Chapter 26

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The next two days passed in a blur. I was already looking forward to the weekend as I sat in my usual spot in Math class on Friday.

Aiden hadn't arrived yet. We were so busy over the past two days we hardly had time to talk. He seemed the same, yet it looked like something was bothering him. We spoke on the phone before going to bed, and I managed to sleep through the night without having nightmares.

Maybe it was because of Aiden's soothing voice as he wished me goodnight, or perhaps it was due to my exhaustion after studying long hours for the Math test we had yesterday. I didn't know for sure but was glad to have managed to rest well at night anyway.

Mister Norton hurriedly made his way to the desk, our test papers under his arm. Seconds later, I felt Aiden's chair shift as he sat down. I turned around to see him briefly smile at me before we redirected our attention to the teacher.

"I must say I am, indeed, quite disappointed with your results, " the teacher said, and I heard a couple of students groan.

"It's high school, students; you are supposed to know how to study for a test." Our teacher's gaze traveled across the classroom. "While some of you, many of you, passed the test just barely," he paused, "we also have two excellent grades, thank Lord for that."

Looks passed between our classmates trying to guess who the lucky ones were. Nobody seemed to have a clue. I silently prayed for at least a C.

"Kennedy and Donovan, excellent!" Mister Norton put our test papers with an A grade on top of them on our desks. "Well done, you two."

I turned to Aiden and gave him a broad grin. I would've kissed him hadn't we been in a crowded classroom. He winked at me before refocusing on Mr. Norton.

"Hey." Aiden kissed me when the class finished. "Guess studying together has its benefits. Listen, Ellie..."

"What?"

"It's Friday..."

"And?"

"Spend time with me after classes today. My father's out of town..."

"In your house?"

"No, I haven't told you—"

"If the place has bookshelves, I'm all in," I said eagerly, and Aiden's eyes sparkled with unleashed amusement.

"Wait, what haven't you told me?"

"Right, the bookshelves..." He sighed dreamily, and I playfully nudged his forearm.

"What haven't you told me?"

"Jimmy and the guys are coming tomorrow," Aiden said as we walked to the Chemistry lab. "They are playing in town next week, but apart from that, they are free.

"We wanted to rehearse before the event. The thing is, I haven't seen the place where they can store the equipment, and I'm going to Thierry's after school today. I'll have to leave my stuff at home first, so would it be alright if we met at the bistro later? Thierry told me the place would be packed tonight, but this room is in the back. The guy thought about everything." Aiden smiled. "What do you say?"

"Is it a date?" I grinned, excited at the prospect of spending the evening together.

"Yes." Aiden looked at me as if he wanted to kiss me, but the class started.

My mind was in overdrive for the rest of our school day, my insides tingling with anticipation.

"I'm home!" I yelled, entering the house a couple of hours later, knowing my mom was back from work. I found her in the kitchen with an ongoing Skype call on her laptop. Uncle Steve greeted me when he saw me in the room.

"Hey." I plopped down on the kitchen stool after kissing Louise.

"We've just started." Louise smiled. "All good?"

"Aiden and I nailed our Math test." I couldn't conceal the pride in my voice. "An A for the two of us, the only two excellent grades in class."

"So, he's clever, then." Uncle Steve raised his eyebrows.

"Of course, he is, although he chooses to think he's not sometimes. Aiden's a genius at Math. When we study together, I am the slow one."

"Hard to believe it." My uncle chuckled. "You've never got a bad grade in your life."

It was true, but I could spot a smart person when I saw one, and Aiden was it.

"Girls, I called to give you a surprise." Uncle Steve beamed. "I got the tickets."

Louise reached over to take her phone to look at the calendar."When are you coming?"

"In two weeks," uncle Steve said.

My mom's expression turned worried.

"What's up with that, Lou?"

"It's Thierry's anniversary." Louise sighed. "The restaurant is turning five, and there will be a big celebration. Thierry needs to have us there."

"No problem, I'll go there straight from the plane. Do you think I'm not able to find my way in the city, Lou?"

"You'd do that?" She exhaled, relieved. "Thanks."

"Of course, don't worry about it. A place doesn't turn five every day. I'm looking forward to meeting the man who won that big heart of yours," uncle Steve added, making Louise blush. She didn't use to do it much before Thierry, I realized.

"Okay, girls, time for me to go. I'm working extra to be able to take that vacation."

"Don't work too much. Love you."

Louise and I said our goodbyes to Uncle Steve before ending the call.

"God, it's late already. I need to get ready." She glanced at the clock hopping off the stool.

"Where are you going?"

"To Thierry's, but we are not staying there. We are going someplace else for dinner and a movie after."

"Dinner and movie?" I wiggled my eyebrows. "It's so couple-like."

"Yeah," she said. "I'm not gonna lie to you, this fun and dating is something I didn't know I was missing."

"Mom, I have a date myself." I got up to get ready, as well. "Could you drop me at Thierry's? Aiden will be there, checking the room where the band will rehearse. They are coming tomorrow."

"Go, get ready, then. Fashionably late is one thing, but I'm not thrilled to make a busy man wait," Louise said over her shoulder, already darting up the stairs.

We were ready half an hour later. I straightened my hair, something I didn't usually do, and chose to wear a gray shirt dress and black knee-high boots.

"Wow." Louise gave me a once-over as I reached for my coat in the hall. "You're going to drive that boy crazy." She smiled.

"Is it too much?" I asked her as she fixed her ponytail and smoothed out her black dress in front of the hall mirror.

"No, it's not. It doesn't show much, but you know how pretty you are, honey. Aiden knows it too, for sure. Let's go." She grabbed her jacket and opened the front door.

"You also look beautiful," I said as my mom started the engine to drive us to Thierry's.

We had trouble finding a spot to park next to the bistro. Thierry didn't lie when he said the place would be packed.

As we entered the restaurant, several customers' heads turned in our direction. A handsome-looking Thierry in a dark suit and a white button-down came out of the kitchen, pausing midway to give some final instructions to the man I recognized as Marco.

Then, Thierry's eyes lit up at the sight of my mom. I felt happy she finally had someone who looked at her this way as if nobody else existed.

"You are gorgeous," I heard Thierry whisper as he kissed my mom's cheek, taking her hand in his. I chuckled lightly, and he blushed, finally aware of my presence.

"Wow, Ellie. Like mother, like daughter." He kissed my hand. "Listen, your boy is already inside, but it will be better if you circle the bistro and enter through the back door. This way, you can leave when you want. Nobody is going to disturb you even if you stay past closing time. Aiden has the key. He'll lock the place when you leave. Last time I checked on him, he was fiddling with his guitar." Thierry winked.

We exited the restaurant, and I said goodbye to the two of them before going to the back of the restaurant.

Opening the door, I found myself in a narrow hall. Several rooms were on either side of me. I didn't know where Aiden was until my ears caught a faint sound of the guitar. I quietly moved in that direction, grinding to a halt when I saw him.

Aiden was sitting on a stool in the center of the room, guitar in his hands. He bit his bottom lip, trying to tune the instrument. Then he started to play, and it wasn't like Jimmy said it was.

It wasn't great. It was perfect. His skilled fingers glided effortlessly along the riff, producing the most beautiful sound. Aiden was nodding his head and tapping his foot lightly to the melody, lost in his world.

I thought nothing would ever beat that until Aiden opened his mouth and started to sing. His deep voice, just a tiny bit rough in some parts of the song, was dripping with emotion.

I was so enchanted, so utterly enamored with this new side of the boy I came to love; I didn't even listen to what the song was about. I stood there, afraid to breathe, thinking that if I hadn't fallen head over heels for Aiden before, then and there would be that moment — the moment I would hold vivid in my memory.

As if he felt my presence, Aiden lifted his eyes off the strings and looked at me almost timidly.

"Hey...Have you been here long? Sorry, I sort of tuned out for a while."

"I enjoyed listening to you. It was amazing."

"Thanks, Ellie, but it's far from perfect." He sighed. "Guess a year without playing took its toll. My fingers feel stiff."

"You sounded just fine." I smiled.

"Come here." Aiden carefully placed the guitar against a speaker and pulled me onto his lap as soon as I was near.

"Like this dress. Like your hair. You look beautiful." Long fingers that were masterfully playing the guitar minutes ago caressed my face.

"You look handsome yourself." I liked Aiden wearing all black, and he did look great in his black jeans and a black shirt.

"Have you got everything ready?" I looked around at the cables and some equipment I had no idea how to use.

"Yes. Thierry had some things here already, so the guys won't have to drag all their stuff to the bistro, just some instruments."

"Good... I guess Thierry is calmer now that this has been sorted out."

"Yeah, he's cool. He's a good manager and a good guy. Who else would give me this place for the night just like that?"

"For the night?"

"For as long as you want to stay here with me. I wanted to spend time with you. Are you hungry?" Aiden suddenly asked.

"Don't worry about it..." I started to say and got interrupted by Aiden, who put me down and clasped my hand in his.

"Come here." He led me toward a curtain. I assumed a window was behind it. However, when Aiden pulled it aside, all I could do was gasp at what I saw.

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