Chapter 23: Fell out of love
"So what do you want to know," Daniel asked me as he itched a part of his arm that was covered with a tattoo. It was a snake with an arrow through the mouth, the venom shooting up. Gross.

Daniel, Gabe, and I were all sitting in Gabe's kitchen waiting for Mason and Aiden to come. Layla was still getting ready upstairs. She's felt so comfortable moving into this lake house and she's only been here for a day.

I haven't really talked to Gabe and Daniel as much. I mean I knew them but we didn't really have a friendship. They were just kinda there.

I wanted to know them better. I wanted to know their lives. That sounds creepy. It's just that I felt like we've been doing so many things together but I didn't know much about them. I guess all that time I spend yelling and arguing with Aiden kind of misguided us from really getting to know each other.

"Well...anything," I told them as I sat down and took a bite of my tortilla chip.

"Well, I'm Gabriel. People call me Gabe. Uh, Aiden and I have been best friends since we were little. And Daniel and I recently started to become best friends. Don't tell Aiden," he whispered the last part, "My favorite colors blue. I feel like the more I see the sky the more alive I am with the world. People see me as a goofball but it's just my nature. I have great beautiful abs and all the ladies love me," he ended while laying back in his seat triumphantly.

"Yeah, you lost me at the last part," I giggled. How did I not realize this before? Gabe was a dog for adventures. He loved exploring new things. He was the only one who actually watched Good Girls with me. There wasn't a bad side of him that I saw. He only had a goofy side. Sometimes he would be mesmerizing but other than that I didn't really find him that attractive. Okay, he was a little attractive.

Daniel smirked after my response and breathed in before starting.

He shifted his blonde hair back and cracked his pale knuckles.

"Well, there's not much to know about me, Heaven. I moved to this school not too long ago. My parents had problems so they divorced and decided that neither of them wanted me. I grew up in foster care. I wasn't loved by anyone. I used to be this nerdy boy that everyone found weird because that's what my foster parents wanted me to be...this-this smart boy who will end up at Harvard. By the time I turned 17, I couldn't take it anymore, I just couldn't wait another year. I ran away from my foster home. I didn't know where I was going but I ran. It took the police about 6 days to find me, I was staying on the streets. They found out there that I actually could have another guardian...my grandmother. So after a couple of weeks of her fighting for me from my past foster parents, she got custody of me. She taught me to love and what a family was like. She let me do whatever I want and wanted me to grow up how I wanted too. I got my first tattoo a week after I moved in with her and they became my new style. I moved to Canyon High and I've met the best people there. My story isn't as mesmerizing as Gabes but it's my story," he sighed as he looked away. His green eyes trying their best to not let him drop a tear.

I never knew any of that. I guess sometimes other people really do have a story...we just have to ask.

"I never knew that. You're so strong," I reply with a warm smile as I reach for his hand and cup them in mine.

"Hey, why does he get to hold your hand?" Gabe whined.

"Shut up," Daniel and I said in unison.

I removed my hand from Daniels and sat back in the chair. The room went silent. A pin drop would be the loudest thing we would hear right now.

"What's your story Heaven?" Daniel asked a while after the silence.

"Me? Oh no, I don't have a story. I grew up with a happy family and a happy life," I lied.

He crossed his arms and stared at me confused, "Liar," he murmured as he stood up and walked over to the sink.

I am not a liar! Okay well, I am but people aren't supposed to know that part.

"What?" I sit up in my seat.

"Its just that...no one has a perfect life," he shrugs as he started the water and washes his dish.

"By the way," he started before I could respond, "is Layla single?"

I scoffed and burst out into laughter. My laughter suddenly died down once I realized that Gabe and Daniel were staring at me confused.

"Oh, you're serious?" I say with a raised brow.

Daniel's cheeks flushed red and Gabe tried his best to hold back a laugh.

"No, no, I don't mean it like that. It's just that you just met her like a day ago," I quickly reply which makes him become less tense and his red cheeks flush away.

He scratches the back of his head and walks back to his seat, "I know, but she's different. She can take a joke," he chuckles.

"Yeah and the fastest Daniel ever fell in love was within one hour," Gabe pointed out.

Daniel's cheek flushed red again and he turned away.

"No need to be embarrassed bud. I fell in love too quickly too. Now I've fallen out of it," I tell him trying my best to make him feel less embarrassed.

"Like Aiden?" Gabe asked and quickly placed his palm over his mouth to shut himself up.

"What?" I asked confused.

Gabe looked nervously at Daniel and started to play with his short curls. He then started to nibble on his nails.

Daniel rolls his green leaf colored eyes and turns back to face me, "Aiden fell out of love. He never really told us how. He just...gave up on it," Daniel shrugged as he started to fiddle with the sleeve on his sweater.

Well, now I know what they do when they're nervous. A fiddler and a biter.

"Why hasn't he ever told you? I mean you guys are his best friends," I reply leaning in.

I never knew Aiden fell out of love. I just knew he didn't date. That would make sense though. I mean he has all of these supermodels at our schools that would run over their own sibling for him and he didn't even take a glance at them. The real question is...why are Daniel and Gabe so nervous to talk about it?

"Yeah and we respect that he doesn't want to tell us. It hurts us but we don't know how much talking about it could hurt him," Gabe says shrugging.

I feel my cheeks flush of embarrassment. They were right, even though they were best friends it doesn't mean they have to tell each other everything. I preferably tell everything to strangers...I mean I don't know them right so I don't have much to be afraid of. Aiden was a stranger-

We heard a knock on the door which took me out of my thoughts. Daniel got up and went to go answer it.

"Hi," I heard him say sort of nervously.

I'm guessing Layla went outside to do her daily thing and take pictures...she knocked on purpose. She knew he would answer. That sneaky little girl.

I glance at Gabe and we both smirk at each other. We think the same thing and crept over to the wall that connected the kitchen and the hallway to the front door.

We peeked our heads slightly in the corner watching them flirt.

"Hi," Layla replied. I really hope she realizes that when she gets nervous her whole face turns red. She looked like a tomato.

"I like your hair," Daniel said breaking the silence awkwardness.

Gabe and I both look at each other and quickly run silently back to the kitchen laughing.

"I like your hair," Gabe mimicked before bursting out of laughter again.

We heard another knock on the door and crept again. This time Layla nor Daniel was there. I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey," Mason replied with a smile.

"Uh, hi," I reply awkwardly. What? Of course, I'm going to be awkward I met the dude like three hours ago.

"Let's play," Aiden said as he walked past Mason into the house.

When the hell did he get here?

I saw his cold glare on the back of Mason's head.

This is going to be a long night.

The night is going to get spicy.

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