CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Trees swayed violently, in the almost empty park.

The harsh wind kissed his cheeks.

It was common sense not to be out in this cold but he payed little to no mind to it.

His thoughts were elsewhere, surprisingly not on Matìas for once, but instead on his mother.

Matias had barged into his room at seven in the morning, dropping the bomb on him.

His mother wanted to meet Aiden.

Aiden being, well, Aiden, started freaking out almost immediately because what the actual fuck.

First of all, why would the Mrs Alexander want to meet him.

Second of all, how the fuck did she know about him?

Well, I mean, you are their neighbours, Aiden

Aiden groaned.

All kinds of thoughts started popping into his head. Y'know, the typical thoughts such as 'what if she doesn't like me' and 'what if she thinks I'm not good enough for her son'

Wait.

They—Matìas and Aiden— weren't even fucking dating.

So what did this mean? Another step in, whatever the fuck this was?

This was confusing the living hell out of him.

He didn't even know what they were.

Sure they confessed their feelings, passionately made out and occasionally (more often so) cuddled, but that was all.

What do you even call the thing they have? A vibe?

Friends with benefits? he hoped not, those never seemed to last long.

All this thinking was fucking giving him a headache.

He stood up from the wooden park bench, adjusting his beanie before realising that perhaps what he needed was someone with much more experience.

Someone wiser.

Someone like Nora.

Contrary to popular belief, Nora too had her fair share of boyfriends, if more than eight counted as such.

She knew every little detail about what a relationship needed to have in order for it to function, the proper way to show your affection, how to ask someone out and how to break up with someone.

Aiden saw her as some sort of love guru.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, smiling at his wallpaper which was a picture of him and Matìas that he had taken that day at the fare, before sending a quick SOS to his best friend.

After making sure it was sent- and to the correct person, because that always seemed to be a problem- he made his way back.

_______________

"I have arrived with snacks and my wonderful advice!" Nora stumbled into his room at three in the afternoon, a whole fifteen minutes after he sent the text.

God, he loved her so much.

"What's the prob, dawg?" she hopped on his bed and laid her head on his chest, already getting comfortable.

"First of all, don't call me that" Aiden grumbled, his hand making its way through Nora's hair.

It was so soft.

Why was it so soft?

"Second of all?"

"There is none"

Nora rolled her pretty blue eyes, clicking her tongue before throwing a blanket over her.

"So" she dragged out "The SOS text?"

Aiden remained silent.

"C'mon you know we only use it in emergencies, so what is it" she urged him on after noticing that his hand in her hand had gone still at the mention.

He sighed.

He was hoping they would atleast do something first before getting down to business- aka 'their bestie convos' as Nora liked to call them.

"Well...Matias' mom wants to meet me"

"WHAT!!!"

In a matter of seconds, Nora was back on the floor, jumping up and down, screeching and talking gibberish, the only words Aiden were able to make out were "omg", "goals" and "this is so fricking amazing"

It seems she was making too much of a noise since Ash came barging in, an alarmed look on his face.

"What the fuck is going on!?"

Nora chased him away though, pecking him on the cheek (which Aiden gagged at) and pushing him back out the door.

Disgusting love birds.

"I don't think I'll ever get use to you and my brother locking lips infront of me"

"Oh hush" Nora groaned "anyway. explain to me why that's a problem?" she asked almost therapeutically.

Aiden frowned "I never said it was a problem-"

Nora sent him a deadpanned look, effectively shutting him up.

Aiden sighed again "well, the 'problem' or whatever is that Matias and I aren't even dating-"

"WHAT"

Fucking hell, he felt like his eardrums were about to bleed.

"I swear Aiden if you're torturing my girlfriend I'm gonna-" Ash came barging into the room, again.

Nora effectively stopped screeching and pull Ash onto the bed with her.

I swear, if they start making out I'm gonna flip.

"What's going on?"

"Well" Nora dragged out "Matias' mom wants to meet Aiden"

"HA?" Ash screeched.

Jeez, Nora and him were such a match.

"I know right?" Nora squealed again before stopping dramatically "but"

Ash frowned, turning his gaze to Aiden "there's a but?"

Aiden sighed once more.

Having to say it over and over again was starting to hurt him more than he'd let on.

"Matìas and I aren't dating" he muttered, almost inaudible.

"WHAT??"

"I KNOW RIGHT!?"

Aiden looked up at the ceiling and mentally begged the universe to open up a hole in the ground that would swallow him whole.