The Fate Of Broken Hearts

Chapter 46

I sat behind the large grey desk, eyeing the way Aubrey placed her hand suggestively on Aiden's forearm. Her blonde waves of hair gracefully swayed behind her shoulders every time she tilted her head back to laugh. And the gold bracelets splayed on both wrists rattled every time she grabbed a hold of the desk to support herself.

Aiden stood in front of her with both hands stuffed into his jacket. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other repeatedly, glancing at me every now and then as if he was making sure I wouldn't disappear.

"Anyways, how have you been?" Aubrey blinked up at him slowly, her rosy lips spreading into a charming smile. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

"I've been preoccupied."

"Oh, I hope you haven't been too swamped with classes. They've been so hectic for me recently. This semester is really kicking my butt." She giggled again, swaying closer to him.

Aiden noticed her calculated attempt and cleared his throat, stepping little ways to the side.

"Is this all I can do for you today?" I asked, scanning the book she'd handed me.

She turned her head, her smile still very present. "Yes, thank you."

"Have a good day," I said, returning to the other activities on the computer.

She then faced Aiden again with wide eyes, subtly placing her palm on his chest. "We should catch up! I know a great restaurant to have dinner. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," He said. "we should invite everyone." I noticed Aiden's small head tilt as he turned to face me. "Would you like to join us, Emma?"

I was too focused on Aubrey's hand placement to register what Aiden said to me. When he repeated himself, I cast my gaze at Aubrey, expecting to see some visible irritation of some kind, but she seemed unphased.

Aiden's eyes were filled with light as they stared at me, waiting for an answer. But I didn't have one.

Suddenly, I found myself rejecting his invitation, and I saw the way that the light fell from his eyes and drew a frown on lips.

"I just... I don't want to impose."

"Nonsense!" Aubrey beamed at me. "The more the merrier." Her arm brushed by Aiden's forearm, which he basically jerked away. She was too busy pulling out her phone to notice his rejection. "I'll reserve a table for eight, then. I'll text you the place."

"Great." Aiden stated indifferently.

"Oh!" Aubrey exclaimed loudly. "We're going to have to do it after the trip, though."

"What trip?"

"The one to Sacramento Myra has been bugging us all about. You are going, aren't you, Aiden?"

From the dark reflection on my computer, I could see that the lines on my forehead had deepened with the raise of my brows.

"I hadn't given it much thought." Aiden shrugged.

"Myra moved the trip up to this weekend. You and Emma should both come!" She only looked at Aiden when she spoke. Her eyes were mostly glued to him for the entirety conversation.

"I'm terribly sorry but as I told Myra, I won't be able to make it." I said, trying to be as nice as I could without seeming ungrateful.

"That's a shame... What about you, Aiden?"

I awaited his reply just as eagerly as she did. I thought he would be ecstatic to go and that he'd say yes without even thinking twice about it. I thought he'd be happy to have a weekend away with his friends, especially since I had just rejected him.