26 | jealousy

„So you two are officially a thing now?" Aiden asks and I nodded.

"Yeah we wanted to try if it works out between us" I said as I took another sip from the coffee that Aiden brought me once again. I definitely have to get him something too because I start to feel really bad because of the things he constantly brings me.

"Do you think it will work out though?" he asks carefully and I shrugged.

"I guess you never fully know but I'm quite optimistic that it will work in the long run or at least I want to be optimistic. I feel like there are a lot of things that he isn't telling me and I don't want to push him into telling me everything about him because I know that there are certain things you just don't want to talk about but I poured my entire heart out in front of him and I can tell he isn't being totally honest with me" I rambled.

"You have to give him some time because you don't know how bad the thing is that happened to him. Maybe he has a trauma and I know that you had one too because of your brother but everyone's trauma is different. Talking about it made the trauma easier for you to overcome it a little bit because you were able to put that bastard into prison but what if Isaac isn't able to do that and he thinks that talking about will make it worse? Maybe he just wants to forget it" he says and is does sound reasonable but I just can't stop thinking about what made Isaac try to stay away from me. I'm just afraid that I unknowingly step on forbidden territory in the future simply because I don't know what is going on inside his head.

"Do you think I should try to talk to him about it and if he blocks I should just leave it?" I asked unsure whether I should do it or not.

"Yeah you can do that but the last thing you should do is push him. If you do I can't guarantee that you two would last. No one like to be pushed into a corner don't forget that. There's a reason why he hasn't told you yet" he said and I sighed because I knew that Aiden is right but I was a curious person, I always have been.

When class was over we went out together and Aiden asked me if I wanted to grab lunch with him.

"Fine but only under one condition" I said as I looked at him strictly.

"What is it" he asked with a laugh visibly unimpressed with my attempt to look strict.

"You let me pay for both of us" I said

"I'm afraid I can't do that" he said stubbornly and carried on walking

"Why? You always bring me stuff and never let me give you anything in return so it's my turn now!"

"I don't do it because I expect something in return!" he reasoned and I groaned in annoyance. He really is stubborn but luckily I am too and I'm always up for a competition.

"Stop being stubborn and let me pay for you goddamn. Is it your ego that refuses to let a girl pay for your food? We live in 2020 it's time for equality in which a boy lets the girl pay as well!" I said and stomped with my foot like a little child as I stopped walking. I hate the stereotypical roles in society in which they tell you that this is how the genders should act. It just doesn't sit well with me.

"Okay fine but only this one time" he gave in and I jumped in the air careful not let my dress show more than I should as my feet left the ground.

"We'll see about that though" I asked with an evil smile.

My eyes wandered around the campus because after my short outburst many eyes were glued to both me and Aiden but only one pair of eyes really caught my attention. Isaac's. What was he doing here. I waved towards him and he only gave a small unenthusiastic wave back causing me to frown at him.

"Who's that?" Aiden asked when he noticed my attention drifting elsewhere

"Isaac" I replied shortly and heard Aiden laugh.

"That explains why he looks at me like he wants to kill me" he laughed.

"No he doesn't. He just always looks like a meanie" I answered with a small smile because I was actually excited to see him again, not being used to seeing him so frequently anymore.

"Em he is totally jealous right now" Aiden said as we slowly made our way towards him.

"I think you're wrong there"

"I'm never wrong let me prove it to you" he said as he put his arms around my shoulder, already earning a little glare from Isaac. Maybe is in fact right.

"Hey Babe" Isaac said when I stood in front of him. He grabbed me by my waist, ripping me out of Aiden's arms and gave me a passionate kiss that was a little too long with a little too much tongue involved in order to be classified as an appropriate kiss in public. Yup he was totally jealous.

„Ah so that's the guy I drove you to after our date. Isaac right?" Aiden said with a smile stretching his hand out for Isaac to shake who grabbed his hand firmly and didn't even try to look friendly while doing so. Aiden, however, didn't mind at all because he seemed to enjoy his game a little too much. I knew that the only point of mentioning our date was to see how Isaac would react and based on the look on his face he didn't like it at all.

"Yeah I'm her boyfriend and who are you? I'm sorry but I don't think she ever mentioned you" Isaac replied and I actually had to hold back my laughter because he sounded like a jealous high school girl.

"I'm Aiden. Emilia and I know each other really well right Em?" he said emphasizing the word really which made Isaac narrow his eyes and I knew that his mind was drifting towards all the possible things that could've went down between me and Aiden while Isaac and I weren't speaking.

"Anyway I came to pick you up for lunch babe" Isaac said and now he emphasized the word babe and I know I shouldn't find his behavior amused but it really was.

"Oh uhm I actually wanted to grab lunch with-"

"It's fine Em you two can go. I have to be around your annoying as most of the time anyway so I don't mine" Aiden said and I nodded

"Only if that's really fine with you" I said and waited for a serious response

"It is" he said as he gave me hug and then he walked away.

"I'm still paying next time!" I shouted after him but he just gave me the middle finger without looking back, making me laugh at his childish behavior.

My laughter quickly died down when I looked back at Isaac and saw the murderous glare he send towards the direction Aiden just disappeared to.

„I don't want you to see him anymore" he asked and I could see his jaw tightening

„What do you mean? He's a friend of mine!" I asked in utter shock. Who does he think he is? It was just supposed to be a little joke I didn't expect him to take it so seriously.

"Yeah a friend that you went out on a date with. Yesterday!" Isaac replied in disbelief as if it was a surprise to him that I even dared to argue about this

"And we both agreed on being friends. There was nothing going on. We went to dinner and talked. That's everything! No kisses no nothing" I set the point clear hoping he would leave it at that but of course he didn't.

"I still don't want you to hang out with him especially when I'm not around" he said and I couldn't believe what I just heard. Does he seriously think he can order me around like I'm a puppet or something? Like he owns me?

"You're acting just like my brother"

"I-I'm sorry I didn't realize I just-" he tried to explain but I cut him off.

"It's fine you didn't mean to but don't tell me what to do okay? If we want this relationship to work you have to trust me and treat me as your equal and not as someone you can order around. I don't want to be treated like a little girl that doesn't have a say in anything because that's what I've been treated like for almost a decade"

"Emilia I really do want us to work out but I was just scared you'd leave me. I don't want to lose another important person. I don't think I could handle that" he said as he hung his head down and I actually felt bad.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked hoping he would tell me what bothered him so much.

"No not right now. I want to talk about something else"

"Okay" I said deciding not to push him because I sensed that he wasn't ready to talk about whatever it was that seemed to haunt him.

Can't believe I managed to update twice in a week but I did it haha. I'm kinda proud of myself but this chapter just wrote itself I swear it took me only and hour to finish and I don't think it ever took me so little time to write a chapter