The stars shone brightly on the asphalt as Aiden stood beside me protectively whilst he spoke to the maintenance guy. I had messaged Amy to let her know I was coming tonight and she said she would be here, I was actually so excited to see her. I had also considered inviting James but I knew better than that and I also knew that he and I would plan something really soon because I actually missed the boy.

"Alright, you're free to go," the maintenance man says to Aiden, I see his eyes linger on me for a little longer than necessary and don't miss it when Aiden puts his arm around my shoulder in response.

I get back into Aiden's car as he drives the short drive to where the races left their cars. We get out and head to the boys who had just arrived according to Toby's message.

"Hey Mills!!" Toby grins, pulling me in to a tight bare hug.

I laugh in his arms; "hey Tobes."

Carter opens his arms for a hug and I smile at him before taking his invitation easily, Carter gave very warm hugs for someone who was so tall. "Hey Em," he smiles, I smile back.

"What about me!?" Blake pouts.

I laugh at him before stepping into his embrace as well, I really did like these boys.

As soon as Blake releases me, I hear my name being called by a very excited and very femine voice, I grin as soon as I realise that it was Amy.

"Hello beautiful," Amy grins, wrapping her arms around my waist, for a small woman, Amy had a very tight grip.

Of course Alex, Liam and Cooper follow behind her, they all wave to me when they see me and I smile at them all, as much as I liked Amy's guys, I wasn't nearly as close to them as I was to my guys and I think it was pretty obvious.

"So, how you been babe?" Amy smiles at me. I go to respond but then realise I wasn't exactly sure what I should be saying, Amy obviously notices this because she nods at me subtly.

"Alright boys, we are going to have some girl time before Aiden starts racing and before you have a panic attack Aiden, we are just going to sit in Liam's car which, before you ask, is right there." Amy grins.

Aiden stays silent, eyeing me and trying to anticipate my reaction but when he doesn't see any negative reaction, he nods hesitantly, walking us to Liam's car which was literally less than 30 ft away.

Liam opens the car from where the boys were standing and we climb in the back seat before Aiden walks back to the boys.

"You know girly, it's sweet how much he cares for you," Amy grins, she doesn't have to say anything else for me to instantly know who the HE she was talking about was.

"I don't think so, a fair bit has happened since our kiss on the beach," I admit.

"I fucking knew it from your reaction, you know I was expecting a message from you a few days ago saying that you's were official and when it never came, I knew something had happened."

I sigh, "we were going to go to a place together to talk on the Friday but instead I saw him making out with his first love."

"You mean Katherine?" Amy questions.

My head snaps to hers, "yeah, how did you know?"

Amy laughs, "you know, for a while there me and Toby had a thing."

I look at her in shock, her and Toby?!

"We met once at some event, I don't even remember what event when we were like 14 and stayed in contact, my 18-year-old boyfriend had just cheated on me and stupid little 14 year old me stayed with him, Toby helped through a lot of shit and actually was the one who showed me my self-worth which encouraged me to break up with him but after the breakup, I was in a really bad place. This guy was my first everything and I was completely in love with him. After a while, Toby and I started talking when we were like 15 after he had helped me get through that really tough stage, he had always told me about this girl his best friend was in love with called Katherine, and even when we were 14, he used to tell me how much he hated her, he thought Aiden could do better. He used to speak to me about her all the time, I think I was the only person who would listen because Aiden was far too in love to see what Toby thought he did. So when we were 15 we had a thing, it didn't last very long because, in all honesty, I was a hoe, and Toby wanted something real so we decided to end things mutually, no hard feelings at all. I adore Toby and still do but I think a part of him resents me for sleeping around when he and I sort of had a thing, I would take it back if I could but then I'd never have met Liam and Liam is the best thing that has ever happened to me," Amy explains.

I stare at her open-mouthed, I never thought she and Toby would have ever been a thing. "But when I first met you guys, Toby said they had met you here a while ago?" I question aloud.

Amy smiles, "well he's not lying, we stopped talking for a while and then when we saw each other again at the tracks just over a year ago, I was a completely different person. The guys had never met me before and even Toby hadn't met my boys. He was really nice to me but that period of time really affected Liam as much as he would never admit it so I asked Toby to not tell anyone about us or bring it up again so he was just protecting me when he told you that, but that was the first time Toby had met my guys or his guys had met me and the boys."

"Toby really did that for you?" I question, my fondness for the boy I was in love withs best friend just growing.

"Of course he did, as you know Toby is extremely jokey and always laughing but he had a serious side as well, he would do anything for the people he loves which is why I was so surprised when I saw how much he already loved you the first time we had met," Amy says.

My eyebrows crease in confusion; "what do you mean?"

Amy laughs again, the sound sweet and genuine; "Toby and Aiden have been best friends for as long as I can remember and Toby is the most loyal person you will ever meet, he will do anything for Aiden and is naturally very protective of him, he hated Katherine because even though it wasn't her fault, she really broke Aiden's heart and left Toby to pick up the pieces, he never liked her before that because he knew something like that would happen and that Aiden's love for Katherine consumed him, even though they were just children, he knew that she would break his heart in the end. I was surprised when I saw how much Toby adored you because to be completely honest, I thought that Aiden looked at you the way that Toby once looked at me, all consumingly and I assumed you guys were dating. I thought Toby would hate you because in that moment, I knew what he meant when he used to say that Aiden fell hard and fast. I thought that maybe he assumed that you would break Aiden's heart as Katherine did but that was never the case, Toby adores you, to the point where if something happened between you and Aiden, I'm not so sure his full loyalty would lie with Aiden that way that it did with Katherine. Toby is one of the best friends you will ever have, and the way he adores you says a lot about your and Aiden's relationship."

I take in Amy's words, it never really occurred to me that Toby hated Katherine but loved me but it made sense when I looked back. Toby had been cold to Katherine that day at Aiden's house and hadn't left my side at all, I don't even think he said 4 words to Katherine the whole day.

"I know this is hard to hear babe but everything is aligned for you and Aiden, you guys would make an amazing couple and I know that you're hurting but I think you need to sit down with Aiden and have a serious conversation with him, I'm not telling you to forgive the prick but at least give him a chance to explain himself." Amy says gently.

I look at her, all my emotions bubbling to the surface; "Amy, he hurt me so much, he slept with Katherine the day we were supposed to sit down and have that chat you're talking about, and then today with Lindsay, I can't be another one of his hoes, I just need to get over him and move on."

Amy opens her mouth to say something but closes it after a second of hesitation, she sighs to herself before looking back at me with a smile on her face, "you do whatever you need to do hun, I'll support you whatever you do as long as you promise me that you'll remember our conversation tonight," Amy smiles.

I smile at her, "I will."

She pulls me into a comforting hug and we break apart by a banging on the window, I look up to see Toby looking at us in curiosity, when we both look at him he gestures for us to come back out because obviously, Aiden was about to start his first race.

We climb out of the car and Toby chats with us excitedly as we walk back to the guys, Amy goes straight to Liams side as Toby looks at me worriedly; "is everything alright Mills?"

"Yeah," I smile up at the guy who had never failed to put me first.

Toby looks at me but doesn't push it; "Aiden has 3 races straight after each other and then 1 a little later tonight, he should be starting any second."

Almost on cue, the announcer speaks through the microphone, he announces our first race tonight being between Aiden and some guy called Greg.

I watch in anticipation as Aiden and Greg get ready at the starting line.

"Come up here," Carter smiles, gesturing to the ute of his car. I accept graciously, allowing him to help me up just in time for the gun to go off and for the race to start.

I watch in anticipation, every move Aiden makes looks skilled and strategised, he almost looks graceful. He beats Greg by heaps. The next race is against someone called Henry, it seems that this race is even more simple than the last.

The announcer finally calls the last race, this time against someone called Frank, they line up on the baseline together and they're off as soon as the gun goes.

I watch as Frank takes off milliseconds before the gun and this gives him a tiny lead, he uses it to his advantage and takes off, Aiden was behind now by about 2 feet. Aiden begins to catch up and Frank notices this, he tries to block off the path so Aiden can't overtake him and as a result, crashes into the side of his car. I gasp loudly, grasping on to Carter's arm that fell beside him.

Toby jumps on to the truck when he sees my expression and puts a comforting arm around my shoulder; "stop stressing Mills, this sort of stuff happens every night."

I ignore Toby's words, leaning into him as Frank hits the side of Aiden's car again. Now he was only in front by a little and Aiden was catching up by the second, as they turn the corner Frank loses control of his car momentarily and rolls slightly but this gives Aiden an advantage as he overtakes Frank, now ahead by a fair bit.

As the race continues, Aiden only puts more space in between him and Frank, and once again, Aiden wins.

I cheer loudly with everyone else, I see Aiden drive his car closer to us and hop out and just like I did the first time I was at the tracks, I can't help but sprint over to him and jump into his awaiting arms.

"That was amazing!!!" I yell, everyone continues cheering around us but it eventually fades away and it's only now that I realize how close our faces were, if either of us were to just lean in a little then our lips would meet again.

Aiden puts me down, our faces still inches apart, I never knew how much I craved his kiss until this exact moment, I wanted nothing more than for our lips to meet again, to feel the sparks I did on the beach, to just be in the moment with Aiden.

It seems that Aiden feels the same way because I notice him inching closer and closer until his lips touch mine as light as a feather. He waits for a rejection but it never comes, I can't find it within myself. His lips press further into mine and sparks erupt throughout my whole body, a warmth I had never felt spreads everywhere leaving me wanting more, I was addicted to his lips.

Then suddenly all I can think about is Katherine, Lindsay, Tiffany, every girl he had ever slept with and more so, any girl that he had ever gone against me with. These lips had touched Katherine only a short few days ago, and only today that had touched Lindsay, I wasn't special to him, no, these lips touched whoever was willing.

I push him away from me, breathing deeply but not because I was out of breath, my heart clenches again as I look at the confusion in his eyes, he stares at me, waiting for me to say something, so I do.

"I'm not another one of your hoes Aiden, I said it before and I'll say it again, you only want me for one thing and I know that you're never going to change, I know I've said that a lot lately but you keep proving me right and I need to stop being so weak. We're friends, nothing more and we never will be, I refuse to be just another conquest on your ever-growing list and I'm not going to do this back and forward anymore, I'm stronger than that. I shouldn't have kissed you that night on the beach and I definitely shouldn't have kissed you then, you need to focus on someone else because I won't get hurt by you again and I definitely won't be just another girl to you."

🎵🎶🎵

I say the words so quietly they're almost a whisper but I say them strongly and I know Aiden hears them by the evident hurt in his eyes, he knew I was right and I felt guilty about hurting him but I didn't regret the words, they needed to be said in an environment that wasn't as toxic as that night at my door if he and I were ever going to go back to just being friends.

Aiden continues staring at me, speechless, I don't know what else to do so I walk back to the group who were all staring at me in amazement. Aiden continues standing in the middle of the crowd, everyone had gone back to watching the races so the only people that probably even just saw that exchange was my gang because they were watching.

I turn back to Toby who stares at me and then back around to where Aiden was standing but I look back, he's gone. I look back towards Toby in confusion but notice he's not looking at me, neither are any of the others. I follow their gazes and my heart sinks when I see what I do even though I knew I had no right after the conversation we just had. Aiden was making out with a stunning brunette girl, she was pinned up against some randoms car as they made out like their lives depended on it.

I see Toby regain consciousness and I notice his shoulders square, I can tell he's about to walk over to Aiden and either yell at him, or separate him and the girl but I tug his sleeve to stop him.

Toby looks at me and I don't have to open my mouth for him to know what I was telling him; "why the fuck not Mills? He needs to stop this, all he's doing is hurting you and I'm fucking done with it."

I stare at him and only find my voice after a minute, "please don't Toby, it's who he is."

Toby sighs and instead of storming over to Aiden, he pulls me into a comforting hug.

"What happened Mills?" He questions but my focus isn't on him, my focus is on where Aiden leads the brunette girl away from the crowd and it doesn't take a genius to figure out where they were going.

I knew it.

I was right.

I'm an idiot for kissing him.

I hate myself for actually falling in love with him.

All I would have been was another number on his list and it would have been so much more to me.

Tears leave my eyes and I allow Toby to walk me away from where the group were all watching me sadly, they too had obviously figured out what was happening. Amy follows us and we walk until we're out of earshot from anyone but the 3 of us.

"Mills, you have to tell me what happened just there," Toby begs.

"He's right girly, you guys were kissing one second and then he was kissing some other hoe the next." Amy agrees.

And so I tell them exactly what I said to him.

***

It had been 3 girls, 3 girls in 2 hours and every time I felt even sicker, you would think I'd be used to it by now but that wasn't the case at all. Toby was even more pissed at Aiden after I had told him what I said and I hated knowing that I was causing issues between their relationship, I should have just told Amy and waited until I got home to speak to Dale and Charlie, but even so, I probably wouldn't tell Charlie tonight, not after she had such an amazing date today.

Aiden walks over to the group with another brunette on his arm, he sees me and grins and its amazing that I manage to keep a straight face and not break then and there, I had cried all my tears and Amy had helped me clean up so he probably couldn't even tell that I had been crying, but Toby knew and I assumed that the others only guessed as much.

"You were so right Em, I missed this so much, I actually have to thank you for reminding me who I really am, well obviously with the help from Chloe here," Aiden smirks, looking down at the girl with a look in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time; the player look.

"It's actually Zoe," the girl replies awkwardly.

"What if I want to call you Chloe?" Aiden replies smirking, the same player look evident in his once warm eyes, I'm not sure I had seen them this cold directed at me since he told me to leave him alone before the party that time.

Zoe giggles, "you can call me whatever you want."

"I like the sound of that," Aiden winks.

Tears once again threaten to fall but Amy leads me away before anything becomes obvious. I hear mumbled words from Toby but he joins us again before I can actually register what he was saying.

"He's a fucking asshole Mills, I love him to bits but I promise I'll punch him in his balls for you," Toby smiles sadly.

I smile back at him, keeping the tears at bay; "I'm so sorry Toby, he's your best friend and you should be on his side, I shouldn't be putting a wedge between you guys."

Toby looks at me; "Mills, I know that's not your intention and at the end of the day, he'll always be my best friend but that doesn't eliminate the fact that he's being a huge dick right now and even as his best friend, I'm not going to encourage that."

I go to say how sorry I am but stop myself quickly, what would sorry even do in this situation? It wouldn't take my words back and wouldn't make Aiden and Toby fine again, so I just don't.

Thunder strikes from above us and almost instantly, rain comes pouring down. It seemed that this day couldn't get any worse.