Steps of Courage

Chapter 34

I woke up the next morning and I was even angrier about what Aiden had said than before. His words echoed in my mind and haunted me as I got ready for the day. I sighed - looking at myself in the mirror - trying to calm myself down but I couldn't help the growing feelings of anger and disappointment. 

Why did he have to be so rude?

I left the house and tried to be around him for the walk. As I saw him waiting, the feelings intensified and I had trouble pushing them down. He saw me coming and smirked, the same smirk as always but today it pissed me off. 

"Look who finally decided to show up." he said, teasing. 

"Yeah, well, I'm here now." I say, bluntly. 

I started walking and he ran to catch up before slowing down to walk beside me. 

"Someone is a grump today. Did you not get enough sleep last night?" he asked, teasing. 

His usual teasing banter - the same sense of humor that had once been my escape and my happy place - was grating at my nerves. It was rubbing me the wrong way. I felt hurt, disappointed, and frustrated. I didn't understand how he was so easily pretending like nothing had happened. 

"You seem a bit off today, Kay. If there's something on your mind you can tell me. You know that right?" he asked. 

Kay.

I had a nickname from him that no one has ever given me before. My heart melted slightly but I shrugged it off, I wasn't going to let my guard down that easily. Probably never again. Especially not to him. 

"Nothing." I say, tightly. 

"I've been so nice to you today, what's the attitude for?" he jokes again, but that was my last straw. 

I sped up, trying to get away from him. He laughed and tried to catch up with me, but when I started running he stopped laughing. I glanced behind me to look at him - crossing the road as a cover up - and his smirk had been replaced by a frown as he returned to walking pace. I ran all the way to campus and then headed to class. 

The whole day I avoided him. I stayed in the library late after school hoping to leave when he had already gone home. But there he was in the quad. He beckoned me to come over - and I reluctantly did so - he looked as if he were waiting for someone. So I asked him who it was. 

"Who are you waiting for this late at night?" I asked, skeptical. 

"Someone special. You can't tell her I'm waiting for her though, it would ruin the surprise." he says, and my heart shattered. 

"Oh- uhm, okay... I'll leave you to talk to her then." I said, and I started to leave. 

He grabbed my wrist and spun me around, sighing. 

"Okay, I tried being mysterious and that really didn't work. That 'someone special'...? yeah it's you. Can you just listen to me because I need to tell you something." he says, and I nod slightly - intrigued on what he will say next. 

"Okay, no more mysterious. I'm just going to rip the band-aid off." he steps closer to me. "I really... really like you Kay."

I gasped. Was he being for real? I put my hands over my mouth to stop myself from speaking because he obviously wasn't done talking. It was also to hide my smile. He laughed a little at my reaction before taking my hands away from my face. 

"Don't cover that beautiful smile." he said, holding my hands. "Now the big question... Shit, I just gotta do it... Will you be my girlfriend?"

I was shocked to say the least. I was standing there speechless, and I could see Aiden's smile falter a little. 

"...This is going to be really embarrassing for me if you don't say yes." he says, scratching the back of his head and looking at the floor. 

"Ohmigod, I thought you would never ask!" I say, throwing my arms around him. 

He sighs in relief and pulls me into him in a tight hug. 

"I should've asked sooner but I didn't think you would say yes. And I didn't want to ruin the friendship we already had. But I'm so glad." he whispers into my hair. 

I was so happy I couldn't even formulate words. I let go of the hug eventually and he took my face in his huge hands. He smiled down at me and - I hate myself for it; but - I bit my lip while looking at him. He leaned in and kissed me. Just like the night on the porch, only longer, with more passion, and I kissed him back straight away. Then when we were separated he took my hand and began to dance with me to imaginary music. A couple people walked past us as we danced and I got embarrassed. 

"Everyone's watching." I said quietly, trying to stop dancing. 

"Don't you want everyone to know I'm yours now to keep? All I want to do is scream 'I asked Katie Cooper out and she said yes!'. All I want to do is show off this beautiful girl that I have somehow managed to begin dating. I'm going to make sure the spotlight is always on you when we are together. I would continue to dance with you right now even if the whole world was watching us." he said, and I giggled. 

It was surreal to have someone talking to me like this after years of being told I was unlovable. 

Take that Alexa. 

Take that mom. 

I'm dating Aiden Williams. And I don't ever plan on letting him go.