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"Are you done?" I asked incredulously, watching Aaron devour his 4th meal.

He explained it was because he was a 'growing man' and 'no meal was big enough to satisfy his growing hunger'. I said I'd rather go with the explanation that he was a pig. It seemed to fit his situation more accurately.

Aaron had just simply smiled at my words, sipping at his drink contently.

'Loser has to pay for the meal.'

I sighed, remembering Aaron's words. I searched through my purse for my wallet before handing the money over to Aaron, but he threw it back to me casually, making me scowl.

"Hey!" I berated, juttingmy wallet out.

"Loser has to pay for meal, remember?"

Aaron smirked, shaking his head at my words.

"Hey, I'm a gentlemen and a gentlemen always pays when on a date."

I folded my arms, letting out a scoff.

"This is not a date." I said stubbornly.

Aaron laughed and then looked at me, smirking. He then leaned in a little.

"Let me explain this simple concept to you, love."

I nodded, urging him to continue. He smiled in return and pointed at me.

"Girlfriend." He said simply.

He then pointed towards himself.

"Boyfriend."

He pointed at the food.

"Out to eat." He said, pointedly.

"I'm pretty sure that's what a date constitutes of. Don't you, doll face?"

I fake smiled, seeing the glimmer of mirth in his eyes as he looked me, trying to gauge my reaction. He was playing with me, that much I knew.

"Fine, well I enjoyed the date then, my little cretin" I cooed as though I was giving him an endearment. He raised his eyebrow at my words before leaning back lazily.

"I guarantee you didn't enjoy it as much as me, love." He teased back, knowing that actual endearments would irritate me more, and that it did. I watched with a scowl as he laughed at my discomfort. Nevertheless, I wasn't one to back down and I leaned forward challengingly.

"I beg to differ, scumbag." I said competitively, watching his eyes lit up and a ghost of a smile took over his face.

"Begging huh? A good look, princess." He retorted, putting emphasis on the end and I let out a small scoff.

"Yeah, begging you to stop breathing. Care to oblige, bonehead?"

I drawled, making him raise an eyebrow before he leaned forward, his hair falling in to his eyes as he looked to me, his gaze searing through me.

"I can't; you already took my breath away the moment I laid eyes on you, baby." He murmured, his deep voice sending a chill down my spine as I processed his words.

I faltered slightly, embarrassed to say the least.

"Shut up." I said finally, when I couldn't think of another comeback.

I tensed, noticing the silence and looked around to find people giving us strange looks. Upon seeing my gaze, Aaron followed suit, looking at everyone.

I didn't like the attention we were getting. I hated attention. It was unnerving and very unsettling. I squirmed uncomfortably in my spot, avoiding eye contact.

Aaron seemed to notice my displeasure and scowled at them and pulled me to the exit unrelentingly without so much as a look back.

We were now outside, the cold hitting me like a newly found love; caressing my skin roughly with its frosty touch.

"Aaron! Slow down!" I said to the boy who was dragging me at the speed of light.

He turned towards me as if about to argue, but stopped. Instead he looked me up and down.

"You look cold." He said

"How can you tell?" I questioned, wandering how he read my mind.

He pointed towards my mouth.

"Your lips are quivering." He stated simply and I smiled at the fact that he had noticed.

"It's nothing." I reassured, hugging myself in a futile attempt to keep warm.

Aaron rolled his eyes. He started undoing the buttons of his dress shirt.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, confused by his actions.

He sighed in annoyance.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" He asked sarcastically, making me narrow my eyes, but he was too focused on removing his shirt.

He pulled the dress shirt off his arms, leaving him in a thin vest top that showed the texture and colour of his tanned skin underneath. His arms were not muscled nd undeniably taught- flexing every time he moved them.

He then put the dress shirt on me. I resisted, moving away.

"No, it's okay. You're gonna get cold." I reasoned.

He smiled in return.

"I'm not cold. I'm hot, babe." He teased and with that he slipped it onto my arms. I chose merely to scoff at his words, but allowed him to put it on me, smiling at how large it looked. Aaron moved right in front of me then and I watched as he kept his gaze fixed on the shirt.

He slowly buttoned it from bottom to top and I could feel the warmth of his hands through my thin shirt as he shut them fluently. He bent down to do the buttons on my stomach and I watched tepidly as he continued with his ministrations, a look of focus in his eyes. He moved up my body, until he came to the last button where he stood straight and stared at me dead in the eyes. I stared back.

"There." He whispered. "All done."

I smiled slightly.

"Thanks." I answered back simply and Aaron stayed silent for a moment, his eyes piercing through mine, a look of thought on his face. It was only after a moment that he lit up and spoke.

"I wanna take you somewhere." He stated simply and I bit my lip in contemplation before looking to the time. It was now 10.15pm and I had to make my way home. Nevertheless, I didn't say no just yet, choosing to entertain the idea.

"Where? So late at night? How would I know you're not taking me to a quiet place to kill me?" I said, a teasing to my tone.

And for a second time in the night, he jutted his hand out towards me, questioning my trust for him. And, once again, I replied yes for however idiotic and clueless the blue-eyed boy could be- I did trust him.

He smiled widely, a child-like innocence on his face.

"You won't regret it."

I smiled in return. I hope not.

***************************

"Can I open my eyes now?" I asked, my impatience getting the better of me.

"No. We're almost there." He whispered.

His hand was tangled with mine, guiding me to this unknown place. His hand was warm, befitting my much colder one.

"Open." He said, removing his hand from mine. An action I wasn't particularly happy with.

Nevertheless, I opened my eyes, gasping at the sight.

The view was incredible. Beautiful, bright green trees towered over us. Animals and birds sang their songs, giving life to the woods. The moon shined luminously above us, creating a shimmering reflection on the lake that stretched across the outskirts of the green eden.

"Oh my god, wow, this looks amazing." I muttered in awe, trying to take the sight in. I turned to Aaron, who was looking at the view.

"How did you find this place?" I questioned, kicking softly at a pebble on the ground.It was silent for a moment so I looked back to Aaron who looked to be deep in thought.

He smiled then, but it was forced at its best and my eyebrows furrowed at the change in mood.

"I didn't find it." He said simply and I nodded in understanding, looking around.

"Well then, who did?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being too intrusive.

Thankfully, Aaron didn't seem to mind and I watched as he sat down, patting the spot next to him. I smiled before making my way over and sat against the grass, the cold feel of it prominent even through my layers of clothing.

"My mum." He answered. "She found this place when she was a little kid. She would come here everyday and just lie down. It helped her think. No one else knew about the place, so she thought she was the only one who came here."

I frowned at his word choice.

"She thought she was only one?" I repeated, putting emphasis on the certain word and Aaron nodded, leaning back on his palms.

"She wasn't the only one." He answered and I nodded in understanding, although my number of questions was slowly increasing. I watched him intently to ascertain what actually happened.

Aaron looked to the lake, a calm expresison his face as he spoke .

"She wasn't?" I questioned, moving closer.

He shook his head slowly.

"Dad." Was his reply.

Dad? Come to think of it, I've never heard or seen Aaron's dad. He wasn't at the house and Aaron or his mom have never mentioned him.

Was he...?

"He's not dead, Lexi." Aaron spoke, reading my mind once again. I turned around.

"Then where is he?" I said, moving closer. I was scared to break the connection. Aaron was finally talking to me seriously. About his family, about himself. I wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to know what happened with his dad.

Aaron stood up and turned his face away from me.

"Mom and Dad first met here. This place was so important to them. They had their first kiss here, their first date." He explained, his voice barely a whisper now.

I stood up, feeling the dramatic change in his mood.

"Where is he now?" I questioned tentatively, moving towards him. His back still faced me and I wondered what had happened.

No answer.

"What is it, Aaron?" I asked, hoping that he was okay and that he would turn around and just begin joking again, but that didn't happen. I bit my lip in contemplation on what to do as I stared at Aaron's back

No answer.

When he didn't move again, I reached out to touch his back, the worry overtaking me.

"You're worrying me, Aaron" I said simply, turning him gently to face me. I could only let out a small startled noise as he grabbed hold of my hands and pushed me, my back hitting the tree. He held my hands above my head. His features were sharp and dark as he looked at me. His jaw was clenched tightly and I breathed in anxiously as I took in the male before me.

"I don't know where is." He said, his voice dangerously low and I realised he was talking about his Dad.

With that, he moved away. I broke away from the tree and rubbed my wrists that had been held so tightly. Despite what he had done, I moved towards him, processing what he had told me.

"Why?" I said simply and without thought. I knew I was sailing on treacherous waters, but my curiosity was much greater than my fear.

He turned to me, his face unreadable. He was no longer angry. He looked normal.

"Divorce." He said, with a casual shrug, but I had a feeling there was more to the story.

I was about to ask, but Aaron spoke.

"I was shown this place when I was 12." He said, changing the subject.

I decided to let it be. It was clear he didn't want to talk about it. I should just ask another time,

I smiled.

"Thanks for showing me, Aaron."

He smiled in return, glad that I dropped the subject. He then patted his stomach.

"I'm starving."

I gaped at him incredulously.

"Are you kidding me, Aaron?" I looked to him pointedly as I spoke.

He looked at me, confused.

"What?" He questioned.

I huffed at his words, folding my arms.

"How do you not put on weight? I'm seriously jealous." I said, genuinely curious.

Aaron laughed, raising an eyebrow at my words.

"You think you put on weight?" He said, pointing at my body.

I rolled my eyes yet again.

"I seriously do. What is this then?" I questioned pointedly, poking my belly fat.

Aaron cocked his head sideways and I fidgeted as his eyes assessed me. He then came towards me and, in one motion, swooped me up bridal style.

"You weigh nothing at all." He said, his face centimetres apart. The heat of his body mingled with my own and I sucked in a deep breath as he looked to me.

I stared back. His eyes resembled the sea:- beautiful yet dangerous. I laughed inside myself. That was a perfect description for Aaron.

"Put me down," I grumbled when I had finally regained my sanity and Aaron smiled, in a way that made me apprehensive. He was up to something.

"Put you down? Ok." Aaron said, walking towards the lake.

He wouldn't.

"Don't, Aaron." I said. My voice was calm but commanding.

"Don't what?" Aaron said, acting oblivious to what he was going to do. He reached the lake.

"Don't, Aaron!" I screamed, holding on to his vest yet he paid no heed to this.

He smiled wider.

"Come on! Loosen up a little." He suggested and with that he tossed me into the lake with a resounding splash.

Oh, he just did.

I shuddered at the cold water that engulfed my body yet I was seething at what he had done. He was going to rethink his actions and I was going to make sure of it.

"Help!" I called out, flailing around in the water.

Aaron laughed.

"It's just water, love." He said, the teasing tone still bubbling in his voice.

"I can't swim!" I lied, splashing helplessly in the water.

Aaron's smile slowly disappeared, a look of realisation and worry slowly replacing it.

"Shit."

And in one fluent motion, he dived deep into the water.

He swam towards me, grabbing me with one hand and swimming with the other. His swim strokes were fast and powerful. Something I found being strangely addicting to watch. He finally reached land, lying me on the grass.

I kept my eyes closed as silence descended upon the forests and I waited to see his response. I tensed slightly when I felt someone poke my stomach. Then came another poke and another...

Suddenly Aaron spoke.

"Shit." He muttered. "I killed her."

Seriously, that's all he was going to say? I knew he didn't care for me, but he could at least be nice to me when I was dead!

I heard Aaron groan in frustration.

"Moms gonna flip. You're not supposed to kill your fucking girlfriend."

I gaped, my eyes snapping open.

"Is that all you care about?!" I said, folding my arms.

Aaron looked up in shock, his mouth hung open.

"You're alive?" He said, surprised.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, genius." I spat out, irritation evident in my voice.

He stared for a little longer. He then suddenly pulled me into a hug.

"Thank god! I was so worried!" He said, holding me tightly.

I relaxed into the hug, smiling.

"Liar. You were just worried about what your mum would say." I said, thinking about how idiotic Aaron could sometimes be.

Aaron pulled back, grinning widely.

"Of course I was worried for you, cupcake. You're the apple of my eye." He joked yet the endearments sounded sweeter than drops of honey dripping from his tongue.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Help me up, Casanova." I said, throwing my hand towards him.

He caught it, laughing as he did so.

"I prefer the term Romantic-American." He said, pulling me up easily from the ground.

Huh. Maybe I was light.

"So you can actually swim?" Aaron questioned me.

"Yes." I confirmed. I had learnt to swim at the age of five and went frequently so I would not forget it. Well, I used to go frequently, but now I don't. I think because of the illness. It has restricted me from a lot of things I love to do.

I looked up to see Aaron smiling. I must have zoned out on what he was saying.

"I'll take your silence as a yes." Aaron said, his smile getting wider.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"A yes for what?" I asked, curious to know what he was saying.

Aaron folded his arms, a look of devious innocence on his face.

"We're going swimming."