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Aiden Court twenty-eight

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

“You say all of that, yet, I don’t think you are listening to me or to you.” Britt crossed her arms, looking at Aiden. “Don’t go pinning all of this on Lacey or saying she’s a coward. I know my best friend. She wouldn’t have made a move unless you made it seem like you wanted her to. She is an honest-to-god sweetheart. She probably can’t come to you because she doesn’t want to hurt you like you’re hurting her. Ever think that?” Letting out a sigh, her blue eyes landed on him. “All that you can? What exactly have you done to mend things? I mean, it feels like you don’t want to do anything. You want to be engaged, yet, you want to be kissing Lacey. You can’t have both.”

[aiden-court]

"Why should I listen to you? I mean, I don't even know your name or who you are." Frustration was an uncomfortable feeling for someone like him who always liked to have everything under control. "I'm not pinning this on anyone. I'll admit it was also my fault since I return the kiss, but I don't want to be the villain of this story. You know I didn't even like her before she invited to her home, she talks a lot and is always laughing and doesn't take anything seriously but for some reason, I ended up being charmed by her. I don't want to hurt her, I don't want to hurt anyone." He blurted out, letting out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "I've been with my fiancee for years, what should I do? Just go back home and tell her I kiss someone else and I think she might be the one, but I'm not sure because I don't even know her? She probably would send me to the psych ward, because that's not something I usually would do, still that's how I feel."

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

“Now’s not the time to be a sarcastic asshole,” she bluntly told him, crossing her arms. “Well, I would first own up to your mistake. You cheated. Not just with a kiss, but mentally and emotionally. Karma’s a bitch and I’d confess now before she bites you in the fucking ass,” Britt said to him without blinking an eye. “Tell your fiancee. If she dumps your ass, I wouldn’t be surprised. Then I would apologize to Lacey. For not only leading her on, but hurting her with your actions. Fucking pray to whatever it is that you pray to for her to forgive you. You need to figure out what you want, whether it be her or the woman back home. Most of all, you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and not feel like a dick for everything you’ve done.”

[aiden-court]

Aiden was a frequent user of sarcasm, still, he hadn't learned when it was a good moment to use it. "You really just opened my eyes. Do you think I haven't thought of doing that?" This time he didn't make an effort to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "I am going to tell her, not because you told me but because it's the right thing. Leading her on? She was the one who kissed me, she was the one who invited me to her house. I'm not saying she had an evil plan, but she is also a grown up or at least that's what I thought since obviously she can't come and tell me all this to my face." Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose and heaved a frustrated sigh. "Listen, I'm trying to mend things here, maybe it doesn't seem like I am but I'm doing all I can."

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

“I forget you aren’t from here. If you were, you’d realize that how I’m acting is tame.” Britt let out a sigh, running her hand over her head. “Well, you need to figure it out before people get seriously hurt. It isn’t just her heart that’s in the balance here. It’s yours and your fiancee’s as well. Three hearts that can be shattered from what may seem like an innocent kiss that can and will turn into more, not so innocent kisses. That’s how it works.”

[aiden-court]

"Thank you?" he replied in a sarcastic way, probably the worst thing he could do at the moment. "Don't you think I know that? I think about that all the time, but since you know so much about all of this, why don't you tell me what to do?" He asked a sign of desperation. Aiden was not one to trust in strangers, but at this point any help was welcome.

[laceyxdumas]

"And when will it be the right time? When you’re married or when I’m with someone?” Lacey replied, feeling upset about the whole situation. They had kissed twice, she couldn’t expect him to leave his fiancee just for two kisses but for Lacey they had meant more than just that. “That’s why I’m leaving, so it can be simple again.” All she wanted was to get home and cry all night, she wanted to wake up the next morning and move on with her life. She didn’t turn around when he grabbed her arm, she stayed there looking at the ground. “I’m just your neighbor, you can live without seeing your neighbor. Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she said, looking at him. “I’m not the one who’s engaged, I’m not the one who goes around kissing people. That’s on you. But you know, it’s my fault because I shouldn’t have tried to make it more than what it was. I like you, Aiden, but I deserve better than this.”

[aiden-court]

"Maybe it's never going to be the right time if I'm being honest," he admitted, cringing at the idea of Lacey being with someone else. It was an unfair thought as he couldn't demand her anything while being engaged to someone else. Aiden knew he needed to say something, but he couldn't find the right words. At the same time, he was aware that prolonging this would only cause more pain for both of them. "I'm not going to ask you to understand because you shouldn't, but just give me some time. All this has happened so fast. Days ago I didn't even know your last name and now I can't stop thinking about you." Her words were harsh but deserved. "Lacey, please. Just give me some time, I know I don't deserve it but I'll leave to Chicago in two days and I'll come back with you."

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

“Dude, if I was screaming at you, you would know it. My last name isn’t Nelson for a reason.” As an afterthought, she realized that Aiden was probably the only person in this town who didn’t know about her screwed up family. “I am calm. She is my friend and you’re messing with her heart. Lacey is a romantic. She believes in love and the good of people. She can’t love someone who is kissing her while engaged to someone else. That will ruin her.”

[aiden-court]

He furrowed, feeling more confused. "Is that supposed to mean something?" He didn't even know the name of the girl, but he could tell she had a strong temper. "I'm not messing with anything, it's not like I'm doing this on purpose. I don't expect you to understand because I don't even understand how all this happened."

[laceyxdumas]

"Perhaps. Just let me have this moment,” she let out a laugh. The kind of laugh she only had when she felt really happy and at the same time nervous about something. Pretty much that laugh was a description of what Aiden made her feel. His answer was not a surprise, but Lacey couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Her gaze darted to the ground where it stayed while she listened to him, trying her best to not show any sign of the pain she was feeling. “You’re right. It was crazy to suggest something like this. You should be with her, that’s the right thing to do.” Lacey wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “This was just a fling. Don’t try to make it sound nicer than what it was. Just leave it like this.” She heaved a sign before looking at him for the last time, turning around to head home and forget this had happened.

[aiden-court]

"It's all yours," he smiled at her. Looking at her gave him a feeling of melancholy, for one side she managed to make him smile more than anyone but also he knew that this wouldn't last forever. "It wasn't crazy, it's just not the right time." Even if she quickly wiped the tear, he was able to see it. He thought about saying something to stop her sadness but that would only make things worse. "Lace, don't go. I didn't mean it like that. You know, I care but it's not that simple." He looked at her leaving, before running to catch her, grabbing her by the wrist. "Listen, I don't want this to end like this. After all, you are my neighbor. I really like you. You are different and you make me smile even though I don't agree with most of the things you do, but maybe that's what I like about you. So please, don't write me off yet."

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

“It is my business because she came to me looking for advice and when you hurt her, and you will, I’m going to be the one fixing her shattered heart,” Britt said, poking his chest. “If you’re as good of a man as Lacey says you are, you will grow some fucking balls and leave her alone.”

[aiden-court]

"Just because she asked for your advice doesn't mean you have the right to come to my house and scream at me," he said, trying to stay calm but he was sure the woman could get on his nerves very quickly. "I'm done with this conversation, I won't speak to you until you've calmed."

[brittbrittnelson-blog]

@aiden-court

“You,” Britt seethed, coming up to the charming blond man. “Why are you kissing my best friend when you have a wife? Do you know what you’re doing to her? Lacey is a beautiful, kind soul and she doesn’t need your cheating ass to ruin it!”

[aiden-court]

Aiden stayed speechless when the blonde came up to him, he listened to her words but couldn't understand what was happening. "Hold on, what?" It took him a few seconds to realize what she was talking about. "First, it's my fiancee not my wife. Second, I don't think is none of your business."

[laceyxdumas]

His words brought a beaming smile to her face. "You do. Wait! Are you admitting that I make you happy?” She teased, nudging him before blushing furiously. Lacey had been in relationships before, not like this was a relationship, but she had never felt like this in the past. There she was smiling like a fool, looking at him puppy eyes and wishing he wasn’t standing that far away. She felt like a teenager. “Then do it. I know it’s wrong to ask, but if you feel it and I feel it then why not try it?” she asked, almost in a begging tone. Ever since that last kiss all Lacey had wanted was to kiss him again and now he was but the words he had spoken with her best friend kept playing in her head. She withdrew slowly, mostly against her will. “Stop,” she blurted out. “I like you, and a lot but I don’t want to be that kind of woman. I’m not the other one, and I don’t know your girlfriend or fiancee but she doesn’t deserve this and neither do I. I don’t want to force you to choose, but it’s the right thing to do.”

[aiden-court]

"Ugh, are you going to get cocky about it?" he asked, wincing. "You do. I have no idea why, but you make me happy," he said smiling before reaching for her hand. Aiden had always been 'uptight' or at least that's what people had told him his whole life, and in a way he grew up to believe he was but with Lacey he felt relaxed like he could be himself. He let out a sigh when she withdrew before looking at her wondering if he had done something wrong. He had. "Lace..." he trailed off, putting his hands in his pockets as he took a step back. "I can't. I just can't call her and tell her that I found someone else. I've been with her for years, I asked her to marry me. I like you too, Lace but I have to be realistic and think about the future. What is this just a fling?" He regretted saying that the second it left his lips. "Not like this is a fling, but we barely know each other."

[laceyxdumas]

"Since when smiling is the synonym to be a lunatic. It shows empathy and there’s nothing wrong with that. Even if I were lunatic, at least I’m happy. Are you?” She asked, raising her brow. Lacey just nodded, glancing at him. Although she tried with all herself to avoid a satisfied smile to grace her face, she couldn’t hide her joy when he said it was a good feeling.  Of course, the moment was ruined with his following words. “I know, but it could be right.” She wanted to tell him that it was up to him, that if only he could leave her fiancee then it would be right. Lacey heaved a sigh she didn’t know was holding when he finally kissed her. It was a feeling she thought she would never get again, she wrapped her arms around him, standing on her tippy toes as she deepened the kiss.

[aiden-court]

"I disagree. I smile when I'm with you, don't I?" he said, replying her question about happiness. He could think of a thousand reasons why this could work and why it would be the right thing to do, but there was one reason that stopped him from doing it. There was someone in Chicago thinking he was working in California eager to come back and get married, and that had been the case for most of his staying but now it was the opposite. "I wish it could, I really do." He let out a sigh, he couldn't keep his eyes from her, she was too perfect and that only made things worst. Kissing Lacey was the greatest feeling in the world, in all the years he had been with his fiancee he had never felt this way. He pulled her closer, enjoying every minute of the kiss before the feeling of guilt made him stop.

[laceyxdumas]

"Nobody cares about those things when every time you greet them you wear that face…” she pointed at his face, letting out a laugh. Of course, she didn’t mind seeing his face, even when she had seen him smile so rarely until that day. “Yes, I do.” She truly meant that she had whims, plenty of them. However, she didn’t believe this was one. Her blue eyes met his, a small hint if a smile on her lips. “Is it a good or bad feeling?” she asked, feeling her heart racing. The rational part of her was demanding her to step away and leave, but she decided to ignore it as always. Putting her hand behind his neck as she leaned closer to him. “Kiss me,” she mumbled, her lips just inches away from his.

[aiden-court]

"What face? Oh, you are saying I should smile to everyone all the time like a lunatic? That's not my style, it's more like yours." He laughed, nudging her softly. "Okay, it was nothing but that." Aiden nodded, but he was sure she didn't mean a word. He stayed in silence for a few seconds, not because he didn't know the answer to her question, but he just didn't think it was the right thing to say it out loud. "Good," he said under his breath. "However, doesn't make it right." He had to make that clear. The following request made his heart skip a beat, it was the answer he was secretly waiting but was sure she wouldn't say something like that. Still, he didn't think about it twice and pressed his lips against hers, his arms wrapping around her waist.

[laceyxdumas]

Lacey’s jaw dropped when he called her obnoxious followed by a pout that later became a soft laugh. “Well, you weren’t the perfect neighbor either,” she said back, shrugging as a cocky smile graced her lips. Aiden confused her so much, for one part she could tell he wanted something to happen between them, but at the same time, he was not that kind of man, which was a bit of a relief.  "Perhaps it’s just a whim. Yes, we should just leave it at that.“ She darted her gaze to the ground feeling like there was nothing else to talk about. Her heart stopped for a second when he moved closer, looking at him as she held her breath. "But?”

[aiden-court]

"What are you talking about? I'm a great neighbor, I'm clean and organized, I greet everyone in the morning." He really believed he was a good neighbor, maybe better than Lacey, but he wouldn't say that out loud. Aiden felt the urge to assure her that it wasn't a whim, but the words didn't leave his lips. "A whim? I don't have whims. Do you?" He asked, trying to find her gaze. "But... I don't know. I mean, I've never felt like this before. You just confuse me so much and I don't mean that as an insult, it's just I don't know what to do with this." He admitted, cupping her cheeks before pressing his forehead against hers. "Tell me what to do."

[laceyxdumas]

His comment made her blush, looking down as a coy smile crept onto her face. “I’m glad you found something beautiful in here. That didn’t seem to be the case when you first got here,” she said, chuckling as she looked at him. She could still remember their first meeting and how uptight he had seemed to her, now she was glad to see the real him. Even after what had happened, Lacey would be happy to be just friends with him, but that thought only lasted a few seconds until she heard his answer. She stayed speechless and out of breath, it was hard to believe that his words were real and not a product of her imagination. “But… but you said that we should forget everything. And you are engaged, I don’t understand,” she confessed taking a step closer to him.

[aiden-court]

He had been a few months in California, and he hated to admit she was right. The thought of living in a place like this was like a nightmare. "Ah yes, well, I was new in town and if you ask me I had a pretty obnoxious neighbor," he teased, feeling comfortable enough to crack a joke. Once again, she was right. He shouldn't be talking about this with another woman, but that was the problem because Lacey wasn't just any other woman, she was something else. "I know what I said, and I think I said the right thing but for some reason, it doesn't feel right." He was rambling and that was because he was as confused as her. "I am, but..." he trailed off, looking at her when she took a step closer.

[laceyxdumas]

Whenever she was around him she couldn’t help but smile like a fool, but right now she was trying to contain those smiles as she knew they were only a reminder of the things that would never happen between them. Looking at him, she finally let out a small smile. “You can’t see the stars in Chicago or England?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She had never been out of California, so she wouldn’t know. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked that, at least not in an abruptly way. She let out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding when she heard his answer, feeling a bit disappointed. “It’s all right, I’m glad you did,” she rose a shoulder and flashed him a crooked smile. Lacey stopped walking and looked at him for a few seconds, thinking about his question. “Only all the time,” she said with a light chuckle. “Do you?” Please say yes, please say yes. That’s all she could think as she waited for his answer, not really sure what would change if he said he had thought about it.

[aiden-court]

Aiden laughed, there was something about her that make everything sound so innocent and beautiful. It was like watching a little kid seeing something for the first time, but then she started talking and she was so mature. It was the perfect combination. "You can, but they're not as beautiful as in here." He wasn't sure if he was speaking about the stars or about her. And now there they were walking and talking about the one thing Aiden had been trying to ignore since it happened. His lips curved into a smile as he heard her answer, it made him feel incredibly happy, but also a bit worried because he also thought about it the whole time. He stopped walking as she looked up at the sky, thinking of her question, or better said thinking of a proper reply. "I do. That's why I couldn't spend another day without seeing you, that's why I showed up at your door, that's why I'm here telling you the truth instead of saying a lie to make you stay away from me," he confessed, his gaze went from the sky to Lacey.

[laceyxdumas]

The truth was that Lacey wanted to tell him what was on her mind. She wanted to say that she had been miserable the last couple days, that she couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss and that she had this desire to kiss him again even if she knew it was wrong, but above all she wanted to say that she was upset he showed up at her door like nothing had happened. “Fine, thanks,” she replied instead because bursting out wouldn’t change anything and truth to be told she wanted to be with him even if it was like this. Lacey looked at him before she swallowed that lump that was forming on her throat. “Yeah, it’s amazing. There are many stars tonight,” she pointed out at the sky before looking at him, smiling. “I have to say it surprised me to see you today. You don’t have to say anything, I’m just glad you’re here.” Lacey said, giving him a sincere smile as she meant every word. She put her hands inside her jacket’s pockets, just walking next to him make her feel better.

[aiden-court]

Her response was dry and it didn't really surprised him, after what had happened it would be foolish to believe she'd be chatty with him. Still, Aiden wanted to know how her day had been or what she had done in the last few days, he just wanted to hear her voice, but as for now being near her was just enough. There was something about talking with Lacey that made him feel so comfortable, he felt as if he could tell her everything and she wouldn't judge him, probably because it was in her nature. "Yeah, I like this about living here. You can always see the stars," he said, looking at her as Lacey stared at the sky. One minute she was talking about the stars and the next one she cut to the chase. He took a few seconds to formulate an answer that would be honest, but appropriate due the circumstances. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to show up like that." He said, but what he really wanted to say was that he was happy to see her too, even if there was an awkward vibe between them. Taking a deep breath, he felt an urge to ask her something. "Do you think about it? The kiss, I mean." He blurted out, regretting it as he said the last word.

[laceyxdumas]

Fate had been kind to Lacey the past few days, after that weird dinner she had with her neighbor she had asked the universe to not see him until she could forget about the kiss they shared that night. So far, she had been able to avoid him or was he avoiding her? The point was that she didn’t have to deal with awkward encounters with him and finally she was getting over the butterflies in her stomach every time she thought of the kiss, that was until someone knocked on the door. It never crossed her mind that Aiden could be on the other side of the door, and so, she opened the door her usual friendly smile playing on her lips before her eyes meet his. “Oh! Hey,” she said, her smile vanishing as she saw her. Her eyebrows furrowed at his question, staying speechless for a few seconds. At that moment Lacey could have asked the reasons of his sudden change of mind, but instead of that she just nodded taking her jacket from the hook next to the door and closing the door behind her. “Uh, how are you?” she asked as she started to walk.

[aiden-court]

It was too late to back out, he was already there standing in front of her. Once again he found himself doing something impulsive and for her, he didn't know what was it about Lacey that always managed to make him do things without thinking. He thanked in his mind that she didn't want to ask questions or talk about the kiss. That was the last thing he wanted to talk about, all he knew is that for some reason he couldn't understand he missed her, he missed talking with her. "I'm fine and you?" he asked with his hands on his pockets as he walked next to her. "I thought this would be a nice night for a walk, you know, the weather isn't that bad at this time." He laughed nervously, looking at her before looking at the ground as he walked.

[aiden-court]

It had been a few days since the last time he had spoken to Lacey, and though he tried to push her out of his thoughts she remained there. He knew his reaction after the kiss hadn't been the best and at the moment he really believed that it would be easy to stay awake from her. Every afternoon after work he always stayed more time on his porch to see if he could see her and maybe talk to her, but in the last days he had just seen her once. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't stop thinking of her and their kiss that made it easier for him knocking on her door after seeing the lights on. Aiden waited nervously, practicing what he was going to say to her if she opened the door. His heart skipped a beat when she opened the door, finding himself speechless at her sight. "Hey," he paused to find the words to say next. "Do you want to take a walk?"