Aiden POV:

The stars gleamed upon the stunning girl standing in front of me while I spread out the blanket. I had to admit that everything about this place was stunning but it didn't even compare to Em. I had fallen so fucking hard for that girl and I didn't know how to go back.

When I saw her on the roof I almost left her alone, but as soon as I saw she was upset my body wouldn't have let me leave even if I wanted to, which I didn't. I hated seeing her cry, she was such an amazing person and she didn't deserve anything that had happened to her. I was surprised when she agreed to come here with me though, I mean I didn't really give her any time to reject my offer but I fully expected her to either not show up or messaging me to tell me she refused to come.

Seeing her with Justin and knowing what they did left me feeling an emotion I had never felt before. I was so fucking hurt even though I had no right whatsoever to be, I had fucked countless girls in the time between when we kissed and when she slept with Justin but knowing what she did, did something to me that I couldn't explain. I wasn't even sure it was anger, I think the emotion could have been called desperation.

I had said some things to her that I regretted that night, I had called her easy and I had told her that I was in love with her and I wasn't sure which one I regretted more. I know that she heard what I said but I wasn't sure she comprehended it but now the whole fucking school knew I was in love with her and she hadn't given me the same signs back. I dreaded Monday, people talking about what I said, I couldn't even deny it because it was true. It was way too fucking true.

"Em?" I interrupt her, she had been staring at the view for a while now and I wondered so much exactly what it was that she was thinking.

I watch her shake her head, probably to free her thoughts, and then she sits beside me. Her presence alone made my heart beat 100 times faster and the reality was that she wasn't even that close to me.

"How are you feeling?" I question, passing her the pizza and hoping she'll eat, I didn't want her to starve.

"Better, thank you for bringing me here and thinking to bring a picnic blanket and one to keep us warm," she replies with a genuine smile that makes me fall in love with her all over again.

She was perfect, I would do anything for her, even bring a fucking picnic blanket for her.

She looks at me curiously; "what?"

Embarrassment floods me as I realize I said that out loud and I was thankful she couldn't see my facial expression in this dark; "nothing."

She continues to stare out at the view and I continue to stare at her, how was it even possible to feel this strongly about someone? If this was love then it fucking sucked.

My mind buzzes with what I said about her last night and the guilt I had felt since I said it sits in its same comfortable position; "I'm sorry about what I said last night, I didn't mean it."

Em looks at me, obviously once again being interrupted from her staring; "you mean calling me a whore?"

I flinch visibly and nod, "when I said you were easy, you're not, I was just upset about seeing you with Justin and knowing what you guys had done."

Em stares at me, trying to decipher something, I see her mind whirling and I know she's trying to figure something out, maybe remember something? She nods hesitantly before turning back to the view.

"Collins" I question, she once again looks at me, I take it as my queue to continue. "That day after we kissed on the field trip and you saw me with Katherine, we didn't have sex."

Her head shoots to me and her eyes search mine; "I saw you Aiden." She replies.

"No you didn't," I reply quietly; "I stopped it before it got further than her shirt being off."

Em continues to stare at me, she looks clueless; "but last night you admitted that you had slept with her."

I flinch once again at not only last night, but when I had actually slept with her; "I did sleep with her a couple of days after, she knew that I didn't feel it anymore but she wanted to one last time before she could get over me," I begin. "I know it's pointless now but I wanted you to know that I didn't betray you as bad as you think, I never slept with her when I was meant to see you and by the time I did sleep with her, you had made it very obvious that there was nothing between us and it didn't feel like such a betrayal. I know that I betrayed you by kissing her and by sleeping with her when I did but I just wanted you to know that I never slept with her that day and that even though I betrayed you, I didn't betray you to the extent that you probably think."

Em stares at me, the same whirling obvious in her head. She was confused, she was trying to figure it all out and I didn't blame her.

I couldn't do this anymore, this back and forward, it was killing me. I had to know one way or the other how she felt about it because the sooner I heard her rejection, the sooner I could move on with my life. This what-ifs had my mind in a constant pattern that I needed to free myself from.

I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was about to tell her, it was now or never, I was Aiden Black, I could do anything. Well, anything but get Emily Collins apparently.

I force the negative thoughts out of my head, I just had to man the fuck up.

Em continues to stare at me, obviously still trying to work everything out. I take another breath before turning back to face her.

"You know how I said before that I was upset after seeing you with Justin?" I say, I knew I was prolonging actually telling her but it was the best I could do right now.

"Yeah?" She replies.

"I still am," I begin, when she looks at me strangely I continue; "I'm still upset that you and Justin..." I can't bring myself to finish the sentence but I don't need to because Em's face twists in confusion.

"Why?" She asks me.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Have I mentioned fuck?

I guess now was the time.

"Because I'm in love with you."

"Because I'm in love with you."

His words ring through my head on a constant repeat.

"Because I'm in love with you."

Am I dreaming? Did Aiden really not sleep with Katherine that night?

"Because I'm in love with you."

He can't be, I'm just me.

"Because I'm in love with you."

I think I've entered an alternate reality because there is no way that the Aiden Black was sitting beside me on a picnic rug under the stars and telling me that he was in love with me. Telling me that he reciprocated my feelings. Telling me that the feelings I had weren't worthless and unmeaningful.

He had said that he didn't sleep with Katherine that night, and although they had slept with each other eventually, it seemed to hurt a lot less knowing that he didn't sleep with her until I told him there was nothing between us.

"Because I'm in love with you."

I stare at him, I was at loss for words.

"W-what?" I struggle to get out.

"I didn't like seeing you with Justin because I was jealous and it hurt that you slept with someone else when I had- have such strong feelings for you." He whispers, looking away.

I stare at him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. What the actual fuck was happening right now?

"Please say something," Aiden begs, looking back at me.

"I-um, you're in love with me?" Is my genius response, agh why can't I handle this better!!!! I guess that's what happens when the bad boy player that you've been in love with for months says he feels the same way.

"I know that you don't feel the same-" Aiden begins but everything he had just said hits me like a ton of bricks, last night he said it as well but I was too angry to actually comprehend his words. Aiden loved me, he actually loved me.

"I'm in love with you too," I cut his words off. Now it's Aiden's turn to stare at me open-mouthed and wide-eyed.

"I-what?" Aiden questions after what feels like hours but is probably only a few seconds.

"I'm in love with you, I have been for ages. You're always there for me when I need you, you treat me so different than how you treat everyone else, you make me laugh when all I want to do is cry, you make me feel alive. You let me live in my past but you don't let it define me. I love you. Loving you has consumed me, you are everything I always wanted. You're passionate, and adventurous and even a little dangerous. I love you." I find myself replying, obviously reminding us both of the quote I once admitted to him from The Vampire Diaries.

Aiden smiles so wide I'm actually scared his face is going to break in 2, he doesn't smirk, or grin, right now he was full-blown smiling and if I didn't love him before (which I did), I definitely loved him now.

"I love you so much Emily Collins," Aiden smiles, his eyes shining. I smile at him, my heartwarming at how happy he seemed right now.

Before I get time to do much else, Aiden is on top of me, kissing me like his life depended on it and like I was the best thing the world had to offer.

Fireworks would be an understatement, his lips touched mine with such an urgency which made the kiss all the better. His tongue enters my mouth and I let it, deepening the kiss. It almost seemed like Aiden was determined to show me how much I actually meant to him, how much he needed me. It was like I was his life source.

Aiden pulls away and stares at me; "am I dreaming right now?"

I laugh at his words, but instead of replying, I kiss him just as urgently as he kissed me. I was in love with him, so damn in love with him and he felt the same?

I pull away from him hesitantly, my mind was spinning but I still needed answers; "are you seriously telling me that you didn't sleep with Katherine that night?"

"I swear I didn't, I was in love with you," Aiden replies and his words sound so genuine that I actually believe him.

"You loved me then?" I repeat his words.

Aiden nods; "I've been in love with you for ages, before the trip even but I never allowed myself to admit it until that night at your door when you told me that I was a player and it was all I would ever be, that was when I started sleeping with people again but I there wasn't many, then when you said it again at the tracks I was so angry and I guess I wanted to prove you right. I wanted your disappointment to be true which is when I really started sleeping around again."

I take in all his words, it made sense. I had hurt him when I said he would only ever be a player and if I could take it back, then I would.

"What does that mean for us then?" I ask quietly, the words I had been dreading to say since we admitted our feelings for each other. If he said that he wanted to keep being a player and maybe do a friends with benefits kind of thing then I don't think I would be able to survive that mentally. I couldn't continue to watch him sleep around when I felt so strongly about him.

Aiden stares at me, "I've loved you for a long time Collins and liked you even before that, I was attracted to you the first second I saw you in those tiny pajamas and then we became friends, at the start I wanted to play you but when I got to know you I started really enjoying your company and playing you just wasn't worth it if it meant I would lose you. I have never opened up to someone as quickly as I did you, the friendship we have is unlike anything I've ever had before and for a while, it was amazing, perfect even, but I can't be your friend anymore. I can't watch you date other guys or introduce you to everyone as just my friend because you're so much more than that. You have no idea how much I want to call you mine, I haven't done the girlfriend thing for a while but if you'll accept, I'll try to be the best boyfriend you've ever had."

I smile at Aiden, my heart so warm I'm positive it could melt Antarctica. I had never felt this way about someone before, not even Justin and it terrified me but for Aiden, I would give it a chance. I also knew that yesterday he was a player and it would be difficult for him to adjust to being in a relationship but for some reason, I felt like he thought I was worth it. I would be patient with him if it meant being in a relationship, he deserved at least that.

"Is that your very abnormal way of asking me to be your girlfriend?" I smile jokingly.

Aiden grins, "It is, when do I ever do anything normally anyway?"

I laugh at him; "I guess that makes me your girlfriend."

Aiden's smile seems to grow impossibly larger and he goes to kiss me but I push him back at the last second.

"Wait a minute, you wanted to play me at the start?" I realise aloud, the joking tone evident in my words.

Aiden grins at my tone, he replies in the same joking way; "Collins, I'm almost certain that every guy wanted to sleep with you at one point, I just admitted it but now you're my girlfriend and I don't accept takebacks so all those guys can find another beautiful girl and most of all, single girl, to lust over."

I laugh at him, he made everything better by just being there.

Aiden's lips once again find mine and I find myself in a heated make-out session.

The feeling I get whenever he kisses me never subsides, it only intensifies and I can feel the love through the kiss. I'm not sure what happens but one second we're making out and the next I'm tugging his shirt over his head.

"Wait, Collins," Aiden interrupts me just as his shirt hits the blanket beside me.

"What?" I reply breathlessly.

"I don't want you to think that I'm doing this to get in your pants, I'll wait for however long you want until you're ready, I don't care how long it takes but I'll prove to you how serious I am about us." Aiden says just as breathlessly.

"You don't want to?" I reply curiously.

"Oh I want to, you have no idea just how much, but I want to prove to you that you're so much more than a one-night stand to me," Aiden explains.

I'm not sure what it was, maybe it was the stars glistening in the night sky or the light the moon gave off, it had come from behind a cloud and now it shined upon us, bright enough for me to see clearly but dark enough to illuminate the stars and the light of the city but I wanted this. I was so in love with him and this was such a beautiful place, I couldn't think of anywhere better to do this with Aiden.

Instead of replying, I take off my shirt. My lacey black bra holds my boobs in place and I watch as Aiden registers what I had just done. His eyes rake my body before they come back to meet my eyes, the only emotion that is visible in his beautiful brown eyes is admiration, just plain admiration. I could tell just by his eyes that he wasn't lying when he said he loved me.

Aiden stares at me with the same eyes but he doesn't move, almost like he's scared that if he does then I would just disappear.

His jeans hang dangerously low on his hips and the top of his black boxers were just visible. After a few more seconds, Aiden obviously decides to move but when he does, the light momentarily catches the top of something that looked like a triangle, it was a tattoo.

"What's that?" I question curiously. I had seen all of his tattoos before, in fact he had shown me them and I showed him mine in return. I didn't remember seeing this tattoo.

Aiden looks down at the top of the tattoo, obviously wondering what I was asking about. His face turns a bright red and I almost faint in shock at the fact that AIDEN BLACK was blushing brightly. The triangle disappears behind his boxers and I instantly want to know what it looks like.

"Nothing," Aiden replies quickly...too quickly.

This just makes me more curious.

"Aiden," I repeat, not even bothered by the fact that I was in a bra and sweat pants in front of him and he was in jeans.

Aiden looks as though he's having a mental debate with himself but eventually he gives in, he sighs and then pulls his pants down a little bit further so I could see the tattoo, I could also see his glorious V line but surprisingly, that wasn't what had my attention, his tattoo looked like a star?

"A star?" I question cluelessly, subconsciously reaching over to place my hand over my own tattoo which included a star itself.

Aiden's face seems to go even redder and I resit the urge to awe at him but to be fair, we were both half-naked and in a steamy makeout session and awe didn't seem appropriate.

"Yeah, you told me a while ago that stars were your hope when you explained your own tattoo to me, I didn't think you'd ever see it back then but you're my hope, so I got a star tattooed somewhere I didn't think that you'd ever see. You've been my hope since I first saw you, before I fell in love with you so this tattoo just reminds me of how important you are to me, even though I never needed a reminder of that," Aiden explains awkwardly, his face getting even redder.

My heart explodes. He had gotten a tattoo for me? Something I would have never expected him to do. I was his hope?

If I wasn't sure before, I was definitely sure now, I was so incredibly in love with him and I couldn't think of a better time and place than to show him just how in love with him I really was.

Instead of replying and telling him how much that means to me, I show him when I connect my lips to his and take this short relationship to the next step.