Chapter 20: Chapter 19

Amelia's POV

I walked through the hallways of the university, feeling the eyes of my peers boring into me. It was as if the heat of their gazes could scorch my skin. I kept my head down, pretending not to notice, but the whispers and the sideways glances were impossible to ignore.

The reason for this was all too clear: the scene with Aiden yesterday. Now, thanks to that spectacle, everyone was convinced there was something going on between me and the university's golden boy.

Curiosity buzzed around me like an invisible swarm of bees. Whispers about me being involved with Aiden, the campus celebrity, filled the air. I could hear snippets of conversations as I passed by—speculations, assumptions, and outright gossip. It was infuriating, but not surprising. Aiden had once again managed to add a layer of difficulty to my life, effortlessly making me the center of unwanted attention.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. Every step felt heavy under the weight of their stares, but I knew I had to push through. This was just another challenge to face, another storm to weather, courtesy of Aiden. As I reached my classroom, I straightened my back and lifted my chin. If they wanted a show, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me hesitate.

I walked into the classroom, scanning the rows of seats until I spotted Maya, Rose, and Fran huddled together in our usual corner. Relief washed over me at the sight of their familiar faces. Unlike the rest of the university, they weren’t going to judge me or try to read my mind with their probing stares.

“Hey, guys,” I greeted, dropping into the seat beside them.

Maya looked up from her notes, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “Amelia, what’s going on? Is everything alright?”

Rose and France turned their attention to me, their eyes full of the same unspoken questions. I took a deep breath, grateful for their genuine concern.

“Well,” I began, “you guys saw what happened yesterday in the cafeteria. Apparently, people have found something new to entertain themselves with.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Of course they did. It’s like they live for this kind of drama.”

Fran leaned forward, lowering her voice. “So, what’s the deal with you and Aiden?”

I groaned inwardly. Even among friends, the curiosity was hard to escape. “There’s nothing going on between us. Aiden just has a knack for making things difficult. Now everyone thinks there’s some big story when really, it’s just him being himself.”

Maya reached out, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “We know you, Amelia. We’re not going to jump to conclusions like everyone else. Just hang in there.”

I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, guys. It’s just… exhausting, you know? Everywhere I go, I feel like I’m under a microscope.”

Rose nodded sympathetically. “It’ll blow over soon enough. People have short attention spans. They’ll move on to the next big thing before you know it.”

I hoped she was right. For now, I was just thankful to have friends who understood and didn’t judge. As the class began, I felt a little more at ease, surrounded by their support. No matter what rumors swirled around me, I knew I wasn’t alone in facing them.

As the class drew to a close, the professor made an announcement that caught everyone’s attention. “Don’t forget, your business proposals need to be submitted soon. Those of you participating in the upcoming business competition should use this time wisely.”

I glanced at my friends, Maya, Rose, and Fran. We had been working hard on our proposal, and this was the perfect opportunity to polish it up. As we gathered our things, I noticed Aiden walking toward us with that familiar confident stride.

“Amelia,” he called, and everyone around us turned to look. “We need to finish our proposal for the competition. Meet me at the library!”

The collective gaze of the room turned our way, making my skin prickle with discomfort. Whispers started up again, and I could feel the judgmental stares intensifying.

I swallowed hard, forcing a calm expression. “Okay, Aiden. I’ll meet you there.”

Maya, Rose, and France exchanged wary looks as we walked out of the classroom together. Maya leaned in, whispering, “Are you sure you’re okay with this? Everyone’s staring again.”

I nodded, trying to appear more confident than I felt. “I’ll be fine.”

I reached the library, and as we entered, the hushed atmosphere did little to alleviate my anxiety. Aiden was already there, seated at a large table near the back. He waved me over, his expression unreadable.

He was already absorbed in his own work, his expression unreadable as he skimmed through some documents. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

“Alright, let’s get this done,” I said, opening the document on my laptop.

He looked up briefly, his face impassive. “We need to tighten the financial projections. They’re too vague.”

I nodded, scrolling to the relevant section. “I’ve been working on that. Here’s what I’ve got so far.”

He took a look at my screen, scanning the text quickly. “Not bad. But this section on market analysis needs more depth. It’s too surface-level.”

I frowned, looking at the section he indicated. “I thought it was pretty thorough.”

“It’s not,” he replied bluntly. “You need to dig deeper. Look at trends over the past five years, not just the last year.”

I bit back a retort, reminding myself that he was usually right about these things. “Fine, I’ll revise it.”

Aiden leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “And the SWOT analysis? It’s weak. You’re not highlighting the opportunities enough.”

I glanced at the document on my laptop. “I’ll add more detail there too.”

“Good,” he said curtly, turning back to his own work without another word.

We continued working in relative silence, the only sounds being the clicking of keyboards and the rustling of papers. Despite his brusque manner, Aiden’s suggestions were on point, and our proposal began to take shape.

After an hour, I leaned back, stretching my arms. “I think we’re getting somewhere.”

Aiden didn’t look up. “About time.”

I rolled my eyes but decided to let it go. “So, any other major issues you see?”

He finally looked at me, his expression as unreadable as ever. “Yeah, the presentation. We need to practice. A lot. You can’t just wing it.”

I nodded, holding back my urge to scratch his face, how dare he order me like that!

“Make sure you’re prepared,” he added, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“I will be,” I replied, trying to match his no-nonsense attitude.

We had been working in the library for over an hour, and the tension was palpable. Aiden's curt remarks and relentless critique of every section of our proposal were wearing on my nerves. I was trying my best to keep up, but his constant demands were becoming too much.

“Alright, let’s move on to the marketing strategy,” he said, barely glancing up from his notes.

I snapped. “Aiden, why are you being so bossy? I’m literally trying my best to work with you, but here you are giving one order after another.”

He looked up, surprised. “I’m not being bossy. I’m just making sure we get this right.”

“No,” I said, my voice rising slightly. “You’re acting like you’re the boss and I’m some secretary who knows nothing and has to follow everything you say.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not trying to be the boss, Amelia. I want this to be the best proposal it can be.”

“Well, you’re doing a great job of making me feel like I’m not contributing at all,” I shot back. “Every time I suggest something, you shoot it down or tell me how it’s not good enough.”

He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Maybe because your suggestions need work. I’m not here to cuddle you. This is a competition, and I’m treating it seriously.”

I felt a surge of frustration. “I get that you want to win, but this isn’t just about you. We’re a team, remember? And teams work together, not with one person dictating everything.”

Aiden’s expression hardened. “Fine, if you want to be more involved, step up. But don’t expect me to hold your hand.”

“I don’t need you to hold my hand,” I said through gritted teeth. “I need you to stop acting like you’re the only one who knows what they’re doing.”

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes flashing with anger. “Maybe if you showed a little more initiative, I wouldn’t have to.”

The words hit me like a slap. “You know what? I’m done with this for today. I can’t work like this.”

I grabbed my bag and started to pack up my things. Aiden watched me, his jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything. As I turned to leave, he finally spoke, his voice cold.

“Running away isn’t going to help us win, Amelia.” his words froze my steps.

I gathered myself and started walking away when I felt a firm grip on my wrist, pulling me back. I turned sharply to see Aiden standing there, his expression unreadable but his grip unyielding.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, his voice low and commanding.

I tried to pull my hand away, but his hold tightened, making it clear that he wasn’t going to let me go easily.

“Let me go, Aiden,” I snapped, my own voice tinged with irritation.

He leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing. “Not until we finish this.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms defiantly. “Finish what, exactly? Another round of you telling me how everything I do is wrong?”

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t back down. “I’m not telling you it’s wrong. I’m telling you it’s not good enough. There’s a difference.”

I scoffed, pulling against his grip again. “Right, because your way is always the right way, isn’t it?”

His grip loosened slightly, but he didn’t release me. “It’s not about being right. It’s about being the best. And right now, our proposal isn’t anywhere close to that.”

I glared at him, my frustration boiling over. “You know what, Aiden? You can be as controlling as you want, but I’m not going to be your punching bag. I’m done.”

He leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "We're not finished yet," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I bristled at his commanding demeanor, but something in his gaze held me captive, the familiar spark of defiance fizzling out in the face of his dominance."What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Aiden's lips curled into a knowing smirk, his grip on my wrist loosening just enough to give the illusion of freedom. "I want you to stay," he said simply, his tone dripping with confidence.I blinked, caught off guard by his directness.

"Why?" I demanded, my frustration mounting once again.He shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Because you know as well as I do that we're better together than apart. And besides," he added, his tone laced with a hint of challenge, "I know you're not one to back down from a challenge."

I narrowed my eyes at him, resisting the urge to pull his hair. He knew exactly how to push my buttons, and it infuriated me to no end.

I jerked my wrist free from Aiden's grip, shooting him a defiant glare. "Fine," I spat, my voice raised with frustration. "But I have a rule, Aiden. You're not going to boss me around. I don't boss you around, so don't make me feel that way."

His smirk faltered slightly at the edge in my voice, but he quickly recovered, the hint of challenge returning to his expression. "Okay, Amelia," he replied smoothly, his tone deceptively calm. "I won't boss you around. But don't mistake guidance for domination."

I bristled at his response, resisting the urge to snap back a retort. Instead, I clenched my jaw, silently daring him to push me further.

Aiden held my gaze for a moment longer, his eyes flashing with something unreadable, before finally nodding in acquiescence. "Deal," he said, his voice a low rumble.

I nodded curtly, not trusting myself to speak without giving in to the rising tide of frustration and anger. With a final glare, I turned back to my chair, determined to finish what we had started. But as I returned to our work, a nagging feeling of unease lingered in the back of my mind, a silent reminder of the precarious balance between us.

As Aiden and I focused on our work, a girl approached him, her steps purposeful and her smile calculated. I watched from the corner of my eye as she leaned in close to him, her voice pitched low in an attempt to capture his attention. Despite her efforts, Aiden remained aloof, his gaze never wavering from our project.

The girl's smile faltered as Aiden responded in his usual direct and harsh manner. His words cut through the air like a knife, leaving no room for misunderstanding. "I'm not interested," he said bluntly, his tone laced with irritation. "Stop nagging me."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the way Aiden handled the situation. The girl, clearly taken aback by his cold dismissal, tried to salvage her pride with a retort, but Aiden's response was swift and merciless. He didn't mince words or sugarcoat his rejection, and the girl was left to slink away, defeated and humiliated.

As Aiden turned back to our work, his expression unreadable, I couldn't help but admire the way he held his ground against the girl's persistent advances. Despite his harsh demeanor, there was a certain satisfaction in knowing that he wasn't one to be manipulated or swayed by flattery and false charm.

As we wrapped up our work, Aiden's unexpected gesture caught me off guard. His hand gently patting my head felt strangely out of place, considering his usual demeanor. I blinked in surprise, struggling to process the unfamiliar display of warmth from him.

"Good job, Amelia," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

I stared at him, disbelief written across my face. "Wait, what?" I stammered, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in his behavior.

Aiden's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

I shook my head, trying to make sense of the situation. "Why are you being all... nice?" I blurted out, my disbelief giving way to suspicion. "This isn't like you."

Aiden let out a weary sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You were the one telling me how bossy I've been," he replied, his tone tinged with frustration. "So here I am, trying not to be bossy, and now you have a problem with that too. What can I say?"

I bristled at his response, my irritation bubbling to the surface. "Oh, come on," I shot back, unable to hide the edge in my voice. "I told you to stop being so bossy, not to start acting like a weirdo."

Aiden's expression softened slightly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Weirdo, huh?" he echoed, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

I rolled my eyes, refusing to be drawn into his antics. "Look," I looked straight into his eyes. "This whole... patting me on the head thing? It's a bit too much."

Aiden shrugged, his smirk widening into a grin. "Maybe I'm just full of surprises," he added, his tone teasing.