothing but Luke's shirt and tiny shorts before I catch sight of him sitting on a stool in the kitchen with a cup of what I assume to be coffee looking into space. When he sees me he smiles sheepishly and gestures to the spot directly opposite him.

"Hey," I say quietly after a moment, Luke just smiles.

"I'm so sorry about last night Em, I shouldn't have done that." Luke finally sighs.

"Do you remember it all?" I ask curiously, I wondered if he remembered forcefully kissing me.

"Not really, I know I drove here drunk and then admitted how much I actually was in love with you, and I know you rejected me again by saying things may have been different if Maddi didn't die but I only remember tiny bits and everything is blurry." Luke sighs regretfully before continuing with a pained expression, "Em I'm so sorry for bringing her up in front of Aiden, I mean I don't remember bringing her up but I'm sure it was me, I know you well enough to know you wouldn't have".

I nod, "that's okay, he was going to find out eventually" I stand up to pour myself some orange juice before sitting back down in my previous spot, I was glad he didn't remember it all, especially that he kissed me.

"Did you mean it?" Luke asks looking at me with so much raw emotion shining through his beautiful eyes.

"Mean what?" I ask.

"What you said about things may have been different if Maddi was still here?" He whispers, staring intently at his mug.

"I don't know," I sigh after a minute before continuing, "So much would be different if Maddi was still around, my whole life would be different but I just don't think my feelings for you would have been much different. I mean you're attractive and my favorite person in the world so I may have given you a chance if she was around, but I honestly don't think it would have lasted," I admit honestly.

Luke nods before looking at me hesitantly; "Is Maddi the only reason you won't give me a chance?"

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"I mean Aiden, do you think he is another reason you won't look at me the same way I see you?" he continues instantly.

"Why would Aiden have anything to do with it?" I ask astounded, but even I can't ignore the fast-paced beating of my heart, trying to escape against the cages of my ribs.

"I saw you guys this morning, I came in to lie down with you like we always had, but instead I saw you asleep, with Aidens arms wrapped securely around your waist the way we had always slept and your back pressed against his front," Luke recalls bitterly, even though he spoke in a bitter expression, anyone could hear the evident sadness behind his bitter facade.

"Last night I was really struggling and I needed someone there with me-" I begin to explain before Luke cuts me off.

"I was there!!" Luke exclaims sadly.

"Luke, I know you had no intention to, but you were the reason I needed someone. You brought back memories of Maddi in front of him as well as telling him something I've chosen not to share with anyone. You also were really...demanding when you were telling me how you felt and honestly I needed someone there that was not you," I reply sadly, I see his eyes drop and his face fills with guilt.

We sit in silence for a while before Luke breaks it, still staring at his untouched coffee; "Do you, do you have - feelings for him?"

My heartbeat increases drastically, and once again I feel as though it's attempting to escape. Do I have feelings for Aiden?

I mean, I can't deny that I feel something towards him but I just figured it was an attraction, and maybe it was at first. But last night it felt deeper, I mean the deeper feeling had been developing for a little time but last time I couldn't ignore it. I suspect that was because my emotional flood gates were forced open.

But how can I like Aiden?! He is the bad boy of Pearlacre, he's slept with so many girls he'd put Damon Salvatore to shame!! I hated guys like him, he only wanted girls for one thing and I wasn't like that. Plus he had only really gone for leggy blondes and I was definitely not that.

I can't have feelings for a player, I had never been the kind of girl to crush on them, wanting to be the girl that changed the bad boy player. I was smart, I knew that shit didn't exist.

I felt something for him, I couldn't ignore that anymore but do I have feelings for him, genuine, crushing, feelings?

"I - I don't know, it's complicated," I admit after a while, not being able to find it within myself to lie to my childhood best friend.

"I knew it" Luke replies, emotion swimming in his words, "he doesn't deserve you Em, he's just going to use you like all the other hundreds of girls he already has."

The disappointment is clear in every word and for a minute I feel like I'm getting scolded.

"You know I'm smarter than that Luke, and I don't even feel that much towards him, I think the feelings will disappear soon anyway," I say in an unintentional bitter and angry tone.

"Just be careful, don't let the feelings increase at all and I'll always be here," Luke replies, ignoring my bitterness.

"Wouldn't dare" I roll my eyes, the bitterness becoming even clearer in my sarcastic words.

"I'm sorry Emilia, I just care about you," Luke sighs when he realizes just how much he had upset me.

I sigh, not wanting to be upset with my best friend.

"I know Luke" I begin, "I'm sorry," I finish sadly, and anyone could detect the meaning of the words meant something so much deeper than a shallow apology for my previous frustration.

.