Having left almost straight after his revelation on Tuesday night, Aidan has yet to text, call or turn up at my door step since, seemingly respecting my decision for him to keep his much needed distance. Tonight, however, I have no option but to enjoy his company as it's Jess' birthday and I refuse to be that person who doesn't attend her best friends celebration due to personal issues.

Besides, it's just a meal and few drinks, what can can possibly go wrong?

With that thought in mind, I take an encouraging deep breath in and enter the small, Italian themed restaurant, ready to encounter whatever possibilities are thrown at me throughout this evening.

Straight away, I'm brought to the attention of the shimmering fairy lights hanging from the ceiling, seemingly doing very little in giving off any source of light; resulting in the space having a rather relaxing, mysterious vibe. In the background, there appears to be a gentle song playing, mostly consisting of violins and other various string instruments, offering me a sense of comfort; calming my nerves a little.

"You're here!" yells a very excited Jess from across the room where everyone else is already seated; Drew, Dylan, Chloe, Aidan and of course, Sophie.

I flash Jess a quick smile, while manoeuvring in between the other tables and accidentally lock eyes with Aidan as I do so. An overwhelming tense atmosphere settles between us as my line of sight travels down towards the protective arm he has flung around Sophie, causing my heart to physically squeeze in pain.

Smiling widely, I try not to alert the others of my ever growing, conflicting feelings and decide to distract myself with the birthday girl herself.

"Happy birthday, Jess!" I say, enthusiastically while wrapping my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thanks!" she replies, squeezing my body back with such a force; every ounce of oxygen is momentarily sucked out of me.

I allow my gaze to travel around the table while I politely acknowledge everyone, mumbling a few "Hi's" along the way; the strained expressions reflecting off of Drew and Dylan certainly not going unnoticed as I do so. I shoot them both an assuring smile, quick to rid their doubts about Aidan and I being in the same room together and I'm pleased when I receive two smiles back in reply.

"Let's eat!" Jess declares, earning a chorus of 'yes's' as I take my seat at the end of the table, opposite Chloe and furthest away from Aidan, a move which may well have been intentional on my friend's behalf.

We order some food and it doesn't take long for everyone to fall into friendly conversation; the old days being the principle topic.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asks in a volume that ensures only I can hear.

With her face resembling that of total concern and the underlying amount of pity swimming around in her eyes, I assume she's asking about my wellbeing in the current situation, rather than life in general.

"Fine." I lie, feeling far from that in reality.

She responds by offering me an apologetic look, although what she's apologising for, I have no idea.

"So have you two set a date yet?" Sophie asks Dylan and Chloe, bringing us back into the conversation.

With a deliberate intention of doing so, I brave a look at the woman engaged to my ex boyfriend, noticing for the first time just how different we are in looks.

Her shoulder length, dark hair and ice-blue eyes hold no resemblance to me what so ever and has me undoubtedly questioning what it is Aidan see's in her.

"Not yet, I only proposed a month ago." Dylan states with a slight chuckle, snapping me from my thoughts.

Focusing my attention back to the table, I find myself staring into familiar, hazel eyes, blushing at the realisation of being caught eying up my competition.

If that's what you can even call it?

Aidan offers me a smug smile, which only ceases to piss me off, triggering a bunch of satisfying fantasies, involving me slapping him, hard, to play out in my mind. My sinister imagination causes a dark smile to settle across my face, an action Aidan clearly mistakes for me 'playing along', if his amused expression is anything to go by.

A disapproving shake to the head from me is all it takes for him to smile again; infuriating me even further; a response, I've gathered by now, he's trying to goat out of me.

"To be honest, we'll probably have a long engagement; we can barely afford next month's rent, let alone a wedding." Chloe interjects, seemingly more than happy to discuss her future plans with a complete stranger. "Not too long though because we want to start a family relatively soon and I wanna be Mrs. Jackson before that happens. But like I say, that's a while off yet, for financial reasons." she adds, with an excited edge to her voice.

By now, Aidan and I are completely ignoring the conversation happening around us, our soul focus being each other. He wiggles his eyebrows in a peculiar way and pulls a funny face, allowing all the anger I previously felt towards him, slip away as I silently laugh at the idiot in front of me.

He shoots me a genuine, tooth-filled smile, seemingly happy with my now less pissed off expression, while never letting his eyes stray away from mine.

"That seems sensible, the part about 'starting a family' I mean. You wouldn't believe the amount of people I know who have had a baby on a whim without considering the financial effects first. In my opinion it's no better than a stupid sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenager getting herself pregnant." states Sophie, well and truly bringing me crashing down to reality as her harsh statement slices through me like a very blunt, painful knife.

I very quickly pry my eyes away from Aidan, feeling my stomach twist in unsettling knots, just as a deathly silence engulfs the entire table.

I can sense Chloe desperately trying to make eye contact with me but I refuse to oblige by it, keeping my gaze firmly glued to my lap instead.

By now, I'm sure no one has said anything for at least ten seconds and the awkwardness shows no sign of ending as the silence stretches out even longer.

Thankfully, Drew steps up, making my heart leap at his subtle way of defending me.

"I guess we're not in the position to judge, having not knowing what goes on in people's private lives." he states, his voice full of nothing but kindness.

Drew, Dylan, Chloe and Jess, along with both my family and Aidan's family are the only people who know about my unexpected, albeit brief pregnancy four years ago and judging by her previous comment, Sophie is unaware of her fiancé's past.

From underneath the table, I feel my hand being firmly gripped by Jess as she attempts to silently convey her support through encouraging squeezes; her gesture making my heart swell with love for each and every one of my friends, who, although are silent in doing so, are trying to express their care to me right now.

"So...erm...what about you? Do you want kids?" Dylan suddenly blurts out in what I recognise is an attempt to change the subject.

Finally bringing my eyes up, I latch them straight onto Aidan's, noticing straight away a look of concern darkening his expression.

He mouths a subtle, 'you okay?' before I reply with a weak smile and a quick nod to the head, already hating the unwanted feelings tonight is bringing up.

And here I was thinking nothing bad could happen.

"Oh yes. Three I think but Aidan has very specific requirements, insisting the oldest is a boy so that he can look after his two younger sisters." Sophie replies, oblivious to the unbearable amount of pain she just caused me.

As her words slowly sink in, my mind becomes a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions, almost like a puzzle incapable of being pieced back together again.

My entire world comes to a complete standstill as does my heart along with the ability to breath, apparently. Then, as if that weren't enough, the ever tightening sensation forming around my chest, indicating a possible panic attack, begins to take over, pushing me over the edge.

Unable to listen to another brutally painful sentence that may slip out of her mouth, I scrape my chair harshly against the wooden floor and stand up, earning a few concerned glances from various eyes around the table; each and every one of them full of worry.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I deadpan, not waiting for a reply before I turn to leave.

"Do you want me to co-"

I immediately dismiss Chloe's suggestion with a simple hand gesture, not fully trusting my ability to speak in fear of breaking down. I appreciate her attempts but right now, I just need to be left alone.

I was very wrong about tonight, a lot can go wrong.

----

After having a stern word with myself, which mostly consisted of the phrase, 'get a fucking grip, Amelia' I exit the ladies bathroom, bumping into the last person I want to see.

"Aidan!" I yelp, startling an elderly woman walking past us, causing an unimpressed tut to sound from her mouth as she utters her utmost disapproval with 'today's youth'.

Aidan's attention is firmly on me and he wastes no time in expressing his concerns.

"Are you okay?" he asks, running a hand nervously through his hair, a gesture I wish he'd resist doing around me as I find it so infuriatingly sexy.

"Stupid question, of course you're not." he snaps, indicating at an intense, internal conflict taking place in his head; one in which he's extremely angry at himself.

"I'm fine," I say, trying to ease some of the anger he's so willingly inflicting on himself, "it was just a little strange hearing that coming from her, that's all. I am happy for you, though." I finish, somewhat hoping I sound more convincing than the last time I'd said those words to him.

"Amelia, I don't expect you to be happy for me." he simply replies, dismissing my fake announcement, seeing it for what it really is, "don't feel like you ever need to lie to me, to please me." he adds, his hurtful eyes burning into mine.

"Ok." I whisper, in fear of using my actual voice again.

There's a brief moment where we simply stare at each other, silently conveying what each other is feeling about what just happened through the use of our eye contact, alone.

"I never said those things to her in the context you're thinking." he admits, confusing me a little as he does so.

I settle on saying nothing, allowing his words to wash over me, hoping they will somehow begin to make sense in my mind, relieving me of my current confusion.

"Me and her were just friends at the time, we hadn't started dating yet and on one occasion I got drunk, really drunk." he explains, a slight nervousness coating his voice. "To cut a long story short, I told her about us. Obviously, I keep certain details to myself and she doesn't know it's you, I never mentioned your name. But she knows I had a girlfriend in high school who broke my heart." he adds, stopping short as the last couple of words fall from his mouth.

As I painfully try to digest his words, a small gasp leaves my mouth and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach, wishing for what is probably the millionth time that I could go back and undo what I did.

Sensing my obvious discomfort, Aidan reaches out and places both hands firmly on either side of my hips, an action that I don't object to, even though I probably should.

"Shit, Amelia I didn't mean to upset you, I didn't mean to say that." he says, desperately searching my eyes while his own drown in guilt.

Again, I say nothing, focusing instead on not crying in front of him; something I absolutely refuse to do.

"Anyway, like I said, I was hammered and told her about the future I had planned for you and I; our kids, their names, everything. I guess she just assumes that those plans carry over to her and I now." he states, while his thumbs begin to move in circular motions, rubbing the fabric of my top against my skin in a far more sensual way than I'm sure is intended.

"She has every right to think that, Aidan. You are marrying her." I whisper, finding myself involuntary leaning further into his touch, to which he responds by tightening his hold on me and firmly makes his way up to my waist.

"I know, I just kinda always pictured that with you, no one else. I hope you don't think I go round telling everyone the same thing." he replies, making my every nerve ending come alive as his hands slowly move up my sides, leaving a burning trail behind as he goes.

"I don't think that." I admit on a deep sigh that comes out sounding far more sexual than I would have liked.

In my defence, he is touching me in rather questionable areas.

I am trying to be happy for you, I really am." I say, closing my eyes as the sensation of his touch becomes too much, too fast.

"I know, thank you." he replies, reaching up and gently taking my face into his warm hands, caressing my cheeks, lovingly.

I slowly peel open my eyes to find Aidan much closer than I'd anticipated, so much so that the delicious whisper of his breath against my check, is enough to tempt me into forgetting all about Sophie and pressing my lips firmly against his.

"Are you happy, Amelia?" he suddenly asks, startling me with such randomness that I momentarily forget how to formulate actual sentences.

I stay locked in this position, silent, until an awkward cough interrupts us, causing Aidan to rip away from me in a matter of seconds, clearly mortified about the seriously compromising position we were just caught in.

We hadn't been kissing but I can't honestly deny that, that wouldn't have happened had Drew not just walked in on us.

"Food's here." he states, looking between the two of us with an unreadable expression clouding his features but thankfully, doesn't questioning the matter any further.

I shoot him a quick smile before pushing past both men and re-entering the dining area, not before I hear a rather stern sounding Drew asking Aidan 'what the hell he thinks he's doing'.

With an ever conflicting mind and a heart full of pain, I realise there is only one way to get through this evening in one piece.

It's time to get drunk; very, very drunk.

----

By the time we make it to the last club, I am well and truly on my way to being blind drunk, Jess being right there with me. Chloe and Dylan went home after the last bar, which now leaves me, Jess, Drew, Aidan and Sophie all standing in a queue, waiting to order more drinks.

Jess clumsily leans her head forward and attempts to discreetly whisper in my ear, failing miserably in doing so.

"Drew told me he caught you and Aidan in a fairly intimate position, before." states Jess, mispronouncing the word 'intimate', although I'm really not one to judge, being barely able to stand and all.

I instantly screw my face up and begin to shake my head rather violently, strongly protesting against discussing this, discussing him.

"I don't wanna talk about that dick face anymore, Jess. Fuck Aidan and his wandering hands." I declare, dramatically in my drunken state.

With a gesture that shows her lips are sealed, all things Aidan Richards are considered forgotten as we order more drinks and proceed straight onto the dance floor.

After what feels like forever dancing with Jess, Drew comes over and announces, "It's time to go."

I quickly down the rest of my drink, instantly regretting doing so afterwards when the room begins to spin even more so than previously, causing my body to sway slightly. Drew's hands suddenly come to rest on my face as he frantically searches my eyes for any sign of stability.

"Shit, Amelia. How much have you had to drink?" he asks, the worry leaking through his voice speaking volumes.

I unintentionally take a few staggering steps backwards, breaking Drew's hold on me while doing so, only to find myself firmly in the safe arms of someone else, providing me with some much needed support. I somehow manage to twist my body around, sufficiently enough to lock eyes with the person responsible for my standing position, thankful for their support; especially when everything around me begins to blur and turns black, taking me with it.

~💙Aidan's P.O.V💙~

Her beautiful eyes momentarily stare up at mine, seemingly teasing me as they shimmer and dance under the flashing lights, tempting me to look further and further until I find myself lost in them, with no real way out. A deep crease settles across her forehead and just as her mouth opens, her eyelids begin to flutter, closing fully after the third blink. I catch the full weight of her body as she collapses into me, her smooth skin brushing softly against mine in the process, causing a guilty shiver to run the entire length of my spine.

"Aidan, is she alright?" Sophie's voice cuts through my inappropriate daze, sending a fresh wave of guilt rippling throughout my body.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just had too much to drink, that's all." I reply, looking down at the limp body in my arms, gently pushing away some hair that has clung around her face as I do so.

She stirs ever so slightly as my fingers briefly make contact with her face and I, myself can't deny the overwhelming feeling of joy I get seeing her so beautifully at peace.

"Shit, Aidan. I need to get Jess home, am I okay to leave Amelia with you?" Drew speaks, just as I look up to find Jess also well on her way to being unconscious in his arms.

I nod my head in response, tightening my grip around Amelia and quickly look to Sophie, who is oblivious to the fact that my heart is beating at a dangerous speed just simply having her this close to me again.

Even if she is unconscious and doesn't know it.

"Soph, jump in a cab with Drew, his house is on the way to dad's. I'll take Amelia home and be there as soon as I can." I explain, looking for any sign of protest in her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief when I see none.

"Okay." she agrees, nodding her head and placing a gentle kiss on my lips, an action I've come to learn will never effect me in ways a kiss from your fiancé should.

She turns to exit the club just as I pick Amelia up in my arms, allowing Drew to proceed forward before I do as he supports a very wobbly Jess.

"Make sure she gets home alright." I say to Drew just as he passes, although I have no doubt he would do anything but.

He nods his head and shoots me a small smile; confirming he will, just as Jess let's out a very frustrated groan, making us both laugh.

These two are certainly going to suffer tomorrow morning.

"Oh, Aidan, I know necrophilia isn't really your thing but don't do anything stupid." Drew warns and although his voice is full of amusement, the seriousness of his words doesn't go unnoticed.

I let out a small chuckle and shake my head.

"Of course not, see you tomorrow, pal." I say and with that, he's gone and I'm left alone with her.

Amelia.

----