Bonus Chapter 11.2: Diminishing Anger

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Hi guys! Here it is, the next bonus chapter. Remember, I am uploading weekly now so please like and comment so I know whether you enjoy it or not.

Also, my other book has also been uploaded (it is also weekly) and is a fantasy romance. Check it out!

Let me know what bonus chapters you'd like to see in the comments.

So without further ado, the chapter-

I adjusted my body closer and, with our hands still connected, I leaned in. His mouth almost enveloped mine in a fiery kiss.

Keyword being almost.

Before our lips could make contact, Aaron's finger did. He raised his index finger to my lips, stopping me in my movements.

"Please." He strained out, his voice laced with exhaustion.

My eyes snapped open at this and I stared at him, hoping he would offer me a reasonable explanation- But one never came.

I recoiled away from him, nodding numbly.

"Sorry." I mumbled. Tears formed in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. Aaron's eyes didn't meet mine as he spoke, his voice quiet.

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to start anything. I'm sorry." He said, his eyes looking everywhere but at me.

I turned to Aaron who eyed our connected hands with a mixture of disgust and despair.

I waited. I don't know what for, but I didn't feel like moving right now. Aaron clenched and unclenched his jaw, eyeing our hands. His palm pressed against mine with a little force before he hesitantly parted his hand from mine, moving it back slowly to his side.

Aaron's POV from the lake when they nearly kiss- Part 2

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He could feel her eyes on him and, he didn't know why, but it unnerved him. It wasn't like he wasn't used to stares. He had learnt to make a habit of it throughout the course of school. If anything, he reveled in it. It provided as a distraction to what had become his mundane life. Yet, with Lexi looking at him, he didn't know quite what to feel but unnerved.

"Are you done?" Lexi's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up to her incredulous expression, smiling innocently at her as he took a sip from his drink. She only rolled her eyes at this turning to her bag.

He spared a look to Lexi's tray where her first meal was still half-finished and he knew then why his appetite had surprised her. A small part of him, when he saw her frail form, wanted to push her to eat another meal, but he suppressed the urge. He didn't know her yet; wasn't aware of her nature and, so, didn't know what would offend her. So, he had left her be with what she had eaten.

Again, Lexi pulled him out of his deep thoughts when he saw her hand holding money out towards him. He knew it was for the wager they had; the one had set, but he still didn't hesitate to throw it back towards her. He had been only been joking when he had said it, of course.

"Hey!" Lexi called out at his actions, jutting her wallet out towards him.

"Loser has to pay for meal, remember?" She reminded him of the wager and he smirked at her obvious annoyance. It was slightly odd for a woman to want to pay for him; he had never interacted with anyone who had done such a thing. Still, he couldn't find that it displeased him. Instead of voicing this, however, he merely shook his head.

"Hey, I'm a gentlemen and a gentlemen always pays when on a date." He said, liking the way she let out a scoff, a distasteful look in her eyes. He should have felt hurt at her obvious hate at the idea of a date, but instead it made him happier; it was refreshing.

"This is not a date." Her words were indignant and it made him laugh. He decided it was fun to joke around with her.

"Let me explain this simple concept to you, love."

She rolled her eyes at this, making his smile deepen, but she still nodded, urging him to continue. He gestured to her at this.

"Girlfriend." He said simply, watching her expressions carefully.

He then pointed towards himself.
"Boyfriend." He said about himself, but he found the word strange. How long had it been since he had been someone's boyfriend?

Ignoring his thoughts, he pointed towards the food.
"Out to eat." He continued before leaning back.

"I'm pretty sure that's what a date constitutes of. Don't you, doll face?" He finished, fighting the laugh down. He was playing with her and, from the way she fake smiled, he knew that she was already aware.

"Fine, well I enjoyed the date then, my little cretin" She cooed softly as though it was an endearment, but it might as well have been from how gentle her tone was; how it made his excitement increase and he raised his eyebrow at her words before leaning back.

"I guarantee you didn't enjoy it as much as me, love." He teased in return, knowing that actual endearments would irritate her more and he knew it did when she scowl. He couldn't hold the laugh in then as she spoke.

"I beg to differ, scumbag." She retorted almost competitively and his eyes lit up in excitement again, liking that she was able to respond to him just as fast. Still, he was never one to like losing, so he merely raised an eyebrow.

"Begging huh? A good look, princess." He retorted, putting emphasis on the end intentionally and he didn't miss how her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Yeah, begging you to stop breathing. Care to oblige, bonehead?" She quickly snapped back and he raised an eyebrow  impressed at her words. Still, the competitive side of him gave in and he leaned forward, gaze burning through her.

"I can't; you already took my breath away the moment I laid eyes on you, baby." He murmured, almost seriously. Indeed, when he had seen her, he had been awestruck with her beauty. It was what had made him approach her help.

His smile quirked up then as he saw her falter, cheeks reddening in a way he had come to be fond of. He'd have to think of other things to say if he'd want to see that blush again.  

"Shut up." She huffed out finally, annoyed to not have been able to think of a retort and he let out a laugh at her annoyance. She was clearly just as competitive as he was.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw how rigid Lexi's body was as she looked around. He followed suit, looking around at the odd people who had flitted their gazes to them. It didn't faze him in the slightest but, as he looked at Lexi, he could tell it was a different story. He could tell by the way she squirmed uncomfortably on the spot, avoiding eye contact.

Her displeasure to the crowd fazed him then and- all of a sudden- he was too aware of their eyes. He scowled at them as he pulled Lexi up, taking her towards the exit unrelentingly

He could sense the slight cold to the air when they walked out as he looked to the silver moon in the sky.

"Aaron! Slow down!" Lexi called out as though he was racing out of there. He turned to argue that he had just been walking out, but stopped when he saw her appearance. In the moonlight, she looked positively ethereal, her pale skin akin to glittering snowfall. Yet, it was her red lips that drew his attention as he noticed her lips quivering.

"You look cold." Was all he said and she frowned, wrapping her arms around herself self-consciously. It was probably his stare that had made her feel that way.

"How can you tell?" She questioned softly, her words making puffs of fog in the air in front of her.

He pointed towards her mouth simply.
"Your lips are quivering." He stated the truth, excluding the part where he had been even thought to put his lips over hers in an effort to warm them. She merely smiled at the part he had shared, waving him off witdh a hand.

"It's nothing." She attempted to reassure him, albeit very weakly before hugging herself tighter in her own feeble attempt to keep warm. It made him roll his eyes. Why was it so difficult for her to admit that she was cold and why was she so against any forms of aid? He briefly wondered what had made her so hard-headed.

Without thought, he reached down and began undoing the buttons of his dress shirt. She let out a hum of a noise at that.

"What are you doing?" She questioned with a frown, still visibly shivering and he let out a sigh at her own denial of her state.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" He responded sarcastically, not answering her question and he didn't miss her heaving a sigh as he removed his dress shirt completely, leaving him in a thin vest top. The cold didn't faze him too much. They played sports everyday after school in their thin gym wear all throughout the winter as well, so he had naturally before more accustomed to the cold.

He then began the dress shirt over her trembling form, but she resisted, moving away from the shirt.

"No, it's okay. You're gonna get cold." Her reasoning was weak and he could tell she was contemplating it from the way she looked tepidly to the shirt. It made him smile and he shook his head, draping it behind her yet again.

"I'm not cold. I'm hot, babe." He teased, hoping his words would distract her from refusing again as he helped slip her arms into it. She merely scoffed at his words, but allowed him to put it on her and, so, he was glad he had successfully distracted her.

The buttons were undone so he manoeuvred in front of her then to fix the shirt up. He could feel her eyes on him, but he ignored it as he continued on. Her own warmth seeped through the shirt and to his fingers and he chose to ignore that, buttoning up the shirt with focus.

He had to bend to do the bottom buttons due to her shortness, but he didn't mind and he spared a glance upwards from where he was, liking the way she was staring at him. His jaw clenched at this, but he looked down, continuing with his ministrations, a look of focus in his eyes. He moved up her body as he continued to do the buttons and then he reached the last button. He was stood ip straight now, but slight bent over and he spared a look into her eyes.

From here, he could see every small detailing of her face that he couldn't before; he could hear the sound of her gentle breathing. He couldn't help but be marvelled at her beauty and she stared back with equal intensity.

"There. All done." He whispered, still in a haze from seeing her like this, especially when she smiled then, making her eyes light up.

"Thanks." Her voice was soft, disappearing away with the wind and he watched her with more fascination than he had watched anyone. He hadn't thought he would be this entertained by her when they had first met but tonight was different. She had responded to his humour with equal rebuttals, played his games even better and- when looking into her eyes- he could see her for the beauty she was. He stayed silent then as he looked at her, thinking of how he hadn't seen this before. It was late now and she'd make way for home; the thought slightly upset him. This was the only night in which he didn't find predictable. In actuality, it felt liveable and the thought shocked him. He decided he didn't want it to end just yet and his eyes lit up as an idea came to his head.

"I wanna take you somewhere." He started before he could contemplate it. He hadn't ever taken anyone there, not even Justin or Danny; not even Avalon. It was his place of solace, so he had left it be. So, why had he so eagerly allowed Lexi there? He didn't even know her as much, but some part of him wanted to share it with her, he didn't know why.

He watched tepidly as she bit her lip in contemplation before looking to the time. He thought she'd flat out refuse then but, instead, her lips quirked up.

"Where? So late at night? How would I know you're not taking me to a quiet place to kill me?" She teased him and he smiled at her, getting surprised by her yet again.

And for a second time in the night, he jutted his hand out towards her, questioning my trust for him. And, once again, she replied with a yes and it made him smile. He knew she was an overly cautious person, so having her trust meant a lot. He just hoped he could keep it

"You won't regret it."

***************************

"Can I open my eyes now?" She asked, still as impatient as she had always been and he smiled, helping her through the forage.

"No. We're almost there." He responded, holding her hand tightly to guide her. He hadn't fully gathered how small she was until he held her hand like this. He could feel how cold it was also, compared to his, and he tried his best to warm her up.

"Open." He finally said when they were stood in the familiar clearing by the lake and he moved away so he could turn to look at her reaction properly.

She opened hers eyes slowly and it took her a moment to process before she gasped at the sight.

"Oh my god, wow, this looks amazing." She muttered in awe and he nodded his head in agreement as he looked to the familiar place.

"How did you find this place?" She questioned from behind and he tensed slightly, thinking about if he should respond. This was a taboo subject for him, but he couldn't leave her question unanswered. So, he offered her a small smile in the silence. From the way she frowned, he could tell his smile wasn't convincing so he turned back to look at the lake.

"I didn't find it." He answered simply, getting lost in the better memories.

"Well then, who did?" Her soft voice sounded yet again and he found he liked the sound of it here. He sat down then before gesturing for her to follow suit; he knew she'd be tired from the walking.

She offered him a small smile at this before making her way over and sitting next to him on the grass. He took a deep breath before iterating the story he had been told in his early childhood; during the better times.

"My mum. She found this place when she was a little kid. She would come here everyday and just lie down. It helped her think. No one else knew about the place, so she thought she was the only one who came here." He stopped short then, hands clenching by his side as he thought of the male. The one who had ruined his and his mother's life.

"She thought  she was only one?" Lexi repeated his words in question and it drew him out of his angered haze. So, he nodded, leaning back on to his palms.

"She wasn't the only one." He answered still unable to mention him. He looked to the lake thoughtfully, trying to calm his thoughts, but it was so much easier to give into the anger about how unfair life had been.

"She wasn't?" Lexi questioned before moving closer and it made him smile, despite his mood, so he relented then.

"Dad." He could finally edge out, but it was progress. It was more than he could say in the last few years.

Lexi looked around unsurely at this, biting her lip and he knew what her line of thought was.

"He's not dead, Lexi." He answered, but was it bad that a small part of him wished he was? He didn't dare share that.

"Then where is he?" She asked and he couldn't face the questions anymore, not when he didn't know himself. He had lost that part of his life a long time ago. So, he stood up and turned away, so she couldn't see the torn expression on his face.

"Mom and Dad first met here. This place was so important to them. They had their first kiss here, their first date." He shared what he could, the part of his life that was normal. He couldn't find it in himself to share the other part, not when he had even barely addressed it alone.

"Where is he now?" Lexi questioned yet again, coming closer. She was an unrelenting force, he realised; definitely not like the others. She didn't care for his discomfort, laying him bare for what he was and his hands clenched by his side.

"What is it, Aaron?" She asked yet again and his mind traced over what had happened: the cheating, his mum's alcohol dependence; her depression and the fire. It was all too much so he said nothing at all, tensing as he felt the hand on his back.

"You're worrying me, Aaron" She said, trying to turn him and, suddenly, he felt like he was going to blurt it out; make her see him for how pathetic he was. But, he didn't want that. So, instead he gave into the defensive part and she let out a small startled noise as he grabbed hold of her hands and pushed her until they were against the tree. Her hands were above her head in his hold as he tried to gather himself up. He could see her shocked gaze, but couldn't hide his expressions at that moment, his breathing ragged as the anger built.

"I don't know where is." He edged out, voice dangerously low. He couldn't help it when the truth left him and it shocked him that he had even shared such a thing with her. So, he made way to move, breaking away from her.

He could see her moving to him, from his peripheral and he closed his eyes, taking a few breaths.

"Why?" She asked in that same soft voice. It was enough to help him recompose himself and he turned to her then with a poker face. The anger was subsiding as he looked at her inquisitive gaze and he merely shrugged.

"Divorce." He said as casually as possible, but he knew there was more to it than that. He knew she knew that as she stared at hum curiously. He tried to change the subject then, looking back to the view.

"I was shown this place when I was 12." He said, hoping she'd understand his plea and, thankfully, she just smiled, looking around.

"Thanks for showing me, Aaron." She answered earnestly and it made him smile that she had dropped the subject, despite her curiosity. It made him feel like himself again as he turned to her, gesturing to his stomach.

"I'm starving." Was all she said and he smiled as she gaped at him incredulously, the tense moment long behind them.

"Are you kidding me, Aaron?" She gave him a pointed look and he wondered why she was so shocked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?" He questioned and she huffed at his words, folding her arms.
.
"How do you not put on weight? I'm seriously jealous." She muttered almost woefully and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. If anything, she was more on the dangerously thin side, but he didn't share that with her. It did concern him, yes, but it wasn't his business. With her words, he wondered if she suffered from an eating disorder like a cousin he knew.

When she continued to look at him, however, he dismissed the thoughts and laughed, raising an eyebrow.
"You think you put on weight?" He teased her and she rolled her eyes at him, glaring at him.

"I seriously do. What is this then?" She spoke pointedly before gesturing over to her frail waist and poking at her stomach. He didn't even question about what she was poking, but he knew then that she had some sense of a body dysmorphia to feel that way. He  cocked his head sideways, wondering what it would feel like to embrace her; to hold her to him. She fidgeted as he looked to her, but he ignored it then as he gave into the urge and came towards her. All it took was one motion and he had swept her up bridal style.

The feeling of her warmth against his made his body tense and he looked down to meet her shocked eyes.

"You weigh nothing at all." He truthfully said, his face centimetres apart from hers. If he wished, he could easily close the gap between them, but Lexi was one of those girls he wasn't sure as to how they would respond. It scared and excited him.

Her cheeks reddened slightly and sucked in a deep breath.
"Put me down," She grumbled and his eyes lit up at her poor choice of wording. Had she never been to a pool party before?

"Put you

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