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Em and I quickly jump away from each other after hearing the voice.

I look up and thankfully only see Charlie and not her parents or something.

"Comparing tattoos?" Em states awkwardly, more like a question rather than a statement. Her face crimson coloured, scratching her head in an extremely awkward manner, "he left his jacket here," she finishes, just as awkwardly.

"Hey Charlie," I wave, also incredibly awkwardly.

Her smirk only grows, "Hey Aiden."

I quickly look at Em who was blushing once again. During the scare, she had unknowingly moved her shirt from her boobs and now I had a clear view of them sitting in her lacey black bra. I couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing matching underwear.

I quickly look away, not wanting anything...unwanted...to happen. She was seriously the most attractive girl I had ever laid my eyes on. Her body was smoking and her face was something else entirely. Any guy would be lucky to have her on their arm. For some reason, the thought of her with another guy angered me. I didn't know what the fuck was happening to me but earlier when Dale was flirting with her, I had an urge to punch him so instead I stormed away leaving them alone together to exchange numbers and then organize to hang out.

Obviously I was only worried about her. She was my friend and I was protective of my friends and knowing he only wanted to get in her pants just upset me because she's my friend and I care about her...right?

"I should go, my mom is probably worried," I comment awkwardly, turning to walk out of her room.

"Wait Aiden," Charlie calls, still smirking, I turn to look at her; "You're shirt?"

She points to my shirt discarded on Em's floor and I pick it up quickly before rushing out of the room I slept in last night and slept better than I had in years.

What the actual fuck just happened?! I don't get embarrassed!! I'm confident, I see girls naked all the time so why did I react like that after seeing one girl HALF naked?!

I don't understand how her touch affects me so much either, every time she touches me something happens to my body and I fucking hate it. I guess this is how all guy - girl friendships work.

Fuck this shit.

I don't know why I told her about my father, after hearing about Maddi it just kind of happened. I can't believe she had an older sister who died. The other girl in all those other pictures must have been Maddi. It was all so obvious to me now, I can't believe I didn't piece it all together earlier.

Her tattoo was amazing as well, I loved it and I loved what it stood for. I wanted to tell her that earlier but Toby interrupted me. I also can't believe a father would do that to their family, I mean leave when he had a dying daughter? I thought my dad was as worse as they come but after hearing about Em's, I wasn't so sure.

After hearing her real story I decided to abandon the game once and for all. She meant too much to me to lose her because of my desires. I didn't even care that she was literally the best looking girl I had ever seen, she was my friend and something deep inside me told me not to fuck it up.

I just hoped that nothing happened tonight between her and Dale.

"Wanna explain to me what just happened?" Charlie smirks.

I fall on to my bed, discarding my shirt on the floor and groan. "I can't tell you what just happened because that would imply that I had any idea what so ever of what did just fucking happen."

"He has an amazing body though babe, I'm proud of you," Charlie smirks, falling beside me.

"I invited someone else to join us tonight," I smile, remembering Dale.

I pull out my phone and quickly send Dale a text with the address on it

"What's their name?" Charlie asks smiling, obviously intrigued at who I had invited to crash girls might.

"His name is Dale," I smile.

"Well he must he pretty cool if you're willingly inviting him to crash girls night," Charlie smiles.

"He is, he'll be here soon." I laugh.

***

It had been an hour or so since Dale had been here and just as I expected, he and Charlie were getting on so well.

"So do either of you hotties have a boyfriend then?" Dale asks, he still hadn't said anything about being gay but I knew that he definitely would, especially considering how incredibly well they were getting on.

"Fuck no, the guy I've loved forever is in love with this little hottie over here who is his best friend," Charlie rolls her eyes, not I'm a mean or envious way but more a understanding and frustrated way.

I knew that Charlie wasn't jealous of me and Luke's relationship, especially after I told her I had no interest in him. I knew that she didn't resent me or anything but I felt terrible anyways, I couldn't imagine how much it would suck, loving someone who didn't love you back. I just wanted her to be happy.

"Oh shit, really? I don't get it, I mean I do because Em is hot as fuck, but like, you're just as hot. Like you girls look so alike it's not funny!! Any guy would be lucky to call either of your beautiful asses his," Dale enthuses, making Charlie and I both fall in to fits of laughter.

I loved being told I looked like Charlie, she was so fucking gorgeous, and to be compared to her was a huge confidence boost for me.

"What's you're type then?" Charlie asks, looking expectantly at Dale. I looked at him, wondering what he was going to say.

"Tall, great ass, hot body, huge dick," Dale explains easily.

I laugh slightly at his explanation, Charlie smirks at him.

"I fucking knew it, you're too hot to be having a slumber party with 2 girls and not trying to get in either of their pants," Charlie states proudly.

Dale and I once again fall into fits of laughter.

"Thanks babe, know any guys to set me up with?" Dale smirks.

"There's always my friend Jordan but I'll definitely keep my eye out, but you gotta do the same for me?" Charlie grins.

"Hell yeah, I'll send the straight ones to you and you sent the gay ones my way baby," he replies, grinning just as happy as Charlie.

"What about you pretty? Any guys you got your mind on?" Dale asks, now directing his question to me.

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"Yeah Em, anyone we should know about?" Charlie smirks, shuffling closer to Dale.

I was glad I had a large room away from everyone, it made their patronising stares a lot easier to endure knowing we were safe in my room where nobody would hear us.

"Um," is my genius reply. If I'm being honest, I didn't know what I felt. The events from today have left me even more confused, and I was already as confused as Scuttle the seagull from The Little Mermaid.

But honestly, as if The Little Mermaid isn't the best Disney movie of all time. Can I get me a strangely protective pet crab?!

"What about Aiden, you're incredibly hot friend from today?" Dale smirks, and by the way he smirks he had already figured out that it was in-fact Aiden who had be 'umming'.

"Okay the fact that Dale has been one if us for less then 2 hours and he already picked up on something going on between you and Aiden says something...so speak!!" Charlie demands, Dale leans towards Charlie and smirks, both their burning stares waiting for me to say something.

"I don't know, I mean obviously he's hot-" I begin.

"So fucking hot," Dale cuts in.

"But he's such a fuck boy and I'm scared that if I start developing feelings then I won't be able to stop, and I deserve better then someone who would use me for one thing and then discard me as easily as every other girl he already has," I groan, falling dramatically so I was lying on the floor from my sitting cross legged position.

Dale laughs; "babe I don't think you're just like any other girl, ma was saying how he has never once brought a girl to the diner and introduced her, she was shocked, happy, but shocked."

I would be lying if I said that I didn't get butterflies at the positivity in his voice

"You know I saw something between them just now," Charlie smirks, looking at Dale.

"Tell me more," Dale demands, similar to a preteen wanting to know the drama.

I really really liked Dale, and I could tell Charlie did as well. We had explained to her earlier how Dale and I had met and since then they had just gotten on amazingly.

"Aiden dropped her home from the diner obviously and then came in to get his jacket...wait why was his jacket there?" Charlie begins, then cuts herself off when she realises there was no reason for Aiden's jacket to actually be at mine.

Fuck I had forgot to tell her about last night.

"Wait I'm going to finish my story, then you have some explaining to do dear dear cousin," Charlie said before anyone could talk, throwing me a pointed look that made me wince under her stare.

"Anyways, I walked in on him shirtless, and her shirt rolled up, displaying her unclipped, lacey bra. He was very close to her, and it looked like he was caressing your side boob or something," Charlie finishes, looking very confused. I can't help but laugh at her confused expression before I answer her.

"I was showing him my tattoo, we had talked about my past and he wanted to see it," I smile sheepishly.

Charlie's eyes all but bulge out of her sockets, "you told him about your past?"

I shrug my shoulders, looking at Dale to see if he had anything to say or question.

"I want to see the tattoo!!" Dale enthuses curiously, both Charlie and I let out a sigh of relief at his ability to not ask about my past.

I take my shirt off and unclip my bra so Dale can see it, I had no worry about him looking at me sexually because he was probably as sexually attracted to me as I was a tree.

"Babe you're a bad ass, I never expected the good girl to have a tattoo, I gotta say I'm impressed," Dale admits, giving me an impressed look.

"Thanks babe," I wink back.

"Wait so now why was his jacket at yours?" Charlie reminds, Dale looks at me interested, a suggestive smirk evident on his face.

"He stayed at my house last night," I admit sheepishly.

"What?" Charlie asks, mouth open.

"Fuck yes Em getting some," Dale cheers.

"Nothing happened Dale," I laugh, he pouts. "And because after lunch on Sunday our parents were too drunk to drive but I needed to get out out of there because Luke had just admitted he was in love with me, so Aiden drove me home but didn't have his house key so my mom practically forced me to let him sleep at ours," I finish.

"Bet she didn't have to force too hard," Charlie smirks.

"Wait," Dale begins, "so Luke is the guy that Charlie likes who is Ems best friend, and your parents and Aiden's are friends, and you all have lunch together!? You, your best friend who's in love with you, and the boy you may or may not have feelings for!?" He finishes, astounded.

"My family was there as well," Charlie adds, putting her hand up.

"So was the mean girl at our school who is Aiden's most used fuck buddy, who I think is like in love with him," I also add, putting my hand up like Charlie had.

"What!?" Dale asks, looking even more lost.

"Yeah, my mom is Em's moms sister, and Em's mom is best friends with Luke's mom, who's work colleagues with Tiffany's mom, who is the mean girl at school, and because Aiden lives next door, when Em's family moved here, Em's mom also bonded with Aiden's mom and then invited her to our regular lunches." Charlie chuckles.

"Holy fuck this is good!!! This is like wattpad story good," Dale replies, looking impossibly more astounded.

I laugh, I swear my whole life is a wattpad story.

"Okay so let me get this straight, you guys go to lunches where you have Luke who is in love with Em, Charlie who is in love with Luke, Em who may have feeling for Aiden, and Tiffany who is Aiden's most common fuck buddy who quite probably likes Aiden, and I mean more than just sex?" Dale questions one last time.

"Seems about right," Charlie nods smirking.

Dale just looks at us, the same astounded look on his face, "I'm so coming to the next lunch."

Charlie and I laugh at the seriousness in his voice.

"So what happened with Aiden when he stayed?" Charlie asks, breaking Dale out of his trance.

"We watched a scary movie, ordered pizza, then went to sleep," I recount, purposely leaving Luke out of my recount, Charlie struggled enough with the whole love...wait I probably should count...the love pentagon? I didn't need to rub anything in her face.

"Did you guys sleep in the same bed?" Dale asks suggestively.

"Yeah...?" I trail off.

"Naked?" Dale pushes.

"No!!! He was shirtless and I had on an oversized shirt and tiny shorts," I defend Charlie and Dale laugh.

"So he didn't have a shirt on, and you barely had pants on?" Charlie smirks.

Oh shit, they're right.

"Oh my god guys, I promise nothing happened," I laugh, trying to pull the whole cool thing off.

"How long until they kiss you reckon?" Charlie asks Dale.

"I say a month, they both don't seem like they'll admit feelings," Dale offers, ignoring my glare.

"No way, a couple of weeks," Charlie negotiates.

"$20?" Dale smirks.

"You're on," Charlie replies, shaking his hand.

They both ignore my shocked face, do they even know I'm right here!?

"You're totally crushing on the bad boy," Charlie sings happily.

"For fucking sure," Dale agrees.

Are they right?

Am I crushing on the biggest player at Pearlacre high?

I couldn't possibly be, I'm smarter than that...right?

I mean but he acts so differently around me, he's nice.

I think about the butterflies that have a fucking party in my stomach every time we're near or the immediate warmth in my stomach whenever we touch. How good it felt to sleep with him, and I mean this completely innocently, how much I loved the feeling of his arm draped casually over my waist or the comfort I felt with my back pressed against his bare front.

Fuck my life.

I'm totally and undeniably crushing on the bad boy player who will never feel the same way that I do.

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